Columbus Museum of Art is a gem to explore in Columbus, and they have reopened with precautions in place. They offer FREE Sundays and other discounts at Columbus Museum of Art, such as $5 Thursday evenings, Blue Star Museum discounts, and more.
Take a day to appreciate art at Columbus Museum of Art during Free Sundays at CMA, open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The free admission also includes most exhibitions, as well as Center for Creativity, Big Idea Gallery, and much more during free Sundays at CMA. Free Sundays are made possible by the Free for the Future initiative to provide free access on Sundays for the next five years.
A separate admission fee of $8 applies for special exhibition, Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals.
You can also pay just $5 for admission on Thursdays from 5-9 pm. Reservations are required; read below for details.
CCS Free Family Admission with the WonderPass
WondowPass gives access to the creative experiences and resources for imagination, curiosity, critical thinking, and play – at the CMA and at home.
What does WonderPass include?
- Free summer admission for children 17 years and younger (from June 1 to September 3). This includes our special exhibition, Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals.
- Free summer admission extends to caregivers and families for those who attend Columbus City Schools.
- A resource guide for in-gallery and at home creative learning. A new one unveiled each season!
- Community Days – these creative, play filled days at the museum will happen quarterly. The first celebrates Columbus’ own Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson on Saturday, August 14, featuring maker activities from 11 AM-1 PM, and a performance by Urban String in collaboration with Mark Lomax.
Free admission with WonderPass is automatic. Reserve your ticket now. Families in Columbus City Schools can redeem the offer with code CCS2021. More details here.
Columbus Museum of Art Re-Opens with Safety Measures
The Museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm and Thursday from 10:00 am – 9:00 pm. All Museum visits, including for Members, will require a dated, timed admission ticket at hourly intervals. You can stay for as long as you wish after your admission. General and special exhibition admission tickets are available online or by phone. General admission may be available at the door, depending on capacity.
Masks are encourages, especially for those not fully vaccinated.
They are still offering lots of virtual workshops and events that you can enjoy at home! See calendar.
Exhibitions and Galleries at Columbus Museum of Art
The Wonder Room is closed due to the spaces being high touch areas. Free, single-use Essential Engagement Kits are available upon request in the Atrium. These include individual supplies — set of gloves, pencil, post-its — for use with hands-on activities.
Families will enjoy The JPMorgan Chase Center for Creativity featuring the Big Idea Gallery to encourage imaginative play for everyone. You’ll also enjoy the art and exhibitions featuring world-renowned artists.
See the current exhibitions here. Explore art throughout the Museum galleries through hands-on activities, puzzles, and “Join the Conversation” stations. Safety and sanitation kits are provided for hands’ on activities.
Admission, events, and discounts at Columbus Museum of Art
Reminder: all visits require registration with a dated and timed ticket.
Free Sundays at CMA
Everyone can enjoy free Sundays at CMA from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The free admission also includes all exhibitions, as well as Center for Creativity, Big Idea Gallery, and much more during free Sundays at CMA.
While Sunday admission is free, all visitors need to reserve a dated, timed admission ticket to enter. Special exhibition fees may apply on Sundays. A small amount of day-of admission tickets may be available for visitors who arrive without reservations, but cannot be guaranteed.
$5 Thursdays evenings at CMA
Thursday is a perfect night to head to CMA with friends or a date! Admission is just $5 from 5 – 9 pm. (Closed Christmas Eve)
WonderPass admission for youth and CCS Families
Free summer admission for children 17 years and younger (from June 1 to September 3). This includes our special exhibition, Raggin’ On: The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals. Free summer admission extends to caregivers and families for those who attend Columbus City Schools with code CCS2021.
Blue Star Museums Program
CMA is also part of the Blue Star Museums Programs, so active duty, retired military, veterans and their families get free admission. Simply show your active-duty military personnel or military family I.D. at the admission desk for free entry.
Columbus Member Advantage Program
If you’re a member of select Central Ohio attractions, you can save $3 on general admission to CMA through the Columbus Member Advantage program. No coupon is necessary. Simply show your valid participating membership card when you visit! Limited to 4 discounts per membership per day; can’t be combined with other discounts.
