About Erie Art Museum

Tucked into a beautifully restored historic building in the heart of downtown Erie, the Erie Art Museum is a place where art surprises you. Wander through the galleries and you might find Tibetan paintings and Indian bronzes displayed alongside contemporary American craft, photography, and comic book art—a collection that expands across cultures and centuries. With more than 9,000 objects in the permanent collection and a rotation of new exhibitions throughout the year, there's always something different to discover, whether it's your first visit or your fifth.

The Museum’s building has a story worth knowing: its home began in 1839 as the Erie Branch of the U.S. Bank of Pennsylvania, later serving as a post office and customs house before becoming a museum. Today it's LEED Gold certified, blending 19th-century character with a thoughtfully sustainable, modern expansion.

Beyond the galleries, there's plenty to do. Catch live music on a Friday night at Art After Dark, bring the kids for pay-as-you-wish art-making on Second Sundays, or plan your trip around a Gallery Night, when the Museum anchors a citywide art crawl through downtown Erie's studios and creative spaces. Curious about what you're looking at? The friendly staff and speaker series (many talks are recorded on YouTube) make it easy to go deeper into the stories behind the work.

Whether you're spending an afternoon or building a whole day around it, the Erie Art Museum offers an easy, welcoming way to experience the creativity that runs through Erie.