Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens

I recently visited the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and it was a really pleasant experience. The museum itself isn’t overwhelming, which makes it easy to take your time and enjoy the exhibits without feeling rushed. I appreciated the variety of artwork—there’s something for both casual viewers and those who are more into art history. The gardens were a highlight for me. Walking through the beautifully landscaped grounds along the river was relaxing, and it felt like a peaceful escape from the city. There are plenty of spots to sit and just take it all in, which I really enjoyed. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the museum felt clean and well cared for. Parking is available, though it can fill up a bit on busier days. Overall, visiting the Cummer Museum was a calm, enjoyable experience, and it’s a nice spot whether you’re looking to appreciate art, enjoy the gardens, or just spend a quiet afternoon out.

What a delightful museum. Lots of diverse art across many years. More than an art museum. Friendly staff - super gift shop - free parking across the street. Great location overlooking the river. The museum gardens were spectacular. The Cummer Oak is SO BIG and stretched out. Don’t miss going out to explore the gardens. Many benches and sculptures throughout. I went in December and it was still lovely in the cold weather.

Spent the afternoon wandering the gardens, watching the butterflies, and enjoying all of the art. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, and there to answer questions. The layout of the galleries and court yard was convenient and the bathroom facilities were clean and well kept. Parking was easy and free and I can't wait to go back and spend some more time looking at the paintings. I particularly liked Andrew Wyeth's gallery and recommend 10/10

If there was a poster child for small but impactful museums the Cummer could definitely be it. This is a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. The museum has a high quality painting and sculpture collection. Beautifully curated galleries, and a magnificent garden with views of the St. John’s river. The 20th century gallery is not to be missed. It not only has great works, but it is organized for enjoyment and amazement. Who knew JAX had this gem! I’m sure the locals do. Enjoy!

Wonderful experience. Interesting displays and beautiful gardens. We visited on the first Saturday of the month, so it was free. But the $20 adult entry fee is very reasonable and worth it. We will return.

The people here are nice. They don't allow drinks inside the exhibits. The gardens are exceptional. The art collections are amazing and worth looking at a second or third time.

Beautiful park (even in the winter) the gardens and the commercial oak tree were my favorite part. It was fairly empty on a sunday in January so it was peaceful and quiet. We used our bank of America free museum pass but tickets are $20 per person.

Beautiful place specially the garden it’s spectacular , clean and lots of things u see inside. Such as amazing arts and paintings . They have also food area and coffee if u like to spend more time to stay. They have also area for kids can play and learn something.

I've been going to the Cummer Art Museum since I was a little kid. From school field trips to now coming on their Saturdays for free entry, this museum has something for everyone. I loved their children's books section that had a wide array of diverse books for children to read. The botanical garden is a must visit as well! The ambience is so serene and you get a great view of at John's River as well.

Beautiful museum here in downtown Jacksonville! Free the first Saturday of every month from 11am to 4pm. We did the entire museum in an hour and a few minutes. It had a mix of antique and modern pieces like sculptures and paints. They even had an interactive section for children and a cafe that serves food and drinks. Definitely recommend to anyone to come check it out!

This is a beautiful hidden gem in the city, with pristine gardens that evoke a lush, old Florida feel. The museum itself has a collection of paintings old and new, porcelain, sculpture and a great children's art center. My kids had the best time playing. While we were eating a delicious lunch on the beautiful outdoor patio the hostess brought my kids art kits to keep them busy. What a lovely lady and a lovely place. It's a great way to spend a morning or afternoon to soothe and refresh your artistic soul.

I was here years ago, and being back in town I brought Hubs here. This was the Cummer home that has been renovated into this marvelous museum. It started with 60 pieces belonging to the family. Now, there are over 5,000. You may recognize some artwork and artists' names. I especially like the antique furnishings and the many kinds of porcelain and China dishes. A treat is to walk the Italian and English gardens in the rear along the St. John's River. There are huge Live Oak trees and flowering bushes of all kinds. One area was attracting butterflies. The gardens allow photo opportunities and selfies. There is a free day each month. Otherwise, there is a fee. I used my reciprocal membership from an art museum in Ohio that I belong to. Free parking is across the street.

Came here for the first time after hearing about it from so many people. They had a special when I went, which was every 1st Saturday of the month it's free ! But if you are a student you do get a student discount. It's very spacious and eye catching for sure. Being able to see the different part of this museum reading the history behind it was just what a relaxed Saturday called for ! Wished I also caught the riverside market

This museum is one of the 10 best that I have visited in the States and Europe because it combines art work and a beautiful artistically appealing garden that overlooks the Fuller bridge over the St John's River. The museum has ramps and pathways to help visitors with mobility issues. The museum also has wheelchair accessible entrances, parking, seating, and restrooms. Allegedly the museum also provides wheelchairs for free. I would call first. There are also cafes available if you are hungry. You can also sign up with a guided tour of 10 people at $25 per person. Plan to spend 2.5 hours to see everything at a normal pace. It is so worth it.