Member Advantage partners for 2020 include:
- Columbus Museum of Art & Pizzuti Collection of CMA
- Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
- COSI
- Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
- LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Columbus
- National Veterans Memorial and Museum
- Ohio History Center & Ohio Village
- Wexner Center for the Arts
General Admission for CMA
Adults • $18
Seniors (60+), Students (18+), Children (4-17) • $9
Note: Children 4-17 are free from June 1 to September 3 with WonderPass
Thursdays (5:00PM – 9:00PM) • $5
Children (0-3) • FREE
Members • FREE
Sundays • FREE
Veterans and active military and their families • FREE
Parking: Park in the Museum’s lot for a flat $5 rate with payment taken at the admissions desk. CMA members and visitors to the Museum Store and Schokko Café enjoy free parking. Just bring your Museum ID or receipt to the admissions desk.
Events at CMA
BAM Thursdays: Bar, Art, Music. Thursdays from 5 pm – 9 pm
CMA has reimagined First Thursdays and has brought you BAM Thursdays – every Thursdays – featuring drinks, art, and music. The festivities will be enhanced during the first Thursday of each month with a featured live artist from 6:00 – 8:00 PM.
You do not need a reservation or ticket to attend BAM Thursdays. If you would like to visit the Museum, reservations for timed tickets are expected.
Art for Wellbeing: Join CMA for a free, thirty minute mindful-looking exercise that will help you slow down, process emotion, and quiet anxieties. Research shows that close, mindful looking at art can strengthen our ability to process stress. Building resilience is more important than ever in today’s increasingly divisive and troubling world. Participants will be guided through a slow-looking protocol coupled with a mindful breathing exercise. You will have the opportunity to reflect and share or quietly look and process.
- May 27: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
- June 24: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Creative Mindfulness: Looking for a creative practice for stress relief? This 30-minute mid-day begins with a mindfulness-based relaxation practice to help participants tune in to the present moment for a session of slow art-making. Each month is inspired by a new prompt as a guest artist shares a creative exercise and invites participants to follow along or focus on their own creative process. Bring a sketchbook or journal and medium of your choice. These will be offered every second Thursday of the month, beginning in February.
- May 13: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
- June 10: 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM
Wednesdays @ 2 Behind the Scenes Talks: Join Columbus Museum of Art virtually on Wednesdays at 2:00 PM and gain a behind-the-scenes perspective on current exhibitions, CMA’s collection, and more as you hear personal and professional stories from guest speakers. Wednesdays @ 2 will now take place virtually via Zoom. See schedule and register to receive the Zoom link.
- June 9, 2:00 – 3:00 PM: Impressionism: Painting in the Open Air
2021 Art Book Club: Join CMA Executive Director Nannette Maciejunes for Art Book Club. Every Art Book Club includes a conversation with Nannette. Art Book Club selections are available for purchase in the Museum Store. If the Ohio Public Health Advisory System lists Franklin County at Level 3 or 4 two weeks prior to that of an Art Book Club event, the program will take place online. For questions, please call 614.629.0359. See book club dates and selections here.
Seasonal Exhibitions
Annual Holiday LEGO® Exhibition at Columbus Museum of Art: Spring 2021 – tba. Columbus Museum of Art’s annual holiday celebration of the creative potential of LEGO® bricks returns. Bring your friends and family and celebrate the season by connecting with LEGO® and each other. Think Outside the Brick features an enormous collaboratively-built model of Columbus. Don’t forget – everyone can enjoy FREE ADMISSION at CMA every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., and $5 admission on Thursdays from 5-9 p.m.
Columbus Museum of Art
480 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614.221.6801
website
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Columbus Museum of Art
480 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614.221.6801
Yes – still free on Sundays!
Hello
I read a post online from 2017 regarding free admissions on Sundays. Does Sundays have free admission?
Please contact the museum directly for group reservations.
I work for the City of Columbus Rec and Parks and I would like to bring a group of 10…group rate