San Antonio Art Museum Versus McNay Art Museum
Which Is San Antonio’s Best Art Museum?
San Antonio has a plethora of museums to choose from. Whether you like science at the Witte, free museums like the Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio or the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum, there is a perfect museum for you.
There is something about art museums that make them an easy choice if you’re not sure where to go. It’s hard to go wrong when the meaning of the exhibits comes from your interpretation of them. In San Antonio — though these are by no means the only art museums — the San Antonio Art Museum and the McNay Art Museum are the two heavy hitters on the scene.
San Antonio Art Museum
The San Antonio Art Museum is a huge museum by San Antonio standards. I like to compare it to being San Antonio’s Met. With a maze of halls taking you through art and history from around the world, this museum is almost impossible to take down in just one day.
It took me several visits just to get through their Egypt exhibit, but it is well worth the persistence. Especially if you time your visit correctly as a San Antonio resident, where you can get free admission and parking.
Though the main exhibits don’t change much, there is usually a special exhibit up in another one of their buildings on the expansive campus, so for a little extra, there is something fresh to enjoy for even the most seasoned visitor.
McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum takes a bit of a more unique approach. Though it has less artwork on display on any given day than the San Antonio Art Museum, it is in constant rotation with their deep inventory, keeping fresh paintings on the walls in many of their rooms.
The McNay also offers the unique experience of their campus’ architecture. Rather than the very efficient and rigid layout of the San Antonio Art Museum, the McNay offers castle-like grounds with surrounding gardens, outdoor sculptures and an ornate, colorful green, blue and white tile courtyard with a fountain and several small artworks of its own.
Also housed in a section on the campus is a special exhibit that is in flux as well. Last time my fiancée and I were there, it housed a special Tim Burton exhibit with relics from his famous movies as well as artworks that had inspired him. Not only do they have exciting new showcases often, they also have an interactive room where you can create exhibits of your own by browsing through their inventory. You can also play games on the tables with magnets and word exercises in both English and Spanish.
The Verdict
So, given all of the factors that culminate in these two remarkable staples of San Antonio’s museum scene, the decision becomes a very tough one. It is for that reason that, sorry to disappoint, I will not be declaring a winner between the San Antonio Art Museum and the McNay Art Museum.
That is because I believe each museum serves its own purpose, and these two styles of art museum, in my mind, embody the two types of museum-goers.
So, if you are someone who loves schedules, order and being organized: the San Antonio Art Museum is your pick. With its simple layout and endless amounts of artwork to peruse in a logical order, planning a trip will be no problem, and I think you’ll find the availability of such diverse works of art satisfies any artistic thirst you may have.
If you are someone who wants to take it slow, smell the roses and admire the scenery: the McNay Art Museum is for you. Since the large and fun-to-explore grounds of this museum are filled with trinkets of art to find, you’ll enjoy strolling through the paths in the gardens or through the narrow halls and mazes of rooms containing diverse sets of artworks. And, as a bonus if you come back regularly, you’ll notice artworks new and old that catch your eye as they shift in new pieces from storage or as special exhibits.
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