If you’re thinking about introducing your kids to art for the very first time and not sure you’re up to heading to the big guns in the city, why not stay local and visit the Montclair Art Museum (MAM) in Montclair? Since 1914, this museum has been a hub for American art and features an impressive collection of Native American art—one of the best in the Northeast. With over 12,000 pieces to explore, including classic and contemporary paintings, intricate basketry, stunning sculptures, and beautiful pottery, you can spend time familiarizing your kids with art genres and concepts. Gather clues in their family scavenger hunt or sign up for one of their dynamic classes, camps, and family programs together. Read on for what to know about the Montclair Art Museum and how this NJ gem is one place you won’t want to miss. (featured photo credit: @mammontclair)

The Montclair Art Museum 

Interact with art

Start your kid’s introduction by heading to one of the galleries where exhibits focus on Native American art, including everything from an original lacrosse stick to a buffalo hide bag. Check out the permanent collection of 19th-century artist George Inness, renowned as America’s foremost landscape artist. Other galleries revolve around displaying a single artist or a theme that gives kids an idea of the different genres and how art is interpreted. While you explore the museum, use the Bloomberg Connects guide, an arts and culture app, to take you behind the scenes and help you plan your visit around the museum to make it an interactive experience.

Step into a story or take a scavenger hunt

After you explore the galleries, head to the Family Learning Lab on the third floor. The large illustrations on display will make you feel part of an experience as families can engage with prompts, books, and, of course, art supplies. Want to make the museum experience even more interactive? Check out the Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt, where families can download a sheet at home and follow clues throughout the museum to complete it. 

Montclair Art Museum has plenty of art classes and summer camps. Photo Credit: @mammontclair

Join kid and adult-friendly events

Every Sunday, join artists in the Studio for a family-friendly art-making experience where you can make anything from mixed media to pastel landscapes. Montclair Art Museum also hosts classes for all ages, starting at age 6, and features workshops in mediums like digital, ceramics, drawing, and film. In the summer, look out for classes and art-centric camps where kids can build skills and use their imaginations to create. For adults, check out fun ones like the Wine and Wheel event, where you can try your hand at a potter’s wheel. 

What to know before you go

Montclair Art Museum galleries are open on weekends (Fridays and Saturdays, 10 AM – 6 PM; Sundays, 11 AM – 5 PM) and open on weekdays for private tours only. You can book tickets online or buy them onsite to enter the museum. Tickets for adults are $8, students are $6, and children under 12 are free. For food, the Cornerstone Café at MAM is open every Friday and Saturday until 2 PM, offering coffee and snacks. The Café is located on the lower level of the Museum and offers indoor seating as well as a library of art books for browsing. Look out for one free Thursday a month when TD Bank hosts a once-a-month party with free admission, activities, food trucks, and a cash bar. You can park for free parking in the onsite lot; if that is full, there is free parking on South Mountain Avenue. 

To learn more about the Montclair Art Museum, visit their website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Montclair Art Museum
3 South Mountain Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042

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