The Rahr-West Art Museum is the city of Manitowoc’s finest gem. A wonderful combination of a Historic Victorian Mansion and a Modern Art Gallery . We like to say…it’s the place where art and architecture collide.
This unique pairing gives our visitors a variety of visual delights ranging from late 19th century furnishings and art to modern works created by the likes of Warhol, Picasso and O’Keeffe.
This museum also has a link to the “space age”. In 1962, a 20 pound chunk of Sputnik IV collided with the middle of 8th street right outside our door. It is because of this special event that we hold a community Sputnikfest celebration on the second Saturday of September - full of wacky, tacky, fun and loads of 60’s memorabilia.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Rahr-West Art Museum’s Victorian mansion boasts period furnishings, exhibitions and an attached modern gallery featuring a collection of American art and changing exhibits. Visitors will delight in visiting this union of the past and present. Admission is free.
The Rahr-West Art Museum is a City of Manitowoc facility that preserves and enhances its collections and historic mansion. The museum’s purpose is to engage the public in dynamic learning opportunities in the visual arts and enrich life in the area by serving as a cultural resource. Our goal as a public art museum is to care for and use our resources, including the collections and intellectual material, to engage our visitors in a dynamic, informal learning opportunity in the arts. The Rahr-West Art Museum exists to foster a sense of discovery in the arts.