Hilliard Art Museum
4.6(185)google
5.0(4)yelp
Art
Overview
The Hilliard Art Museum (formerly the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum) is the art museum of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, located in Lafayette, Louisiana. It was named after Paul and Lulu Hilliard, following a US$5 million donation for the museum building's construction in 2002.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration1.5-2.5 hours
Best TimeRecommended Wednesday through Friday afternoons (1:30 PM - 4:00 PM). The museum is celebrated for its striking modern geometric glass facade; late afternoon sun rays create beautiful kinetic reflections on its exterior. Inside, these hours are exceptionally quiet, allowing undisturbed enjoyment of the contemporary and folk art from the Mississippi basin.
Getting ThereLocated within the UL Lafayette campus area at 710 East St. Mary Boulevard. By car, turn onto East St. Mary Blvd from Johnston Street; dedicated free visitor parking spaces are available right in front of the museum. For public transit, take LTS Route 15 to the Johnston/University stop, then walk 3 minutes into the campus grounds.
Travel Tips
- Located on the UL Lafayette campus; visitors must use designated paid visitor slots, as parking in staff spaces triggers immediate vehicle booting.
- Galleries enforce climate controls with intense air conditioning; bring layers, and note that selfie sticks and large-format camera gear are banned.
- Closed Sundays, Mondays, and university holidays; the entire facility shuts down during seasonal exhibition turnovers, requiring online validation.
Reviews
Positive
- The museum building itself is a modern masterpiece with a sleek glass facade gleaming in the sun, beautifully paired with the adjacent 18th-century style historic hall.
- It houses unique contemporary Southern, Creole, and Cajun visual art pieces; the curatorial approach is forward-thinking and layouts are quiet and immersive.
- Located on the UL Lafayette campus, it radiates a rich academic vibe; the staff are polite and professional, routinely offering complimentary exhibit brochures.
- Admission is very inexpensive with free entry or discounts for students and kids; cool A/C makes it a low-crowd, hidden haven to escape summer heat.
Heads up
- The museum is quite small, with only two floors of galleries that can be thoroughly toured in under an hour, which might disappoint long-distance drivers.
- Situated in the heart of the university campus, designated visitor parking is severely limited; finding a spot during school events or weekday classes is a headache.
- Temporary exhibit rotations are slow and the permanent collection is limited, lacking repeat appeal for local residents or campus students after a single visit.
- There is no on-site cafe or refreshment counter to purchase water, just a couple of hard benches in corridors; breaking for a drink requires walking to the student union.