You know that feeling when you walk into a place and instantly realize you’ve made an excellent life decision? That was us at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. We went in expecting a nice afternoon, and instead found ourselves losing track of time in a world-class art museum that somehow kept surprising us at every corner.
How It All Started
Here’s the fun part—the Chrysler Museum actually has a pretty wild origin story. Back in 1933, right smack in the middle of the Great Depression, the Norfolk Museum of Arts and Sciences opened its doors with pure optimism and community spirit. Two teachers named Irene Leache and Anna Cogswell Wood had founded a female seminary back in the late 1800s, and their alumnae (seriously dedicated art lovers, apparently!) rallied to make this museum happen. Like, we’re talking about pulling together funds during one of the toughest economic periods in American history. Respect.
The original building was designed by architects Peebles and Ferguson and was absolutely stunning—a two-story, U-shaped limestone structure that looked like it belonged in an Italian Renaissance palazzo. And honestly, after seeing it in person, we get why they were so proud of it.
Enter the Chrysler Family (And Change Everything)
Fast forward to 1971. A man named Walter P. Chrysler Jr.—yes, that Chrysler family—decided to donate the vast majority of his incredible art collection to the Norfolk Museum. We’re talking over 7,000 works of art in one single donation. The museum was so transformed that it got renamed in his honor. Talk about a plot twist!
Walter Chrysler Jr. wasn’t just some rich guy who casually collected art (though he was certainly rich). The guy was serious about his passion. He’d even created the first Chrysler Museum in an abandoned 19th-century church in Provincetown, Massachusetts, but it quickly outgrew that space. His wife Jean was from Norfolk, so when they needed a bigger home for the collection, they brought it here. Best decision for Norfolk ever, honestly.
The Collection That Made Us Stop and Stare
Walking through the galleries, we couldn’t help but marvel at what we were seeing. The museum now holds over 35,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of human history. That’s not just a lot of stuff—that’s a time machine made of art.
The Chrysler’s collection is seriously world-class. American and European paintings and sculptures from the Middle Ages to modern times are everywhere. They have Baroque masterpieces, contemporary photographs, ancient artifacts, Asian art, African pieces, Pre-Columbian works… and my personal favorite discovery: one of the world’s greatest glass collections (including some absolutely mesmerizing pieces by Louis Comfort Tiffany that genuinely took our breath away).
One piece that really stuck with us? The final sculpture created by Baroque master Gianlorenzo Bernini—a marble bust of Jesus Christ. The man created that as a gift for Queen Christina of Sweden. Just casually creating masterpieces at the end of his life. We can’t even get our act together enough to send birthday cards.
The Magic of Restoration
What really impressed us wasn’t just what was on display—it was how meticulously everything has been restored and preserved. You can tell that every single piece receives serious, professional care. The museum has invested in top-notch conservation work, and it shows. Colors that probably hadn’t been seen in decades were vibrant again. Sculptures gleamed. Paintings seemed to glow from within.
The museum went through a massive renovation and expansion that wrapped up in 2014, which completely reinvented the building while keeping its classic charm intact. They expanded again more recently (construction finished in early 2025!), including tripling the size of their Perry Glass Studio. These aren’t just cosmetic updates—they’re about creating the best possible environment for preserving and displaying these incredible works.
More Than Just Paintings and Sculptures
The Chrysler is way more than a stuffy traditional museum. They have a full-service restaurant where you can grab lunch, a gift shop, the Kaufman Theater for special events, and the Perry Glass Studio where you can actually see glass art being created. We stood and watched a demonstration, and honestly, it was mesmerizing. There’s something magical about watching molten glass being transformed into intricate art pieces right before your eyes.
Plus, the museum oversees some incredible historic properties, including the Moses Myers House—a late 18th-century Federal style townhouse that’s basically a museum within a museum. It contains original furnishings, portraits by Gilbert Stuart and other masters, and an archive that includes Mark Twain’s original speech from the 1907 Jamestown Tricentennial Exposition. Yes, you read that correctly.
Our Honest Take
Here’s what got us: admission is free. For a museum with one of the world’s greatest glass collections, masterpieces by artists you’ve studied in history class, 35,000+ objects from five millennia of human creativity, and a staff that clearly genuinely cares about preservation and education? Completely free.
We spent way longer there than we planned because we kept finding new galleries that made us forget about time. The blend of world-class art, thoughtful restoration, beautiful architecture, and that perfect mix of accessibility and sophistication made us leave feeling like we’d been let in on a well-kept secret.
If you’re ever in Norfolk—or even if you need an excuse to visit Norfolk—add the Chrysler Museum to your list. Bring comfortable shoes, plan for at least a few hours (trust us), and prepare to have your appreciation for human creativity thoroughly restored. We certainly did.