Museum of Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art
4
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
30 reviews
Excellent
12
Very good
10
Average
4
Poor
2
Terrible
2
Mark P
Swampscott, MA2,482 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
This museum has no admission, although the $5 suggested donation is a bargain. It features very new works of art, some of which are pretty great, and some of which are not. For reasons that are not entirely clear to me, the MOCAD has presented a strong group of video features over the years.
Written July 23, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles D
Omaha, NE513 contributions
May 2018
My wife and I found the Museum of Contemporary Art while exploring the area around the Art Institute. It is a big space but with seemingly only one gallery and one exhibit. Mind you, the exhibit was massive, but we hoped for more. We look forward to more when next we visit.
Written May 28, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg D
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI253 contributions
Mar 2015 • Family
We visited during the DELECTRICTY event. I just moved back at the time and was completely blown away by this new gem. SO glad there is a place like this in our city. They are doing great things and are really on the edge of what is happening in the art world. Also have a full bar AND you can get food.
Written July 31, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MemoryCamera
Saint Paul, MN192 contributions
Jul 2019
This is an excellent option to see some contemporary art. The admission is a suggested donation of $5. There is not a tremendous volume of work, the quality is excellent.
Written July 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beverly C
Newport, MI89 contributions
Sep 2018 • Business
Quirky little museum with changing exhibits. Donations accepted for entrance. Staff is super friendly. Worth your time to visit!
Written October 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sae-Mi J
Boston, MA2 contributions
Jul 2018 • Friends
Maybe I’m just not smart enough to understand contemporary art, but I honestly felt like I wasted my time here, especially because I was only there for two days. I truly enjoyed the DIA, so that may just be my preference.
The whole run-through took about 10-15 minutes and my friend donated $30, which he quickly regretted. I felt there wasn’t a ton to see despite the large space. I will say the bar/coffee shop did seem nice, but I didn’t get anything there.
The whole run-through took about 10-15 minutes and my friend donated $30, which he quickly regretted. I felt there wasn’t a ton to see despite the large space. I will say the bar/coffee shop did seem nice, but I didn’t get anything there.
Written August 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StockholmKindaGuy
Marietta, GA7,171 contributions
Jul 2017 • Solo
The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, like many contemporary art museums, serves up ever changing art exhibitions, rather than depend on a permanent collection.
The museum has no entry fee, but a $5 donation is suggested. I would encourage everyone to give something.
The exhibitions I've seen here have varied. Most I've enjoyed. The two current exhibitions were not as strong as others I've seen and my rating only reflects what's currently on display. While there were a few pieces in the ".99¢ Or Less" exhibition that I enjoyed, overall I wasn't impressed. Irregardless, it's always good to be exposed to new artists and thinking.
I like that MOCAD is housed in a reclaimed industrial space that feels right with contemporary art. There's free parking behind the museum. MOCAD also has a small gift shop and nice cafe.
The museum has no entry fee, but a $5 donation is suggested. I would encourage everyone to give something.
The exhibitions I've seen here have varied. Most I've enjoyed. The two current exhibitions were not as strong as others I've seen and my rating only reflects what's currently on display. While there were a few pieces in the ".99¢ Or Less" exhibition that I enjoyed, overall I wasn't impressed. Irregardless, it's always good to be exposed to new artists and thinking.
I like that MOCAD is housed in a reclaimed industrial space that feels right with contemporary art. There's free parking behind the museum. MOCAD also has a small gift shop and nice cafe.
Written July 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark P
Swampscott, MA2,482 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
This is a terrific, though small museum. The art is contemporary, which means that exhibitions are hit or miss. Such is the nature of contemporary art. But it is well worth a visit, particularly since there is no admission fee, though there is a very reasonable $5 suggested donation.
Make sure to visit the Mike Kelly House, which is on the grounds of the museum. It is a good venue for shows, and is of historical significance as the childhood home of the Michigan artist by that name.
Make sure to visit the Mike Kelly House, which is on the grounds of the museum. It is a good venue for shows, and is of historical significance as the childhood home of the Michigan artist by that name.
Written July 29, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephanie L
Toledo, OH47 contributions
Nov 2016 • Friends
Being an artist and a patron of the arts myself, it is rather painful to write this review, but it is nonetheless the truth. The building is beautiful, but as you begin to navigate into the galleries, there comes a realization of how shockingly sparse the art-to-space ratio is within the three galleries of the MOCAD. A good portion of the building is casual social space and a eatery/bar.
Although there is inevitably a degree of subjectivity of interpreting contemporary art, the overall quality of the exhibitions were generally unfocused, and the artist statements were not fully crystallized– it was very much lost BFA musings from dilettantes. For me, it did not induce critical thinking. For contemporary art, I would recommend the trip to the Contemporary Art Museum in Chicago, where a day can be spent viewing and thinking about focused, strong visions in various galleries instead of a 15 minute walk-through at the MOCAD.
Additionally, one of the speakers was broken in the film room and it was impossible to hear the films. We brought it an employee's attention, and he said it was an ongoing "technical difficulty". This is rather shameful for the filmmakers who have worked hard to create their art and have it displayed in a presumably professional setting.
Although there is inevitably a degree of subjectivity of interpreting contemporary art, the overall quality of the exhibitions were generally unfocused, and the artist statements were not fully crystallized– it was very much lost BFA musings from dilettantes. For me, it did not induce critical thinking. For contemporary art, I would recommend the trip to the Contemporary Art Museum in Chicago, where a day can be spent viewing and thinking about focused, strong visions in various galleries instead of a 15 minute walk-through at the MOCAD.
Additionally, one of the speakers was broken in the film room and it was impossible to hear the films. We brought it an employee's attention, and he said it was an ongoing "technical difficulty". This is rather shameful for the filmmakers who have worked hard to create their art and have it displayed in a presumably professional setting.
Written November 20, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StockholmKindaGuy
Marietta, GA7,171 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
Nancy Mitchnick's "Uncalibrated" is another strong offering from MOCAD. The exhibition features work from a talented member of Detroit's Cass Corridor movement of the 70's, artist Nancy Mitchnink.
Her large, primarily urban canvases of Detroit, are given plenty of room to breathe in this exhibition. Giving them more visual impact. I like how she contrasts a brighter color palette with a not always bright subject featuring Detroit homes. Her canvases have just the right amount of detail and color, that gives the work a freshness and perhaps a sense of hopefulness for her hometown.
I really enjoyed the work of this local artist. Nice show.
Museum of Contemporary Art has a nice cafe and free parking on the back side of it's building. They also have a small gift shop. Admission is $5, a small price to pay.
Her large, primarily urban canvases of Detroit, are given plenty of room to breathe in this exhibition. Giving them more visual impact. I like how she contrasts a brighter color palette with a not always bright subject featuring Detroit homes. Her canvases have just the right amount of detail and color, that gives the work a freshness and perhaps a sense of hopefulness for her hometown.
I really enjoyed the work of this local artist. Nice show.
Museum of Contemporary Art has a nice cafe and free parking on the back side of it's building. They also have a small gift shop. Admission is $5, a small price to pay.
Written June 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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