The Rockwell Museum
The Rockwell Museum
4.5
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
About
The Rockwell Museum is the only Smithsonian Affiliate in Upstate New York. Housed in the beautifully restored 19th- century Historic Old City Hall in Corning, New York, The Rockwell lays at the heart of the greater Finger Lakes fine arts community. The Rockwell Museum tells the story of the American experience through fine art. The diverse collection includes a mix of nineteenth-century American paintings, historic bronzes, Native American objects, twentieth-century modernists, illustration art and contemporary photography. Your ticket includes access to the KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab, located just around the corner at 36 E. Market street. Kids and teens (17 and under) are always FREE at The Rockwell and Art Lab. Free parking behind the Museum.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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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
4.5
560 reviews
Excellent
284
Very good
188
Average
74
Poor
9
Terrible
5
Carol Ann J
Germantown, NY3,067 contributions
Aug 2021
The Rockwell Museum contains a variety of art from a private collection as well as other pieces. The floors of the museum have different collections with ample room to browse and enjoy the art without feeling crowded. There were only a few people when we visiting so we were able to take our time and appreciate the collections. We purchased a combination ticket with the Corning Museum of Glass and took advantage of the free shuttle which took us between museums.
Written August 27, 2021
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.
Maryann L
Fair Oaks, CA1,333 contributions
Sep 2021
The Rockwell museum served as Corning's City Hall from 1893 until 1974. The museum moved to this site in 1982. The permanent collection galleries are located on the third floor as is a lovely terrace overlooking the adjacent area. This collection is dedicated to American art and Native American artifacts. There are several Remington pieces here also. The seasonal exhibits are on the second floor. We especially enjoyed the photography of Chris Walters. There is a small gift shop on the first floor. The Rockwell is part of the Corning Glass complex and is a combined admission fee. A free shuttle runs between here and the Glass Museum, Welcome Center and Market Street
Written September 17, 2021
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.
Jason C
Morganfield, KY384 contributions
Jun 2019
The Rockwell Museum offers an outstanding gallery of Western and Native American art, mostly from the 19th-early 20th century. They have a number of outstanding artifacts and folk art. Of particular note is a collection of everyday people's blankets, along with stories of why these blankets were special to those that donated them. Be sure to take advantage of the combo admission ticket with the Museum of Glass.
Written May 17, 2020
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.
Cheri D
Yardville, NJ499 contributions
Aug 2022
Very nice little museum. We purchased a combination ticket with the Corning Glass Museum and there is a shuttle bus to and from each of them. The Rockwell focuses on Southwestern art including Native American. In fact, the special exhibit featured was of sculptures from Michael Naranjo, a Native American sculptor who was blinded while serving in Vietnam. Small gift shop as you walk in. Very friendly staff. A nice quiet museum to spend your morning or afternoon in.
Written September 21, 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.
CiaoBella112
Highland, NY74 contributions
Aug 2021
We visited the Rockwell Museum as part of a combo admissions ticket with the Corning Museum of Glass and spent about two hours there. It is compact but well-curated with a focus on American art. Despite the name, the museum has nothing to do with Norman Rockwell, the well-known artist. It was a project that started with the generosity and foresight of local business owners, Bob and Hertha Rockwell, who had a tremendous collection of American art that they donated to the community. The museum eventually took over the town’s former historic City Hall where it currently is today. It is a partner with the Smithsonian.
There are permanent collections and rotating exhibits. We particularly liked the photography of the National Geographic Kodachrome series and that of the local Finger Lakes people by Chris Walters.
The museum is conveniently located at one end of the Corning historic district and is a stop on the shuttle bus that runs to the Corning Museum of Glass.
There are permanent collections and rotating exhibits. We particularly liked the photography of the National Geographic Kodachrome series and that of the local Finger Lakes people by Chris Walters.
The museum is conveniently located at one end of the Corning historic district and is a stop on the shuttle bus that runs to the Corning Museum of Glass.
Written September 30, 2021
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.
WasOnce
Bucks County, PA482 contributions
Nov 2021
This museum’s focus is Native American art. Even if this isn’t one of your interests, there are still some nice pieces to see here and it can be a bit of a learning experience. Overall, we spent about an hour here. Purchased ticket in a bundle with the nearby Corning Museum of Glass using AAA discount. Free parking for visitors and staff at the rear of the museum if spaces are available.
Written November 3, 2021
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.
Karen P
Belmont, United States87 contributions
Aug 2021
This museum is much smaller than I expected, even though it is on multiple floors. My son and I spent about 1 hour roaming about. If you like the art of the old West, there will definitely be something here for you. I am a fan of Frederic Remington and there are two of his bronze statues on the 3rd floor. Probably the highlight of the museum for me. There is also a very nice gift shop where you can buy some very high quality items. Their brochure says you can see what looks like an interesting wall mural from the 3rd floor outside terrace. When we got up there we were surprised to learn that the mural is on another building about one block away. Not what we were expecting.
