R.W. Norton Art Gallery
4747 Creswell Ave, Shreveport, LA
Shreveport, LA
A quiet museum of American and European art wrapped in forty acres of azaleas and old trees, one of the great cultural surprises of northwest Louisiana.
The R.W. Norton Art Gallery is one of the finest small museums in the South, and one of the least expected, tucked into a quiet neighborhood in Shreveport, Louisiana. It grew from the collection and endowment of Richard W. Norton, an oilman, and his wife Emma, and opened to the public in 1966. The museum has welcomed visitors without charge ever since, an act of civic generosity that has made it a beloved fixture in the region.
Inside are galleries of American and European art spanning several centuries, anchored by an outstanding collection of art of the American West. Outside, the museum sits within some forty acres of gardens famous for their springtime azaleas and dogwoods. Art and garden together make the Norton a place people return to across the seasons, for the paintings in winter and the blossoms in spring.
What Guests Love
- The renowned collection of American Western art, including Remington and Russell bronzes and paintings
- Strolling the surrounding gardens when the azaleas and dogwoods bloom
- European galleries with works spanning several centuries
- That the museum welcomes visitors without charge, a generous gift to the city
Worth Knowing
- The museum welcomes visitors without charge, funded by an endowment; the gardens are open to walk as well
- Peak azalea bloom usually comes in early spring, the most spectacular time to visit the grounds
- Photography rules vary by gallery, so ask at the desk before shooting
- The galleries close on Mondays, so plan for the rest of the week
Details
Shreveport, LA
Learn about R.W. Norton Art Gallery
The Nortons and their gift to Shreveport
The museum bears the name of Richard W. Norton, a Shreveport oil businessman whose family fortune grew with the northwest Louisiana oil boom of the early twentieth century. He and his wife Emma Flowers Norton were dedicated collectors, and the Richard W. Norton Foundation they established made possible a museum that would serve the public.
Richard Norton did not live to see the gallery open, but Emma carried the vision forward, and the museum welcomed its first visitors in 1966. From the start it charged nothing at the door, sustained by the family endowment, and it remains one of the very few museums of its caliber that the public can enter freely. That founding choice shaped its role in the city, a cultural anchor open to everyone.
Art of the American West
The Norton is best known for its holdings of American Western art, among the strongest in the region. It is especially rich in works by Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, the two artists who did more than any others to fix the image of the cowboy, the cavalry, and the Plains in the American imagination. Visitors find both paintings and the dynamic bronze sculptures for which these artists are famous, rearing horses and figures caught in motion.
The Western collection sits within a broader survey of American art, from portraits and landscapes to genre scenes of everyday life. Together the galleries tell a long story of how American artists saw their country and its people, and how the myth of the West took shape on canvas and in bronze.
European galleries and rare books
Beyond the American collection, the Norton holds European paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts reaching back several centuries. The galleries move through different schools and periods, offering a compact but thoughtful survey of the European tradition that visitors can take in without feeling hurried.
The museum also cares for notable collections of fine and decorative objects, along with rare books and works on paper that are shown in rotation. Because the museum is intimate in scale, a visit feels personal rather than exhausting, a place where you can linger over a single painting rather than march past hundreds.
The gardens and the seasons
The grounds are as much a draw as the galleries. Some forty acres of gardens surround the museum, planted with azaleas, dogwoods, camellias, and mature trees, laced with paths and quiet places to sit. In early spring the azaleas erupt into color, and the whole property becomes one of the loveliest garden displays in northwest Louisiana, a favorite for walkers and photographers.
The gardens change through the year, with camellias in the cooler months, azaleas and dogwoods in spring, and green shade through the warm Louisiana summer. Fall brings mild air and turning leaves. Whatever the season, the pairing of art indoors and garden outdoors lets a visit stretch as long or short as you like.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Shreveport
Downtown Shreveport
About 4 miles north
The city's riverfront core along the Red River, with the Municipal Auditorium where the Louisiana Hayride once aired and a lively casino district.
Bossier City
About 6 miles east
Across the Red River from Shreveport, home to the Louisiana Boardwalk shops and riverfront entertainment.
Sci-Port Discovery Center
About 5 miles north
A hands-on science museum on the Shreveport riverfront, a good stop for families.