Museum of the Dog

John Thomas Peele, Waiting For Their Master, 1859. Oil on canvas. Gift of the Mr. and Mrs. Alvin E. Maurer, Jr. estate Collection of The AKC Museum of the Dog in St. Louis, MO. (Courtesy of AKC Museum of the Dog)

At the intersection of the Venn diagram where dog lovers meet art lovers is this niche museum, which houses an extensive collection of fine art devoted to man’s best friend, from Impressionist paintings of Basque collies to porcelain figurines to portraits of pets by local contemporary artists.

The American Kennel Club’s Museum of the Dog features more than 700 drawings, watercolors, prints, sculptures, bronzes, and figurines. It’s a collection that’s sure to (bow-)wow you.

The museum was founded in 1982, and was originally located at the New York Life Building. In 1987, it was moved to St. Louis, where it remained for the next thirty years.

In 2019, it relocated and reopened again, this time returning to New York City. You can now visit it to see rotating exhibitions, digital interactive displays, and a 4,000-volume research library at the American Kennel Club headquarters, located in the iconic Kalikow Building

Update as of November 2019: The AKC Museum of the Dog has relocated to New York City.

Know Before You Go

Dogs other than service animals are no longer allowed in the museum, as they were during its tenure in St. Louis. Museum hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; closed Mondays. General admission for adults costs $15.

Atlas Obscura Trips