Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens, Art museum with gardens in Riverside, Jacksonville, United States.
The Cummer Museum is an art museum with gardens in Riverside, Jacksonville, housing a broad collection of works from different periods and cultures. The exhibition spaces present these pieces in various galleries, while the grounds open toward the river and invite visitors to linger outdoors.
The museum opened in 1961 on the grounds of a former private residence and gradually built its collection over the following decades. This beginning as a residential property shaped the layout and character of the place that visitors experience today.
The museum's name honors Ninah Cummer, who in 1957 said her gifts would "make only a small beginning toward a large vision." The DeEtte Holden Cummer Museum Foundation, named for the Cummers' infant daughter who died, manages her bequest. The Tudor Room from the original Cummer home is preserved inside the museum.
The museum stands on Riverside Avenue, with the three gardens behind it opening onto the St. Johns River. Parts of the original 1903 garden layout survive, so paths follow the historic beds rather than a modern route. The Woman's Club building next door, a Tudor-style structure acquired in 2002, is used for programs and events.
The oldest garden, laid out in 1903, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers, Thomas Meehan & Sons and Ellen Biddle Shipman, and its plan has stayed unchanged for over a century. The three gardens were listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 25, 2010.
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