Where is the Museum located / How do I get there?
Click here, for Directions
How much are tickets?
Click here for our Hours & Admission
Where can I eat? Can I bring a picnic?
The Carle Café is located within the Museum and is open during regular museum hours. The Cafe has vending machines with fresh sandwiches, fruit, and other goodies provided by our neighbor Atkins Country Market. Outside food and drink are permitted in the Café. We also offer table space on the patio and picnic tables are available in the orchard.
Is the Museum part of Hampshire College?
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is not part of Hampshire College, though it did acquire the land it was built on from Hampshire and is a proud member of the College’s Cultural Village, which currently includes the National Yiddish Book Center, New England Wetlands, Inc., and the Institute for Science and Interdisciplinary Studies (ISIS).
Is the Museum appropriate for older children or for adults visiting on their own?
The Museum is popular with and appropriate for “children of all ages”, especially those who can remember their favorite book as a child or who need a refresher (or an introduction) on how to appreciate and enjoy looking at art and making art. People of all ages enjoy the Museum.
Why are the galleries lights so low?
The lighting in the galleries is kept low to protect the artwork from the harmful effects of long term exposure to light.
Why is the art so low / high?
Artwork at the Museum is hung at a level that both honors our largest audience (children) and is accessible to the rest of us.
Do you give a discount with AAA cards?
We now offer a 25% discount off Admission to AAA members. (Valid membership card required.)
Can I plan a private event such as a birthday party or shower at The Carle?
Due to limitations of space and staffing, The Carle does not host private events during Museum hours. However, the Museum is available for rent for weddings, private events and meetings during after hours and when it is closed on Mondays. For information about facility rental please click here.
Why can't we run, eat, touch the artwork, or bring bags into the galleries?
For the safety and security of our visitors, and of the artwork that we house and display, we have several simple rules that will allow you to enjoy your visit to the museum and allow us to protect our facilities and art. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
LOOK WITH YOUR EYES
Touching art or the glass that protects it can damage it.
STAY SAFE
Walk…don’t run, and stay close to the adult that brought you.
TRAVEL LIGHT
You may be asked to check large or bulky bags before entering the Galleries.
EAT RIGHT
Food and drink are permitted only in the Café or on Museum grounds.
TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES
Just not in the Galleries.
MIND YOUR MANNERS
Turn off cell phones and other beeping devices before entering the Galleries.
Smoking in designated outdoor areas only.
Who is Eric Carle (read: Karl)?
Eric Carle is the author and illustrator of over 70 children's books. The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) and Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See? (1967) (written by Bill Martin Jr.) are two of his best known works. For more info on Eric Carle, visit www.eric-carle.com
How did The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art come about?
The Museum is the realization of a long-held dream of Eric Carle and his wife Bobbie to create a place where original picture book art could be enjoyed and appreciated, and its potential to transform learning could be explored. “It has been said that picture books are an introduction to literature for the very young reader,” says Eric Carle, “We wanted to help build a museum that would be the same thing for the first time museum visitor: an introduction to the experience of looking at art." Thanks to the Carles’ creative vision and the support provided by over 1,000 contributors to the building fund, the Carle Museum was built in an old apple orchard in an area of Western New England that Eric Carle has called home for over thirty years.
Is the Museum devoted exclusively to the art of Eric Carle?
No. While it carries the name of its founder, Eric Carle, and will always include an exhibition of his work in one of its three galleries, the Museum is devoted to collecting, and presenting national and international picture book art and artists. In its inaugural year, for example, the Museum exhibited the work of Maurice Sendak, Robert Ingpen, Nancy Eckholm Burkert, Mitsumasa Anno, Leo Lionni, Ashley Bryan, and the art of Russian children's books.
Is this the first museum of its kind?
The Eric Carle Museum is unique in that it was conceived and built as a full-scale museum. It contains galleries devoted to the presentation of original art; ample spaces for the collection, preservation, and safe storage of the works; and other key areas dedicated to fulfilling the Museum's educational mission (Art Studio, Reading Library, and Auditorium) and to rounding out the visitor's experience (Café and Book Shop). In Japan, there are 20 such museums, some of which the founders visited as they began to think about the design of The Eric Carle Museum. They learned a lot from museums like the Chihiro Art Museum. Europe, too, has several picture book art museums. In the United States, there are several important centers and collections celebrating picture book art, including The National Center for Children's Illustrated Literature in Abilene, TX, which opened its doors in 2000, and the Mazza Museum (formerly the Mazza Collection) in Findlay, Ohio.
