Hood Museum of Art

Dartmouth has collected objects since the eighteenth century, and the Hood's holdings grew over generations from a college teaching collection into a museum of national standing. The current building opened in the 1980s, designed by the architect Charles Moore, and gave that sprawling collection a proper home beside the Green.

In 2019 the museum reopened after a major expansion and renovation by the architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, which added galleries, teaching spaces, and a new entrance facing the Green. The redesign roughly increased the exhibition space and reframed the Hood as both a public museum and a working teaching tool for students.

The Assyrian reliefs are the Hood's signature treasures. Carved in gypsum for the royal palace at Nimrud around the ninth century before the common era, they show winged protective spirits and cuneiform inscriptions praising the king. They are among the finest examples of Assyrian palace art in any American collection, and the fact that they sit in a free college museum makes seeing them feel almost improbable.

Around them the ancient and global collections range widely, from classical antiquities to art of Africa, Oceania, and the Indigenous Americas, giving the museum unusual breadth for its size.

The Hood holds strong collections of American and European painting and works on paper, including pieces by major modern artists, alongside a substantial collection of Native American art. Because it serves a teaching college, exhibitions rotate frequently and often connect the permanent collection to current coursework and contemporary artists.

A short walk across the Green, in the reading room of Baker-Berry Library, is one of the Upper Valley's other great art experiences: the mural cycle The Epic of American Civilization, painted directly on the walls in the 1930s by the Mexican master José Clemente Orozco while he was teaching at Dartmouth. It is a National Historic Landmark and pairs naturally with a Hood visit.

Hanover is the quintessential New England college town, arranged around the Dartmouth Green with the campus, shops, and eateries all within an easy walk. The Connecticut River runs just to the west, forming the border with Vermont, and the surrounding Upper Valley is a bi-state region of river towns, farms, and wooded hills.

The town makes an easy base for combining the Hood and the Orozco murals with river walks, the nearby Montshire science museum across in Norwich, Vermont, and the broader Dartmouth campus, itself worth a stroll.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The Hood Museum of Art, at Dartmouth College in Hanover in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, is a distinguished art museum with one of the finest college art collections in the country, and admission is free. The museum's wide-ranging collection spans world cultures and eras, from ancient and Indigenous art to European, American, African, Asian, and contemporary works, including notable holdings and a famous set of murals on campus. With its excellent collection, rotating exhibitions, and beautiful galleries, the Hood offers a rich cultural experience open to all at no charge. With its outstanding collection and free admission, the Hood Museum of Art offers a fascinating destination in New Hampshire.

You can view a wide-ranging collection spanning world cultures and eras, from ancient, Indigenous, African, and Asian art to European, American, and contemporary works, along with rotating special exhibitions, all in beautiful galleries at Dartmouth College. The diverse and distinguished collection, the rotating exhibitions, and the free admission are the highlights, offering a rich art experience for all. Nearby on campus, a famous set of murals is another artistic treasure worth seeing. With its collection and free admission, the Hood Museum of Art offers a rewarding visit in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Yes, the Hood Museum of Art offers free admission, part of Dartmouth College, making its distinguished art collection accessible to everyone at no charge. Its free admission makes it an easy and welcoming stop for art lovers and casual visitors alike. Because hours can follow the college calendar and vary, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. This free access is a wonderful feature of the museum. With its free admission and outstanding collection, the Hood Museum of Art is a wonderfully accessible cultural destination in Hanover, New Hampshire.

As an indoor museum, the Hood Museum of Art is enjoyable year-round in any weather, making it a great stop in any season, and it pairs naturally with exploring the charming college town of Hanover and the Dartmouth campus. Because its hours can follow the college calendar and vary, checking the current schedule before you go is wise. It can be busier around college events. Because it is indoors and free, the Hood Museum of Art makes a rewarding stop any time of year in Hanover, New Hampshire.

The Hood Museum of Art is at Dartmouth College in Hanover in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire, within reach of the Dartmouth campus and its famous murals, the Montshire Museum of Science just across the Connecticut River, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish, and the Upper Valley towns. That makes the Hood Museum of Art a fascinating stop to combine with the Montshire Museum of Science, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park, and the other attractions of the Upper Valley on a visit to New Hampshire.