We first visited the Cleveland Museum of Art a few years ago, when we started on our Caravaggio hunting journey. We went for the singular purpose of viewing their Caravaggio piece – the epic “Martyrdom of St. Andrew”. You can check out our Caravaggio painting search status here. Also check out our new not-for-profit venture, The Baroque Art Accessibility Consortium, where you can find cool itineraries for various museums around the world, and fun facts about different baroque artists and paintings you may not have known about!

Most recently, in late June of 2025, we revisited the Cleveland Museum of Art, a FREE museum in Cleveland’s version of a museum campus, which is a gorgeously wooded and hilly area on the east side of Cleveland. Entry to the museum is free, however parking is $14, and special exhibits also cost extra. It’s open every day of the week except Mondays.

The CMA opened in 1916, and their tagline, “for the benefit of all the people, forever,” is truly fitting for this exceptional museum. It has undergone several renovations and expansions over the last 100 years, and it’s a lovely place to wander the halls and gaze at some beautiful pieces. The open atrium, which joins the three main buildings, is a modern architectural marvel, reminiscent of the British Museum in its openness, and melding classic and modern styles in one lovely space.

Some of our favorite pieces in the museum can be found in the Italian art room, where you can view the stunning “St. Andrew” by Caravaggio.

Particularly interesting to me was the “Boy Drinking” painting by Annibale Caracci, a contemporary of Caravaggio, and a rival. This painting doesn’t look like it’s from the Baroque period at all, and in a different context, you would think that it could’ve been painted by the likes of Monet or Caillebotte. The cool thing is that you can really see how the Impressionists drew upon baroque art when you are looking at this painting from the 1500’s.

Speaking of impressionists, the CMA has a solid collection of impressionist art, including beautiful Monet “Water Lillies” and some lovely Renoir portraits, which I’m really starting to get into.

The CMA is modern, and there are good facilities here. There is a nice cafe and restaurant called Provenance. I would recommend getting to the cafe early, as the lines get long, and it’s not set up very logically or efficiently. There did not seem to be much of a wait for the restaurant, and the prices are actually quite similar to the cafe. We were there on a busy summer Saturday though, and I expect during the week it’s not as busy. The food is good, and they have lots of options, including a rotating menu inspired by whatever special exhibit is going on.

I love this museum, and it’s easily one of my favorites that I’ve visited in the USA. It’s small enough to be easily digestible in a few hours, yet large enough to contain some really great pieces. It’s a no-brainer to recommend checking out this free museum while you’re visiting Cleveland!