From local artists to world-famous artifacts, there is a great museum for anyone visiting Bloomington. Here are four art galleries and museums that are worth checking out.
The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University
As an IU student, I made a goal of exploring every building on campus before I graduate. One of the buildings I discovered during my freshman year was the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, located in the center of campus at 1133 E. Seventh St. With around 47,000 works of art and objects for observation, this museum is the perfect way to spend an afternoon on campus.
If your favorite art genres include Greek pottery, Asian art and Renaissance pieces, you’re in luck. Works from well-known artists such as Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock can also be found within the museum. Eskenazi features seven unique galleries, all open to the public with no entry fee required. While gallery hours are limited to noon to 5 p.m., the museum is open six days a week, closed only Monday. Having been through all seven art galleries myself, I can safely say perusing the museum is the perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon in Bloomington.
Gallery SCG
Taking a long stroll down Kirkwood Avenue? Make sure to stop by Gallery SCG, an art space dedicated to both local and national artists. The gallery is located inside the Fountain Square center at 101 W. Kirkwood Ave. in Suite 112. As someone who frequently takes power walks down Kirkwood, I find that Gallery SCG is the perfect way to take a break and check out different artworks.
The gallery consists of contemporary and traditional photographs, woodwork and metalwork, pottery and pieces created by Bloomington locals. The contrast between traditional and contemporary art makes for thought-provoking and interesting analysis while browsing the gallery. Gallery SCG has free admission and is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Wylie House Museum
Just a mile from IU’s campus at 307 E. Second St. sits the Wylie House Museum. Dating back to 1835, the Wylie House was home to IU’s first president, Andrew Wylie. Since the early 20th century, the house has been operating as a museum, preserved in its 1860 state and filled with Wylie family objects and historical pieces.
This past semester, I had the opportunity to go on a private tour of the house for a class project and was pleasantly surprised. In addition to the Wylie family artifacts, the house is home to a variety of Indiana-native plants and seeds which can be found in a garden known as Louisa Wylie Boisen’s Garden. The Wylie House is open for guided tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free to the public.
Lilly Library
Directly across from IU’s Showalter Fountain is the famous Lilly Library. The Lilly Library is home to a variety of important British and American documents, manuscripts and books. Other featured pieces of work include famous sheet music, puzzles and oil paintings. A few notable artifacts include the New Testament from a Gutenberg Bible, a lock of Edgar Allan Poe’s hair and Abraham Lincoln’s desk.
The library also offers two free guided tours: the Mechanical Puzzles tour, available on request with no reservation required, and the General Library tour Fridays at 2 p.m. Both offer insights into the library’s different permanent and special exhibits. Upcoming this fall will be a special exhibit titled: The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Movement. It will be open August 17 to December 18.
As an IU student, I find that the Lilly Library is not only a perfect place to learn more about American and British history, but also an ideal study spot between classes.
The arts and history scenes continue to grow with the city of Bloomington. Wherever you look, there are artworks and artifacts that reveal diverse knowledge and backgrounds of both local residents and cultures from all over the world. Bloomington’s range of galleries and museums are a great way to learn something new about our beloved college town.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Fall/Winter 2026 Source Campus Visitor’s Guide.