Written August 6, 2021
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.
Bill K
Spencerport, NY1,322 contributions
Jul 2020
Starting off, this place has nothing to do with Norman Rockwell but rather Robert F. Rockwell, Jr, a collector of Americana. The museum itself is connected with the Smithsonian and holds a nice diverse collection.
The museum is the old City Hall and very nice by itself with a nice third floor overlook patio with ample seating and good view of hills. There are 3 floors and a mezzanine filled with artwork and galleries.
The top two floors contain Native American and western art (both modern and vintage) in the forms of sculpture, paintings, bead work, photography and artifacts. There is a vintage gun collections with some impressive pistols.
The current Exhibition on the mezzanine level is Kara Walker: Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War and runs til Sept 27th. There are bathrooms and the door to the old jail on this floor also.
The first floor has a very nice gift shop and you can get stools or a wheel chair to help yourself around the museum. An elevator stops at each floor for a nice convenience.
Overall a nice little museum if you enjoy that type of art
The museum is the old City Hall and very nice by itself with a nice third floor overlook patio with ample seating and good view of hills. There are 3 floors and a mezzanine filled with artwork and galleries.
The top two floors contain Native American and western art (both modern and vintage) in the forms of sculpture, paintings, bead work, photography and artifacts. There is a vintage gun collections with some impressive pistols.
The current Exhibition on the mezzanine level is Kara Walker: Harper's Pictorial History of the Civil War and runs til Sept 27th. There are bathrooms and the door to the old jail on this floor also.
The first floor has a very nice gift shop and you can get stools or a wheel chair to help yourself around the museum. An elevator stops at each floor for a nice convenience.
Overall a nice little museum if you enjoy that type of art
Written August 13, 2020
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.
Emily M
White Plains, NY133 contributions
Sep 2020
Lovely museum. My favorite details were the little secondary plaques by some works that had perspectives on the art and how they related to the current state of the world. Insights on culture, racism, the anxiety of living through a pandemic, and how the writers were processing art and reality differently. I found these to be really helpful and healing, and it made for a very introspective visit. They helped me see the artwork in a greater context than most museums do and expanded the ways I viewed the work.
My favorite piece was probably the stack of blankets, all donations from locals with a tag attached explaining the history or significance of it. It was such a nice way to look at the lives of the people donating them. You really feel the love and richness of life through them. Loved this museum!
My favorite piece was probably the stack of blankets, all donations from locals with a tag attached explaining the history or significance of it. It was such a nice way to look at the lives of the people donating them. You really feel the love and richness of life through them. Loved this museum!
Written September 9, 2020
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.
Thank you! ArtRx is a brand new initiative, and we are so glad to hear you found it meaningful to your visit. This type of feedback helps to fuel future initiatives with the community. We'll be hosting ArtRx virtual programs this fall - follow us on Facebook or Instagram (@rockwellmuseum) to keep up on new programs and exhibitions.
Written September 15, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
K4Pacific
Odessa, NY223 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
What a wonderful Saturday morning for even us locals to visit this museum of mostly Art of Western America and the way of life of Native Americans. The quilt exhibit shows how different styles vividly. The Native American clothes, from two centuries ago, show how close they were to Mother Earth. Sad to see the negative reviews by folks that obviously didn’t do proper research. Come. Relax. Unplug. This is a gem
Written November 20, 2020
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.
To Tom G - by woke, you mean truthful?
Written October 7, 2023
kdjent
Herndon, Pennsylvania
We are traveling in a 25 foot motor home. Is there room to park nearby? spouse has heart condition, can't walk far , especially in the heat .Firefly from Pa
Written July 1, 2017
Hi there,
There is a parking lot free for our visitors, located directly behind the museum. We do a bus lane, and if it is open you are free to use it! Corning Musem of Glass also has ample parking, and there is a free shuttle that runs between both museums.
Written July 3, 2017
Do you have a Bierstadt there in your collection----on display?
Written August 8, 2016
Yes! We have multiple paintings by Albert Bierstadt on view, including the enormous "Mount Whitney"
Written July 3, 2017
do you have a list of some of the artists with work at the Rockwell Museum?
Written August 8, 2016
No, I don't, but check the museum's website for more info. Also Wikipedia has some info on this.
Written August 9, 2016
What is the name of the piece depicting an Indian on a horse, looking up at the heavens with arms outstretched? Also, who was the artist?
Written February 5, 2016
That piece is called "Appeal To The Great Spirit" - it is a very famous depiction by Cyrus Dallin.
Written July 3, 2017
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