Two of Napa’s best-known exports happily intersect: great wine and great art. For the art lover, forty-eight hours will only scratch the surface of the region’s generous range of art galleries, art museums, public art, winery art installations, painted murals, and more.

 

Tips for the Napa Art Scene

So much of Napa’s museum-worthy outdoor art is free to admire while taking a stroll. Do Downtown Napa on foot, cycle the Napa Valley Vine Trail, or view the Railway Arts District from a window seat on the Napa Valley Wine Train.  //  www.winetrain.com

Set the pace with self-guided walking opportunities. Think of Napa Valley as five distinct towns: Calistoga, St. Helena, Yountville, American Canyon, and Napa, maximizing time by exploring them one at a time. Save driving for visiting art galleries outside Downtown Napa and getting to exceptional art at wineries, noting that appointments are required to visit their private art collections.

 

Downtown Napa Art Galleries

For art lovers, the scene in Downtown Napa has long been known for its vibrancy. With the recent proliferation of tasting rooms, the enjoyment of wine and art are intertwined in a walkable environment.

Settle into a comfortable couch at Acumen Wine Gallery conveniently located on First Street across from the Archer Hotel. Book in advance to enjoy sipping distinctive fine wines from the remote Atlas Peak estate vineyards in this tasting room that doubles as a contemporary art gallery with rotating artwork. // www.acumenwine.com

Also on First Street in the heart of downtown, Art Gallery Napa Valley displays rotating works of 50 local talents in a variety of media, from jewelry to oil paintings, photography, and woodworking. // www.artnv.org/art-gallery-home

Di Rosa Downtown is the pop-up satellite exhibition space with rotating exhibitions drawn from the extensive collection at the nearby di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art located on the south end of Napa in the Carneros region. New works by Northern California artists are featured in a gallery at 1300 First St. // www.dirosaart.org

Gallery 1870 has recently moved to downtown Napa from its 28 years in Yountville. One of its highlights is the curated collection of local artists whose work reflects the essence of Napa Valley’s beauty and charm. // www.gallery1870.com

 

Beyond Downtown Napa

Jessel Gallery, the valley’s oldest and largest, has been a favorite for 40 years. Ten rooms and a garden spanning 7,000 square feet display books, jewelry, and original art from 40-plus artists, including works by the gracious owner, who is almost always on-site to help curate a visit. // www.jesselgallery.com

In a loft setting in St. Helena, Christopher Hill Gallery has enjoyed a reputation as a contemporary fine art destination for more than two decades. The collection of artists represents 20th-century schools of art: urban impressionism, surrealism, fusion, and abstract expressionism. // www.chgalleries.com

An art gallery experience with a wine tasting option awaits at Jessup Cellars in Yountville, where a diversity is displayed: abstract, figurative, and landscape. Walk-ins are welcome; reserve for Palette & Palate Tasting, which includes an artisan cheese plate. // www.jessupcellars.com

In Calistoga, CAMi Art & Wine is a tasting room and gallery in one. Vintner and artist Laurie Shelton showcases two passions—contemporary art alongside award-winning Calistoga AVA estate-grown wines. To book a tasting, visit www.camivineyards.com.

Gordon Huether Studio & Gallery, three miles from the start of Napa’s bike trail, is a do-not-miss indoor/outdoor working studio for the artist’s large-scale creative expressions. Open to the public, pull in at the giant yellow hand sculpture on the front lawn. // www.gordonheuther.com

In addition to his gallery, Heuther’s “A Napa Artistic Journey,” an art walk showcasing 20 of his art installations can be accessed via an interactive map: www.gordonhuether.com/gordon-huethers-napa-art-tour/.

 

Public Art is Everywhere

Attractive and unique, public art in outdoor urban spaces helps create a distinct sense of place. Eight large storytelling murals enliven downtown’s Artist Alley off First Street. // donapa.com/things-to-do/first-street-napa-artist-alley

Waiting for the light to change? In Downtown Napa, even 13 of the signal utility boxes are wrapped in original art. // www.cityofnapa.org/999/Downtown-Napa-Utility-Boxes

Pick up a walking map at the Napa Valley Welcome Center or download the free Otocast app to hear artists discuss their works in the Downtown Napa Art Collection. See Heuther’s evocative 9/11 Memorial Garden made of steel beams from the site and illuminated by night at Fifth & Main streets. // gordonhuether.com/9-11-memorial-garden

Napa Art Walk is a biannual rotating exhibition of juried sculptures created by mainly Western US artists. Nine pieces are on display and for sale through 2026 and are themed Climate Action & Sustainability. // www.napaartwalk.org

Now in its eighth year, the Napa Lighted Art Festival is a downtown walkable trail of 11 illuminated design facades and sculptures for five weeks in January and February. // www.visitnapavalley.com/events/annual-events/napa-lighted-art-festival

Art in the Library on Coombs Street hosts six exhibitions of two months’ duration throughout the year, each with an opening reception and talk by the artist. // www.countyofnapa.org/2270/Art-in-the-Library

Rail Arts District (www.RADNapa.org) transforms a semi-industrial corridor into a 1.7-mile-long outdoor art gallery. It starts in the Oxbow District and follows the Napa Valley Vine Trail bike path. // www.vinetrail.org

Yountville Art Walk has 40 sculptures lining a mile-long stretch of Main Street, each with a QR code and an audio feed. // www.townofyountville.com/238/The-Yountville-Art-Walk

 

Surprising Art Museums

In a pastoral setting of 217 acres with a lake, the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art has a permanent collection, exhibitions, and educational programming. A self-guided hike means stumbling upon wonderful sculptures; a 90-minute guided tour of the grounds and galleries hits all the highlights. // www.dirosaart.org

At the entrance to CIA at Copia in Napa’s Oxbow District stands Huether’s 18-foot fork sculpture crafted from 8,500 recycled forks. Larger-than-life, a sculpted tribute to Robert Mondavi and Margrit Mondavi, is placed atop a 75-foot tower. Inside, two worthwhile free art exhibits: The Wine Hall of Fame and Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum, filled with 4,000 chef’s items from earlier days. // www.ciaatcopia.com/experiences

Three more notable local museum experiences highlight the community’s cultural heritage: Napa Valley Museum Yountville; a 45-minute docent tour at the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in St. Helena; and Calistoga’s Sharpsteen Museum for the story of the town’s renowned geothermal springs. // www.napavalleymuseum.org // www.stevensonmuseum.org  //  www.sharpsteenmuseum.org

 

World Class Art Collections and Winery Installations

Atop Mount Veeder, Hess Art Collection is considered to be among the world’s top 200 privately owned. Visitors can tour the museum or reserve a decent-led Museum Walk with a wine tasting. // www.hessperssonestates.com/visit/art

The Wine and Art Exploration experience at HALL Wines in St. Helena is a guided visit through the private art collection housed at the winery where the 35-foot Little Bunny Foo-Foo sculpture in polished stainless steel is a wine country landmark. Book ahead. // www.hallwines.com

A secluded tasting lounge, Backstage Gallery at Cliff Lede Vineyards, has a classic rock playlist and displays autographed guitars, memorabilia, and works by John Lennon, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, and others. Reservations. // www.cliffledevineyards.com

Worth a visit to nearby Sonoma, Donum Estate has the wow factor. There are 60 monumental works representing artists from 18 nations arranged among 200 acres, making it one of the world’s largest accessible private sculpture collections. Open by appointment through one of the winery’s tasting experiences. // www.thedonumestate.com