How is the Museum like / unlike a children’s museum?
While the Museum does not feature the type of interactive exhibits found in a children's museum, there are a variety of activities which encourage the enjoyment and appreciation of art. The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is an art museum for visitors of all ages. To that end the Museum creates educational opportunities and experiences which accommodate a wide range of developmental abilities and learning styles. Through celebrating the art of the picture book, the Museum offers a potent menu of looking [the galleries], film, performances, and lectures [the auditorium], reflection [the library], and creation [the art studio].
Does Eric Carle visit the Museum often?
Yes, though less frequently now that he and his wife Barbara spend most of the year in Florida.
How is the Museum being funded?
The Museum is a 501c-3, non-profit organization that relies on the continued support of individuals, foundations, and corporations to meet its annual operating needs and sustain its programs. Leadership funding for the Museum's construction was provided by The Eric and Barbara Carle Foundation with significant support from publishers Penguin Group USA, HarperCollins, and over 1,000 pre-opening contributors. Since opening in 2002, the Museum has received major funding from MassMutual and Carter’s, and is proud to count more than 1,300 Members among its ranks of supporters. Visit Contribute for more information about how to support the Museum and its programs.
What is a picture book? What is an illustrated or story book? What is the difference?
A picture book is one in which pictures play a significant role in telling a story. According to picture book artist Uri Shulevitz, "a picture book says in words only what pictures cannot show", as in Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are. An illustrated or story book, on the other hand, is one in which the story is told and understood in words, but is amplified by illustrations, as in Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Peter Rabbit.
Is the Studio open to everyone who visits the Museum?
Yes. In addition to looking at art, the Museum encourages all of its visitors to create art. To that end, the Museum offers a public drop-in Art Program. The Public Art Program is designed for visitors of all ages and is available whenever the Museum is open.
How are the activities in the Art Studio designed?
The activities for the Public Art Program change monthly and are designed to be age appropriate. Visitors are encouraged to experiment with the wide range of materials featured each month as they explore and engage in their own creative process. The inherent attributes and limitations of each material provide the visitor with the opportunity to discover creative solutions. While the activities are often inspired by the artist on exhibition in the gallery, they also reflect the national standards for art education and focus on the process of making art.
What are the challenges that the Art Studio staff faces in providing this activity to all visitors?
Most visitors to the Museum actively engage in making art in the Studio. Therefore, as with many public programs, the challenges facing the Art Studio often involve the allocation of space, time and materials.
On any given day the Studio is used for guided programming often involving school groups or adults. On these days the space available to the public is modified to accommodate the guided group. While the Museum makes every effort not to schedule guided groups during times when large numbers of visitors are anticipated, there are occasions when visitors might have to wait for access to the Art Studio.
While we encourage each visitor to enjoy time in the Studio, we also need to be sure that we are able to offer the same quality of time and materials to all those who visit the Studio. The limits placed on materials are one way of determining the amount of time spent in the Studio by each visitor. These limitations also enable us to offer a wide range of quality materials to our patrons. While no one likes to be told they may not have another piece of paper or that there are people waiting for a space, we view what we are able to offer in the Art Studio as the beginning of a process that we encourage our visitors to continue at home or through some of the many programs offered here at the Museum.
Why isn't The Very Hungry Caterpillar on exhibit?
Though The Very Hungry Caterpillar is Eric Carle's most famous character, the materials used in the creation of the original artwork are very fragile. Eric Carle creates his art by making tissue paper collages which are glued to paper board. These materials deteriorate over time, especially when they are exposed to light. Therefore, we cannot exhibit the caterpillar for extended periods of time. When the caterpillar and all of Eric Carle's other characters are not on exhibit, they are resting in special boxes.
How often do the exhibitions change?
The exhibitions change every three to six months, depending on the length of time artwork is on loan and how fragile it is.
Is there a permanent collection at the Museum?
Yes, the museum is building a permanent collection based on and devoted to national and international picture book art. With many thanks to generous donors, to date the museum's permanent collection includes art by such distinguished artists as Barry Moser, Gennady Spirin, Steven Kellogg, Robert Ingpen, Petra Mathers, Lothar Meggendorfer, Wendell Minor, to name a few.
Don't see the answer to your question? Email us at info@carlemuseum.org.