Napa Valley’s creative output goes far beyond the cellar. Throughout the region, public art pops up in surprising, often striking ways—from installations at wineries to large-scale murals set alongside active rail lines. Here are the open air stops to put on your radar:

American Canyon

About 25 miles from San Francisco, The Ruins occupies the crumbling remains of the Standard Portland Cement Company facility, built just after the turn of the 20th century — a plant that supplied concrete to Bay Area projects including the rebuilding of San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, before shuttering in the 1970s. Over the decades since, graffiti artists discovered the vacant site and began transforming it into an urban canvas, and it hasn't stopped evolving. Today, 22 acres of concrete silos, rotundas, and open sky serve as the backdrop for four stages, rotating murals, and summer DJ and music events. The weathered stone walls serve as the perfect canvas for bright, funky works of art for visitors to explore on foot, for free.

Carneros AVA

Tucked amid the rolling vineyards of the Carneros viticultural region, the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art stands as a singular ode to Northern Californian creativity. Its collection, which features more than 1,600 works, spotlights icons like Robert Arneson, Joan Brown, and Jay DeFeo. But the real magic takes place outdoors: over 80 sculptures dot the 217-acre landscape of lakes, vine-laced trails, and picturesque picnic spots. Exhibitions rotate year-round, with programming that goes beyond the gallery—from artist talks and guided hikes to kids’ camps and live performances. Don’t Miss: Just eight minutes down the road from the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is Stanly Ranch, Auberge Resorts Collection. Perched on the highest point of the 700-acre property is Napa artist Gordon Huether’s monumental, 60-foot-long Infinity sculpture. While hotel guests can opt for outdoor yoga classes overlooking the serene work, visitors can take in the view by booking lunch or dinner at one of the resort’s many restaurants. Also worth a stop: Artesa Winery, where an impressive collection of outdoor sculptures, including more works by Gordon Huether, are integrated throughout the hillside property alongside sweeping views of the Carneros landscape.

City of Napa

  • Rail Arts District Napa (RAD Napa) – Beginning in Napa’s Oxbow District and stretching north along the Napa Valley Vine Trail, this free outdoor contemporary art museum showcases a vibrant mix of murals and sculptures set against the city’s industrial edges. More than 400 artists are represented along the two-mile district, which can be explored on foot, by bike, or aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train. Don’t Miss: Felipe Pantone’s geometric wave mural, Chromadynamica for Napa; Mikey Kelley’s 700-foot Op Art-style fence mural, Begin and Continue; and Bezt and Natalia Rak’s moody, dreamlike Knocking on Heaven’s Door mural.
  • Napa Art Walk – A biannual, rotating exhibition of sculptures scattered throughout downtown Napa, the Napa Art Walk transforms the city’s sidewalks, plazas, and corners into a free, open-air museum. The 2026 edition centers on climate action, featuring thought-provoking works that incorporate upcycled materials and invite dialogue about the environment. Don’t Miss: Dutch-born sculptor Patricia Vader’s Windmills of Your Mind, a whimsical metal sculpture crafted entirely from recycled bicycle wheels, and Allison Newsome’s Bee Violet, which doubles as a regenerative vessel for capturing up to 300 gallons of rainwater.
  • First Street Napa: Artist Alley – You’ll want to set your glass of wine down and pick up your camera as you wander First Street Napa’s Artist Alley, which features eight large-scale murals and installations by artists from Napa and across the Bay Area. Concentrated within the mixed-use district, the works create immersive, Instagram-friendly backdrops as you explore the area’s shops, restaurants, and tasting rooms. Don’t Miss: The colorful installations span works by established and up-and-coming artists including Vallejo-based Miro Salazar, Napa Valley-based photographer Israel Valencia, and “alchemical” Bay Area artist Kerry Lee.
  • A Winery with World-Class Collections: Hess Persson Estates houses an extensive permanent collection of contemporary works—including paintings and large-scale sculptures—displayed throughout its winery and cave spaces on Mount Veeder.

Yountville

Yountville is one of Napa Valley’s most walkable towns, made even more pedestrian-friendly by the one-mile Yountville Art Walk along Washington Street. Here, a collection of more than 35 sculptures lines the route. Each piece is available for purchase and accompanied by a plaque with a QR code, allowing visitors to access audio descriptions of the works and their artists. For a deeper dive, visitors can also sign up for a two-hour docent-led tour exploring the stories behind the collection. Highlights include a monumental geometric structure by American sculptor Jedd Novatt and a life-size bronze figurative work by the late American artist J. Seward Johnson. Did You Know? Since its debut in 2012, more than 30 pieces of outdoor sculpture have been sold, with proceeds benefiting the artists and supporting future installations.

  • Also worth a detour: Cliff Lede Vineyards’ Backstage Reserve Tasting Lounge features a revolving collection of contemporary art, much of it inspired by and produced by classic rock artists. Past exhibitions have included works by Stanley Mouse, who created iconic album covers and posters for the Grateful Dead, Journey, and Jefferson Airplane.

St. Helena

St. Helena remains a favorite pilgrimage for art lovers, thanks in large part to the outsized influence of HALL St. Helena winery, where owners and lifelong collectors Craig and Kathryn Hall have created an art park bringing together more than 35 contemporary works spread across 33 acres. The Wine and Art Exploration experience guides visitors through the property, showcasing pieces by artists such as John Baldessari, Jim Campbell, Nick Cave, and Jaume Plensa. A recent addition to the HALL collection is Alison Saar’s Soul Service Station, a 2025 Desert X installation that reflects the artist’s longstanding interest in transforming salvaged materials into objects that carry cultural memory and stories from the African diaspora.

Back in downtown St. Helena—where five high-end galleries sit within a three-block radius—stop by the Wydown Hotel to glimpse the city’s first public mural, Heritage, by northern Californian artist Bryan Valenzuela. Featuring an oak tree symbolizing the stability, strength, and deep-rooted history of St. Helena, the façade-sized work took Valenzuela more than four weeks to complete.

Calistoga

Calistoga’s creative spirit extends beyond its tasting rooms and wellness retreats, spilling into alleyways, storefronts, and unexpected corners of town. A must-see stop is the beloved “I ♥️ Calistoga” mural, a colorful photo-worthy landmark that celebrates the town’s playful personality. Just nearby, another standout work awaits in a tucked-away alley across from Picayune Cellars and Papa Lou’s Kitchen, where visitors will find a striking large-scale mural by local artist Carlo Marchiori. Known for his vivid, expressive style, Marchiori has become a fixture of Calistoga’s arts scene, with additional works showcased at his gallery on Cedar Street.