Plan Your Visit

COVID-19 Updates

The Museum is open with updated hours, Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm.  Following local ordinances, visitors are required to wear a mask inside all buildings, including restrooms and concession buildings. For the safety of everyone, we ask that all outdoor event attendees wear masks both outdoors and indoors. 

Learn more below about the Museum’s current guidelines and practices. Have a question or need help? Email our visitor experience team at help@ncartmuseum.org or call (919) 715-5923 during Museum gallery hours, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 am to 5 pm. If you contact us outside of those hours, we will work to respond to your inquiry as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and support.

Health and safety measures

• Frequent deep cleanings of the Museum and high-touch areas, including doors and restrooms
• Hand-sanitizing stations throughout galleries and restrooms
• For some events participants ages 13 and up must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 NAAT or PCR test result; test results must be within 72 hours of the event. Check individual event pages to see if this applies; at this time it is not required for gallery, exhibition, tour, or Park visits.

New entry and visit procedures

• The Museum Library is currently open to the public by appointment only. More information on scheduling is available at ncartmuseum.org/art/library.

Paused experiences and events

• Iris restaurant is closed until further notice.

Regular Hours: Galleries, Museum Store, and Welcome Center

Wednesday–Sunday 10 am–5 pm

Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and some holidays (see below)

Please note that Iris restaurant is currently closed.

Museum Park

Open daily, including holidays, from dawn to dusk. Beginning Monday, November 15, the restrooms of the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park will be closed for winter.

Please note: Work is underway in the southeast corner of the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park as part of the I-440 improvement project. All work is taking place in the right-of-way and not on Museum Park property. The project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2022. If you have any questions, please visit the NC Department of Transportation website. 

Gallery Holiday Closures

• Veterans Day: Friday, November 11
• Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 24
• Christmas: Saturday, December 24; Sunday, December 25
• Easter: Sunday, April 17, 2022
• New Year’s Day: Saturday, January 1, 2023

East and West Building Gallery Closures 

The Museum will begin a transformative reinstallation of its East and West buildings in 2022, offering a more dynamic experience of the arts for all through newly conceived thematic and interpretive galleries that connect the collection across place and time. To complete this work, some galleries will be closed. Learn more about this project.

• Starting January 3, 2022: East Building collection galleries go off view to begin construction; its exhibition level, studio and performing arts spaces, and East Café remain open; featured works of art from of our African collection go on view in West Building
• Starting June 1, 2022: West Building closes to the public
• October 2022: All galleries open and on view

During this time, the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park remains open daily, dawn to dusk.

The Museum is located at 2110 Blue Ridge Road, in West Raleigh’s Blue Ridge Corridor. Minutes from downtown and RDU Airport, the Corridor connects some of Raleigh’s premiere health and wellness, arts and research, and entertainment and education organizations, including the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, PNC Arena, Carter-Finley Stadium, UNC Rex Hospital, and much more, alongside residential neighborhoods, retail, and restaurants. Learn more about the Corridor here.

Museum Store

Visit the Museum Store to curate your own collection or select thoughtful items for loved ones. The Store is open during regular Museum gallery hours. For visitor safety the Store features social distancing markers and plexiglass shields at checkout.

Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free.

Admission is charged to visit West Building and the permanent collection during the annual four-day fundraiser Art in Bloom. There is a charge for some special exhibitions and programs, such as concerts, films, classes, and performances.

Explore a variety of engaging programs for toddlers, teens, and everyone in between. Make cool art, see live performances, or take a family-friendly tour of the Museum. Our programs and in-gallery materials invite you to look, talk, and interpret works of art together.

• Learn more about amenities and upcoming events for families.
• See special opportunities for teens, including the Teen Arts Council and teen art exhibition.
• Find more information on programming for college students, the College Advisory Council, annual College Night, and more.

Take public transportation to the NCMA via the GoRaleigh bus route 27. Information about the bus is available on GoRaleigh’s website. The Museum’s two bus stops are located at District Drive and the main Museum entrance near Reedy Creek Road.

Visitor Parking

Visitor parking is free and available in the Blue Ridge lot, on the right after entering the Museum drive. Overflow parking is behind West Building, on the left after entering the Museum drive.

Visitor Drop-off

Visitor drop-off is located between West and East buildings and can be reached by turning left after entering the Museum drive and following the signs.

General Policies

Please do not touch the works of art, as natural oils from hands and fingers can significantly damage these treasured objects. Please remain an arm’s length away from all objects.

Large packages, bags, briefcases, or other such objects are subject to search before entering the Museum and are prohibited in galleries. Check large items and bags at the lockers behind the Information Desk in either building. Suitcases and luggage are not allowed to be checked.

Strollers are welcome in the Museum and available to borrow if needed; however their use may be restricted near fragile art or in busy galleries. Baby carriers must be worn on the front of the body.

Any object that may pose a hazard to artwork or visitors is prohibited. These objects include, but are not limited to, umbrellas, food and drink, backpacks, lasers, gum, and knives. No firearms are allowed on Museum property. Glitter, confetti, balloons, and smoke bombs are not permitted in the Museum Park.

Only service dogs and miniature horses are permitted in the Museum.

Photography, Video Shoots, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Policies

Still photography of the permanent collection is permitted on condition that the photographs are for personal, noncommercial use. Flash photography is acceptable unless it disrupts other visitors’ experiences. Tripods, lights, tracks, selfie sticks, and other types of equipment are prohibited. Monopods may be used at the discretion of security.

Bridal or wedding party photography is permitted only if the party is renting space at the Museum as a special events venue. All other bridal or wedding photography/filming are governed by the commercial photo shoot policy, outlined below.

Commercial photography and filming intended for commercial use is prohibited unless prior written approval by the NCMA is granted. See the full commercial filming and photography policy here, including the required application and submission guidelines on page 3.

Please see our official policy for all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including drones, model aircrafts, balloons, and gliders.

Please note: The Museum may capture photographs and videos in the galleries, Park, and at special events for archival, educational, promotional, and commercial use.

For NCMA collection rights and reproduction information, click here.

Sketching

Sketching is permitted in all galleries except select exhibitions; only pencils may be used without staff supervision. Sketching materials can be obtained at the information desks.

• Homewood Suites, Raleigh Crabtree Valley (2.8 miles from NCMA)
• Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites, Courtyard, or Residence Inn Raleigh Crabtree Valley (3.2 miles from NCMA)
• Hyatt Place Raleigh West (3.7 miles from NCMA)
• Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh Crabtree (3.8 miles from NCMA)
• The Umstead Hotel and Spa (5 miles from NCMA)

Arrange group hotel accommodations or visits to other attractions in the Raleigh area through the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.