The Maridon Museum in Butler Showcases East Asian Art

The Maridon Museum Has a Stellar Collection in Butler

The Maridon Museum boasts itself as the only museum dedicated to Chinese and Japanese art in Western Pennsylvania, and after visiting, we can safely say that claim is spot on.

The art collection at The Maridon Museum is prolific and contains over 800 objects with a heavy focus on Chinese and Japanese art. The collection contains art created in the early 20th century all the way back to the Neolithic Period (2000-3000 BC), so exploring here is a bit like taking a trip back in time.

As you work your way through the museum, you'll see numerous pieces ranging from large jade and ivory sculptures to tapestries and paintings and many small sculptures and artifacts in large display cases. Regardless of size, the word ornate comes to mind for just about every piece you see, and you can easily find some incredible detail in every piece you look at- many are truly jaw-dropping.

Going beyond Japanese and Chinese art, the museum has a modest collection of works from other countries in Asia in modest display cases- so be on the lookout for those as well as they are, admittedly, limited.

The docents on site are also wonderful at giving the back store about how Mary Hulton Phillips got into collecting, how the art started with a few sculpture purchases and ballooned out, the origin of the name (a combination of Mary and Donald, her husband, hence Maridon), and a greater explanation as to why the museum came into existence- something we fully appreciated hearing in person.

A visit here may not take a long amount of time, we were on-site for about 45 minutes, but you really can spend a good amount of time stopping to appreciate any piece that catches your eye- there truly is a stunning amount here and we definitely could've spent longer focusing on each piece as we went.

The last room at The Maridon Museum is a departure from Asian art, and features 300 Meissen porcelain sculptures that are also part of the museum's collection. These are 18th-century designs from Augustus the Strong, who the museum calls the “founding father” of Meissen porcelain.

Finally, we'd be remiss if we did not note that The Maridon Museum has somewhat limited hours. At the time of publication, they are only open from 11 am to 4 pm on Wednesday to Saturday. So be sure you get in early to check this one out, but, as always, reconfirm hours prior to visiting as they could always change.

Overall, while it took us almost 10 years to get to the Maridon Museum (partly because we were always in Butler after the museum had closed), those who want to check out this beautiful little museum will do well to coordinate a visit during opening hours. For just a few dollars entry fee, this one is a real treat and a must see when in the area!

The Maridon Museum is located at 322 N McKean Street in Butler, PA.