I thought and hoped it was a chalkboard but it's not. It's beautiful and I will keep it. I bought a magnetic pen/paper holder to place on it so it's there when needed. I gave it 4 stars because when trying to put it on the wall, the back side of it is warped and it doesn't fit flat/flush against the wall. It's still worth keeping and I'll find a way to hang it...not to worry. lol