I have a thing for art – not just pieces on a wall but the whole experience of creating or experiencing beautiful creativity. I think travel is a great inspiration for it, which makes art one of the most obvious of our  educational theme tours.

Art lovers would travel almost any distance for a famous art museum. And they wouldn’t really need any other attraction beyond the beautiful pieces they love. New York City is one of our favorite choices for all kinds of student travel, including art tours. Visitors to Manhattan could easily spend more than one day in the breathtaking Metropolitan Museum of Art. This attraction displays art from all over the world, from many different cultures, and from many different historical eras. You’ll find larger-than-life modern pieces on the terrace, temporary exhibits on fashion, pop culture, and more, plus the class pieces you’ve come to expect and many that will surprise and move you. The Met also has restaurants inside and everything you need to spend hours studying the magnificent pieces – from paintings and drawings to musical instruments, costumes, and so much more.

Beyond this attraction, New York City offers still more. The Museum of Modern Art, or MoMa, is another popular art museum in the city. Its focus is on modern and contemporary art, and some of the exhibits here will truly astound you. And then there’s the Guggenheim, which is as much a wonder on the outside as in. The building spirals from its wide bottom to its narrower top. To view the displays, you ride an elevator to the top, then descend the spiraling walkway through the amazing exhibits.

You can see what I mean about New York City’s environment for art. A tour there could include at least these three museums, and there are many other attractions to round out your itinerary. But there are art museums throughout the country that will surround you with beautiful pieces as well. All of them were founded with the same goals in mind – to connect people to art for education, inspiration, and to develop a better understanding of our world.

The St. Louis Art Museum embraces this purpose so thoroughly that they want any person to be able to enjoy the experience they offer. Designed as part of the 1904 World’s Fair, this museum is free to all its guests. It offers displays and exhibitions, plus a variety of educational tours. If this museum could give every person in the world an understanding of the gift of art, I’m sure they would do it. St. Louis is a fascinating city, the Gateway to the West and marked as such by the sleek, familiar Arch – a beautiful St. Louis attraction in its own right, resting on a peaceful park. A tour of St. Louis might include any number of fascinating attractions besides the Art Museum, and it’s a great choice for student travel because of it.

Of course, there are many other cities with art museums. Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles all have popular art museums, as well as MANY cities in between. Find one near you, and consider a theme in art for your next educational tour. The inspiration is priceless.

Related posts:

1. Metropolitan Museum of Art
2. Air and Space Museum
3. American Museum of Natural History in New York

How cool is this photo?

It was taken by chrisbastian44 on Flickr, and it’s an amazing image of the Guggenheim in New York City.

This attraction has something of interest for everyone. You’ll find the fascinating building on Fifth Avenue just across from the southern part of Central Park. It rises among other more typical skyscrapers like a giant dollop of concrete sour cream.

I have to wonder what Frank Lloyd Wright would think of that description though. Wright was the amazing designer for the Guggenheim. This year an anniversary exhibition was arranged at the Guggenheim in honor of this legendary American architect. You can find his work throughout the United States and even visit his own homes and studios in places like Chicago and in Scottsdale, Arizona. Still, the Guggenheim is perhaps his most unique design.

The Guggenheim’s shape is not merely for the aesthetic wow factor, though. The design of the Guggenheim is first and foremost to enhance the viewing experience of the galleries. You’ll find collections of modern and contemporary art in the Guggenheim, so it’s only fitting that the space is thoroughly modern as well. Upon entering the building, you’ll see the layers of galleries like you do in the photo here. You then begin your journey in the elevator. It carries you to the top of the unique structure. And from there, you stroll the downward spiraling walkway through the galleries.

What you’ll see there is, in the words of the Guggenheim administrators, “at once a vital cultural center, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums.” It’s a tall order, but the Guggenheim certainly delivers. The artwork at the Guggenheim was acquired from extensive private collections. The modern and contemporary artwork is assembled as such, the pieces displayed in pleasing but eclectic variety as they might be hung in a glorious home. Though not arranged by historical era, the Guggenheim continues to acquire pieces, hoping to erase any chronological gaps.

But the Guggenheim is far more than artwork on a wall. You might find any number of thrilling exhibitions at any given season at the Guggenheim. For this reason, you may want to check their website before visiting. You may want to arrange your tour around a specific event. Besides the exhibitions, the Guggenheim offers lectures by art critics and even by the artists themselves. You may be able to attend a film screening or a live performance. And for students, the Guggenheim offers classes, both youth and adult. Plus, you can view the galleries with the guidance of an experienced docent if you prefer.

With its brilliant collection, the Guggenheim is perfect for art tours – New York City offering so many amazing collections in its various art museums. But the Guggenheim is also a must-see attraction for theme tours in architectural design. It’s a living study of Frank Lloyd Wright’s amazing eye and purpose. And it’s a powerful look at how function and beauty go hand in hand.

Related posts:

1. In Praise of the Guggenheim
2. A Little More Art in Our Lives
3. Metropolitan Museum of Art