As the weather begins to turn frightful in many places, the art inside is delightful. Fortunately, you have many places to go — these packages combine access to an anticipated museum exhibit with a stay in a luxury hotel where you’ll be nice and warm. Here are some of the season’s best cultural offerings.
Tacoma: Andy Warhol’s Flowers for Tacoma
What: Hotel Murano’s Flowers for Tacoma package includes admission for two to the Tacoma Art Museum, located three blocks from the hotel, plus a food and beverage voucher and parking.
When: Now throughFebruary 10
Why: You don’t have to leave Hotel Murano to see an original Warhol — the art-filled hotel counts one of his “Campbell’s Soup Cans” as part of its collection. Still, you’ll want to venture to the museum for its just-opened exhibit of more than one hundred Warhol works. The exhibit coincides with the 30th anniversary of Warhol’s proposal to cover the Tacoma Dome with flowers; his vision was never realized, but you can see his original submission here.
Richmond: Chihuly at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
What: The Jefferson Hotel’s Chihuly exhibition package includes two tickets to the exhibit, a traditional Southern breakfast for two, parking and transportation to and from the museum.
When: Now through February 10
Why: The Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Jefferson Hotel may have the only glass dome in town that can compete with the Dale Chihuly pieces on display at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (the VMFA exhibit includes both famous works and new pieces sculpted specifically for the museum’s grand spaces). Plus, Chihuly draws crowds — his current exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum has been extended two months due to popular demand — so after a day spent jostling for that perfect view, you’d be wise to let The Jefferson whisk you back to your luxuriously appointed room and restore your calm.
Denver: Becoming Van Gogh
What: The Ritz-Carlton, Denver’s Impressions of Van Gogh package includes two VIP tickets to the exhibit, parking, a van Gogh keepsake and breakfast at Elway’s Downtown.
When: Now through January 20
Why: The Denver Art Museum is the only place you can see “Becoming Van Gogh,” and the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Ritz-Carlton’s VIP tickets will let you skip the lines. The exclusive exhibit is the culmination of a seven-year effort to bring together 70 pieces from 60 private and public collections across two continents. The museum left no stone unturned in its quest to bring the post-impressionist’s essence to Denver; it even collaborated with Dillon Dam Brewery to create a van Gogh–inspired beer. Taste their DAM Gogh biere de garde ale at Denver’s Rackhouse Pub.
Milwaukee: Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London
What: The Pfister Hotel’s Art of Milwaukee package includes two tickets to the museum, a Pfister art collection booklet, a dining credit, parking and a bottle of wine.
When: Now through January 13
Why: Thanks to its extensive collection of Victorian art and an artist-in-residence program that ensures guests always have culture at their fingertips, The Pfister Hotel is already a magnet for art lovers. Double down on your artistic adventure with the hotel’s Milwaukee Art Museum package and see “Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London” at one of only four U.S. stops. A highlight from the masters’ works on display is a circa-1665 Rembrandt self-portrait.
San Francisco: Royal Treasures from the Louvre
What: Taj Campton Place’sFrench Royal Treasures in San Francisco package includes daily breakfast and two tickets to the exhibit.
When: November 17 through March 17
Why: The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Taj Campton Place is an oasis of European-style luxury in San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood, making it the perfect base for exploring “Royal Treasures from the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie-Antoinette.” The spectacular Legion of Honor, part of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, will host the exclusive exhibit, bringing a sizable collection of French royal items to the U.S. for the first time. It’s a pre-revolution treasure trove of diamond-and-gem snuffboxes, Sèvres porcelain and Gobelins mosaics.
For additional museum-inspired trip ideas, check out five more museum exhibits worth traveling for now on Forbes.com.
