Visit These Three Jacksonville Museums
Billed as the city where Florida begins, Jacksonville has long been considered the gateway to the Sunshine State. And although most people think of beach fun in the sun whenever Jacksonville is mentioned, it’s also a thriving cultural hot spot. With that in mind, here are the top three Jacksonville museums to hit on your next visit. And the good news is, all of them offer excellent access for wheelchair-users and slow walkers.
Museum of Contemporary Art
Located on Hemming Plaza, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), which is affiliated with the University of North Florida, tops the list of Jacksonville museums. Accessible parking is available in two parking garages, which flank the museum. One garage is located at 32 West Duval, and the other is at 2 West Monroe. There is also accessible metered parking in front of the museum.
Although the museum is housed in the historic Western Union Telegraph Building, access features were added when the museum relocated there in 1999. There’s level access to the building, and a power door at the front entrance. Inside there’s elevator and lift access to all floors and plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair in the galleries. A loaner wheelchair is also available at the front desk.
The MOCA has over 1,000 pieces in its permanent collection, which includes contemporary works from 1960 to the present. This collection spans a variety of mediums, from painting and photography to printmaking, sculpture and new media. Although it includes pieces by prominent national and international artists, the museum also tries to highlight the works of local artists whenever possible. A wide variety of temporary exhibitions are also presented throughout the year, so there’s always something new to see at this museum.
Museum of Science & History
Next up on the list of must-see Jacksonville museums is the Museum of Science & History. Although this museum is a favorite for kids, there’s lots for adults to see and do as well. Accessible parking is available in the museum lot, with level access to the front entrance, and plenty of room to roll around in the galleries. Loaner wheelchairs are also available at Guest Relations.
Highlights of the museum include the Currents of Time, an exhibition which explores 12,000 years of Jacksonville history, and Atlantic Tails that focuses on the coastal creatures of Northeast Florida. And if you’d like to learn more about the heavenly bodies above us, then pick up tickets for a show in the Bryan-Gooding Planetarium. There’s level access to the planetarium, which offers wheelchair seating
Finally, save some time to explore the Hixon Native Plant Courtyard, which features a short accessible boardwalk over a pond filled with native vegetation, turtles and fish. It’s a pleasant place to take a break, sit down and relax.
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
Last but not least, on the top Jacksonville museums list it the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Located in the Riverside Avondale district, just minutes from downtown; the museum features a large permanent collection of porcelain, paintings, sculpture and tapestries, plus over 2.5 acres of formal gardens. Accessible parking is available in the museum lot on Riverside. From there, it’s a short level walk to the ramped front entrance, with barrier-free access throughout the galleries.
The museum, which boasts over 5,000 works of art, began with just 60 pieces from Ninah Cummer’s collection. Today visitors can view pieces from 2100 BC to the 21st century, with works by Peter Paul Rubens, Thomas Moran, Norman Rockwell and more. And don’t miss the collection of 18th century Meissen porcelain.
But truly, the thing that gives this museum its real flavor are the beautiful gardens out back. The formal English and Italian gardens feature brick pathways, wisteria arbors, formal hedges and the massive Cummer live oak. Although there are steps on the right side, the path to the left provides level access to the lower garden area. There are gently sloping paths throughout the gardens, with lots of benches along the way. Even if you don’t feel like walking through the garden, step outside on the back terrace and enjoy the view. It’s a peaceful place to meditate and commune with nature.
