Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is a compact gem in Charlotte's Uptown cultural district — small enough to see completely in 90 minutes, yet home to a permanent collection that rivals many larger institutions. The collection was assembled over decades by the Bechtler family of Switzerland and donated to Charlotte in 2009.

The holdings include significant works by Giacometti, Picasso, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, and Frank Stella. For a museum in a mid-sized American city, this is a remarkable concentration of 20th-century modernism. The Giacometti bronzes are particularly memorable — the elongated, skeletal figures provoke strong reactions from kids who can't quite articulate why they find them unsettling.

For families, the Bechtler works best with older kids and teens who have some art education background. The works are significant but the experience is contemplative rather than interactive. A curious 10-year-old can have a genuinely great experience here with engaged parents who are willing to stand in front of a painting and have a real conversation about it.

The building, designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta, is architecturally significant in its own right — the square tower with its striped stone cladding and top-lit interior is worth discussing with older kids as an example of how a building can itself be an art object.

Paired with the Mint Museum (directly adjacent) and the Harvey B. Gantt Center (across the plaza), the Bechtler is part of a cultural complex that makes Uptown Charlotte one of the South's most interesting arts destinations.