Audain Art Museum

We’ve always heard positive things about this museum so of course we had to check it out! We went in November during low season in Whistler - it was so peaceful and serene there and the museum was amazingly striking in person. I was awed by the beauty of it all and enjoyed the architectural design of the building in addition to the artwork there. Definitely an excellent spot for a rainy day or if you are wanting a more relaxed day. It was a quick stroll from the village!

we had so much fun!! the rest of my family isnt really into art, but they still had a great time. the art was gorgeous. it was overall a great time, and its in very close proximity from the main stretch of stores and restaurants.

The Audain Art Museum in Whistler is a must-visit cultural gem. Its impressive collection highlights the rich heritage of British Columbia, featuring incredible Indigenous works, contemporary pieces, and iconic Canadian artists like Emily Carr. The architecture itself is a masterpiece, blending seamlessly with the natural landscape. The exhibits are thoughtfully curated, providing a deep and engaging experience for art lovers of all kinds. Whether you’re an art aficionado or a casual visitor, the Audain Art Museum offers a memorable and enriching journey into Canada’s artistic spirit.

Went to the museum this weekend to see the Tom Thomson Exhibition, North Star. It was incredible. The largest exhibition of Thomson's work I've seen. Also checked out all the Coastal First Nations art, like Robert Davidson and BC artists EJ Hughes, Emily Carr, Roy Arden and others that are housed in their permanent collection. The building itself is gorgeous and the experience is always first class. Love this place.

The Audain Art Museum is an essential visit when staying in the Whistler area. You can see most of the museum in around an hour or so, and some of the exhibits are quite fascinating. The museum itself is also a remarkable design. Anyone up to 17 years of age is eligible for free entry. Well worth a visit.

You really can't miss it when going around Whistler. Worth a visit just for the stunning architecture alone. The museum hosts a large collection of indigenous art along with modern Canadian art from a multitude of movements. The collection is sufficiently varied to please everyone. Interestingly, the interior of the museum is far bigger than how it appears outside, and a tour through it takes at least 1 hour. Admittedly, the entrance fee is slightly steep for the size of the museum. Nevertheless, this museum is a good place to spend time in Whistler.

The Architecture of Audain Museum is a work of art on its own-stunning! The works of art inside aren’t bad either. We visited in the summer but I am sure this building is just as spectacular in the winter.

Beautiful building with some really lovely works. Expanded my understanding of the region and Canada in general during my travel abroad

Came here with a group and a private tour and found the featured exhibit incredibly interesting - the artist was Manabu Ikeda and the exhibit was called Flowers from the Wreckage. I loved the collection and it was super cool to learn more about it from our tour guide. Otherwise, the rest of the exhibits were a little less interesting, and the place is small so you get through it fast. Overall a cool place if you catch the right exhibits, one of the prettiest layouts I've seen for a place and great location since it's super close to downtown.

Contemporary building among the greenery with a collection of historical local art. Really enjoyed the modern section of BC artists. Nice gift store to pick up something unique. Worth your time.

I fully enjoyed my experience at this museum. I and a friend drove up for the day from Vancouver, only a couple hours from the city. The staff were very helpful & kind. We were shown where to go & staff notified us of a video we could watch in the Fred Herzog section, something we had waited for. This section was my favorite showing in the museum. I love Fred Herzog's photography & that his work represents the history of Vancouver's life. There were also displays of Emily Carr's work and other First Nations art, of which the masks where amazing. It was nice to see so much work by Canadian artists. The architecture of the museum is very appealing - it's very "Whistler", floating style building. It also has many large windows that provide views of the snow & trees and bring good lighting into the building. I will return when I'm in the area again.

Amazing museum. We had no idea it was there but were drawn in by the intriguing modern black box floating in the forest as we drove past. We were so glad we came back to investigate. The architecture of the building is gorgeous with incredible details such as lighting embedded in the stairwell handrails and beautiful natural lighting in certain appropriate areas and mezzanine views of two of the main floor galleries from the upper gallery. The First Peoples masks were gorgeous. As a native Northwesterner I've seen Native American art my whole life and it doesn't really hold my interest much any more, but these masks were really unique and captivating. The photography exhibits were both exceptional. The staff was friendly, though the guard jingling his keys as he walked around was a bit distracting. The female guard/docent was very friendly and knowledgable. Concerning the 4-star reviewer's complaint about the elevator - traditionally shorter buildings have hydraulic elevators which are very slow because they're not designed to go far and get very little use except for cargo and those who can't use stairs. They're much less expensive than high speed elevators in high rise buildings and it just makes much more sense for a short building such as this to have a slow hydro elevator so they can spend their money on art and facility upkeep. Not really worth dinging the museum a star for this IMHO. This museum is beautiful and very much worth the visit.

This art gallery was a surprising gem. We live in Vancouver so perhaps not a typical tourist. It is an enjoyable distraction from the sporty world of whistler. They have a great selection of key vancouver artists - Rodney graham, karen bubas, paul Wong, stan Douglas, Ian Wallace, Brian jungen.. and the gallery is small enough to enjoy in a few hours. Don't miss walking around the building -the architecture is astounding.

AMAZING... Absolutely Gorgeous. Architecturally Stunning Building... Fantastic 'Hidden Gem of a Location. P.S. VERY Close to the Parking Lot :) LOTS of Emily Carr... And, other Local BC Artists. Great Activity for a Rainy Day in Whistler.

Very nice art museum and nice staffs. Clean and organized. Usually quiet unless you meet really loud viewers which can be a bit bothering. Photos are allowed but just like many museums, big bags, touching, and selfie sticks and being close or over the line is prohibited. There are some collections but not too much. This time is a few aboriginal collections, Emily Carr and the other pretty well known artists' artwork, and some photography on the earth and sustainability. Lots of parking spaces and a nice gift shop outside too. If you live in the hotels in Whistler some offers a discount to the museum. My mom and I stayed at Aava and we both got a 10% discount. Nice interior and architecture structure. Do recommend people to check it out if you happen to pass it or you're in Whistler.

Great building with some beautiful pieces. I'm sick of the g7 /Emily Carr stuff but they have enough other interesting pieces to make a trip worthwhile, I especially dug the golf bag totem poles and the couple of Dali paintings in the collection, and the photography part of the exhibit is actually very solid, normally I find photography exhibitions to be either very monotonous, but this was varied and really good. One thing though, the stairs were having maintenance done on them and they have possibly the worst elevator in the world. I don't get claustrophobic reactions really ever, maybe once in some tunnels that I went through at a Vietnamese historical site, but this elevator is really horrible and made me consider trying to escape through the roof. Diffused reflective walls that infinitely reflect the lines of the aggressively bright lights over the entire height of the car, bright off white carpets, no railing or other materials to break up the horrible interior, plus the thing is ungodly slow. To travel a single floor you're looking at 3 minutes inside and a similar amount of time waiting. It's staggering that a building that's this amazingly built could screw something simple up so badly, is it possibly an installation built by Croenenburg?

The Matisse drawings were fantastic. When such effortless simplicity can create such perfection you know you are witnessing the work of a genius. The Emily Carr and Varley paintings are atmospheric and wonderful and the Hughes paintings were a surprise, showing BC on a bright summer day. Much of the First Nations art was from the 19th century and amazingly well preserved. The masks were unique and powerful. The photography section, especially the Herzog room, was excellent. His pictures of Vancouver in the 50's and 60's capture a part of our city that would have been lost except for him. We made the trip up from Vancouver just to see the gallery. A sunny day, the mountains in spring still covered in snow, a nice meal, and this beautiful gallery. It was all perfect.