The North Carolina Museum of Art is known for its exemplary European collection covering a variety of periods from the Renaissance all through Impressionism coming from artists like Sandro Botticelli, Giotto, Raphael, Peter Paul Rubens, Claude Monet, and Antonio Canova.

North Carolina is the first state in the United States to purchase art using its public funds. With the 139 purchased European and American art pieces and 75 artworks donated by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation as its starting point, the Museum now has more than 5,000 pieces of art for display. And because of the loaning of its art pieces to other institutions, the art works in the different galleries are regularly rotated. Aside from these permanent exhibits and galleries, the Museum also holds travelling exhibits highlighting on Picasso and the School of Paris, Rodin, Ansel Adams, and others.

The Museum also has its own restaurant, The Blue Ridge, which offers both great visual arts and great culinary art. The North Carolina Museum of Art offers free admission to everyone. Guided tours are also available once arrangements are made.