The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
About the Museum
The mission of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, a non-profit organization in Amherst, MA, is to inspire a love of art and reading through picture books. The only full-scale museum of its kind in the United States, The Carle collects, preserves, presents, and celebrates picture books and picture book illustrations from around the world. In addition to underscoring the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of picture books and their art form, The Carle offers educational programs that provide a foundation for arts integration and literacy.
Eric and Barbara Carle founded the Museum in November 2002. Eric Carle is the renowned author and illustrator of more than 70 books, including the 1969 classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Since opening, the 40,000-square foot facility has served more than half a million visitors, including 30,000 schoolchildren. Its extensive resources include a collection of more than 10,000 picture book illustrations, three art galleries, an art studio, a theater, picture book and scholarly libraries, and educational programs for families, scholars, educators, and schoolchildren. Educational offerings include professional training for educators around the country.
Hours:
Hours from September through June
- Tuesday – Friday* 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- *Open Monday through Friday during the Massachusetts February and April school vacation weeks.
Hours in July and August
- Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
- Saturday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Holiday Closures: Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year’s Day
The Lord Jeffery Inn/ Eric Carle Museum Package
Picture everything Eric Carle! Enjoy this unique museum experience with your family. Begin your stay with in-room snacks for the family and new plush friends for the kids.
Then head on off to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art with admission for four and a gift card to get you started in the gift shop. Finally, start each morning off right with breakfast for four in our restaurant, 30Boltwood.
Rates starting at $293
April 2019
The Eric Carle Museum, Talk
Meet author-illustrator Jerry Craft as he talks about his book, New Kid, a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and he struggle to fit in is real. Craft will also talk about his journey from self-publishing to mainstream publishing. Free with Museum Admission. Jerry Craft is an author-illustrator who has worked on numerous picture books, graphic novels, and middle grade novels. Jerry is the creator of Mama’s Boyz, an award-winning syndicated comic strip.…
Find out more »The Eric Carle Museum, Special Storytime
While we can use books to travel to other places without leaving home, books themselves can also travel thanks to translators. Come find out what happens when a book leaves its home language and moves into another. This special storytime, facilitated by UMass students in the Practicing Literary Translation course, aims to cultivate an awareness of literary translation. This program is offered in conjunction with the annual celebration of Día. Also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s…
Find out more »May 2019
The Eric Carle Museum, Behind-the-Scenes Collection Tour
The Carle’s collection includes more than 7,000 objects, with a very small percentage on display in the galleries. Join us for a special program that not only includes a guided tour of The Carle’s current exhibitions, but a behind-the-scenes look in Collection Archives. This special tour is free with Museum admission, but reservations are required and limited to a total of 20 people. Admission: $9 adults/$6 seniors
Find out more »The Eric Carle Museum, Zine Club Take Over!
Curious about what a zine is, how to make one, or already enthusiastic about the genre? Join Forbes librarians in the Art Studio for an afternoon of making your own zines! Explore collage materials, drawing tools, and paper to create your own book forms to share. Free with Museum Admission.
Find out more »