Company Profile
Taft Museum of Art
Company Overview
At the Taft—Art and History Come to Life in Ways You Won't Find Anywhere Else
The Taft Museum of Art is a living landmark tucked away in downtown Cincinnati, where art and history live on the walls—and in the walls. Built around 1820 as a private home for several of Cincinnati's most prominent citizens, the Taft Museum of Art is now one of the finest small art museums in America and holds National Historic Landmark status for its historic house and Duncanson murals.
Here, you’ll find gems of history nestled into every nook and cranny in our period-inspired rooms—each their own canvas of creativity—that surrounds you in stories that have endured for generations. Our 200-year-old house holds an extensive collection of European and American masterworks, 17th-19th century watches, Chinese porcelains, and French Renaissance enamels. The collection features iconic artists including Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner, Ingres, Whistler, and Sargent as well as 19th-century American furniture and the most significant pre–Civil War domestic murals in the United States.
Throughout our grounds, guests can enjoy special exhibitions, the historic outdoor garden, our Museum Shop and Lindner Family Café, events and programming for all ages, and complimentary on-site parking. It is all under one roof, culminating in a one-of-a-kind, multi-sensory experience that puts you at the center of art and history.
Our Mission
To create meaningful experiences by connecting people with great art, both in a historic setting and in the community.
Vision Statement
The Taft Museum of Art is recognized as a nationally known leader for passionately engaging people with the arts as envisioned generations ago by our founders, Anna Sinton Taft and Charles Phelps Taft.
Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI) Plan Executive Summary
The Taft Museum of Art’s DEAI Plan is integral to achieving our vision and mission statements and upholding our organizational and leadership values. Learn more here.
Company History
If Walls Could Talk—Ours Would Never Stop
The Taft Museum of Art (TMA) is one of the finest small art museums in America. Built around 1820, it is a National Historic Landmark, downtown Cincinnati’s oldest wooden residence still in its original location. The house was the home of several prominent Cincinnatians, including Martin Baum, Nicholas Longworth, David Sinton, Anna Sinton Taft, and Charles Phelps Taft.
The house was built around 1820 by Martin Baum, an early Cincinnati businessman, and purchased in 1830 by Nicholas Longworth. Longworth extensively redecorated the interiors and hired African American artist Robert S. Duncanson to paint eight landscape murals, which are now recognized as the most significant pre–Civil War domestic murals in the United States. The Duncanson murals are one of the Taft’s largest works of art, second only to the historic house itself.
After Longworth’s residency, the house was purchased by David Sinton, father of Museum co-founder Anna Sinton Taft. Anna lived in the house with her husband Charles Phelps Taft from 1873 until his death in 1929. In 1908, Charles Taft’s half-brother William Howard Taft accepted the nomination for U.S. president from the house’s portico, adding to its significance in our nation’s public life. The Tafts bequeathed their historic home and private collection of 690 works of art to the people of Cincinnati in 1927. The collection comprises European and American paintings by masters including Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner, Ingres, Whistler, and Sargent. It also features Chinese porcelains and European decorative arts, as well as one of the greatest Gothic ivory sculptures in America.
In 1932, the home opened as the Taft Museum of Art. In 1976, the house was designated a National Historic Landmark. Between 2001 and 2004, the Taft was renovated and expanded to include a special exhibition gallery, classroom, lecture hall, café, shop, and new work spaces.