We're so lucky to have The Cummer Museum in Jacksonville. The museum is located on the banks of the St John's River, about a block away from the Fuller-Warren Bridge in 5 Points. They offer a children's learning area, rotating exhibitions, priceless artwork, beautiful gardens and a tasty cafe (worth a visit on its own). Depending on the season, you can attend outdoor concerts, performances, and other special events. Although admission is charged, several local businesses host free admission throughout the year.

I haven't been to this museum in a while. Last time I was at this museum was Spring of 2017, and I'm sure the layout of the exterior has changed a lot with the damages of the hurricane of 2017, 2018, and 2024. The ambiance within this museum is amazing. So many interesting art displays to view from. I do believe that there is a café within this museum that offers various food items and beverages as well. I will definitely return here this year as I love art and artwork too.

The outside scenery is very beautiful. That is the reason for many people taking pictures throughout the entire garden. However twice the staff decided to single my wife an I out and attempt to tell us we cannot have a professional photo shoot and take professional pictures. We were visiting from out of state and only had iPhones while taking sporadic pictures and videos, definitely not a "photo shoot". We were doing exactly what everyone else in the garden was doing. Instead of allowing us to do like everyone else and enjoy the beautiful garden that we paid for and were excited to come see, the staff completely ruined what could've been a great afternoon. They charge $20 per person and treated us like this. I know we are not the only people they have done this to so unfortunately I cannot recommend paying and coming here.

Ah, the Cummer. A Jacksonville classic. A cultural rite of passage. We've been coming here for YEARS, and it never gets old--unlike my knees, which still creak after chasing my kid through the interactive play area in the back. Shoutout to the kid zone for giving the little ones a place to channel their inner Picasso without destroying my living room walls. The exhibits rotate often, which keeps things fresh. One month it's European masters, the next it's modern art that makes you go, "...is this a mop or a metaphor?" Either way, it's great. BUT THE GARDENS. Oh, honey. The gardens are the real star of the show. It's like stepping into a Jane Austen novel--minus the corset and unsolicited marriage proposals. You've got that giant oak tree throwing shade in the best way, perfectly manicured pathways, fountains that whisper "you are very cultured," and--wait for it--dolphins in the river. Real ones. Just out there doing flips while you sip your iced coffee and feel vaguely poetic. Summer events, live music, good vibes, and just enough humidity to make you feel like you're glowing (or maybe melting, but in a charming Southern way). Oh--and let me bless your wallet real quick: they have free evenings every month. That's right. Free. Culture on a budget, baby. Ten out of five stars if they ever let me move into the gardens full-time. But for now, solid five stars for giving us beauty, creativity, and just enough shade to survive a Florida summer.

This place is amazing! Great location, has a parking lot, and reasonably priced. Take your out of town guests here esp during the hot summer days. They have a restaurant inside as well. My favorite was the gardens especially with the beautiful view of the water and the huge trees. Very clean restrooms.

Limited but generally tasty menu. not the most comfortable seating but lovely view and convenient free parking .

The gardens are beautiful and has easy parking across the street just watch out on Farmer market Saturdays. The art in there doesn't blow me away as an adult but the kid section is awesome. They have a library, mini color activities, music area, block building area, magnetic area, and the kids ages 1, 2, and 3 loved it. They played for over an hour. We had been there before and ate at the cafe and found the food to be good as well.

This was an outstanding visit - the art was so well-curated. We totally enjoyed checking out the exhibits and then wandering around the gardens. We spotted a Wyeth, Picasso, Winslow Homer, Rubens and so much more, it was a totally enjoyable time. We then decided to have lunch at the cafe - sitting outside in the sun was wonderful. The museum celebrates art, and the cafe takes that celebration into the food. We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine, grilled cheese, crab cakes, chicken salad sandwich and a Cobb salad. Each was presented with an artistic flair and tasted as good as it looked.

I think this is one of the best art and historical museums in Jacksonville! Located right on the edge of the St. John's River, this place has some truly fantastic views and excellent pieces of art. There is a great mix of art work, sculpture, and well cared for gardens on the grounds. There is a people working here are great, and are really open to having people ask questions. Coming here, you feel like you stepped back into the Gilded Age. You feel both the historic nature but also the pomp and circumstance that people would have experienced in such grand surroundings. Definitely put this place down on a list of must visits in Jacksonville! :)

Absolutely beautiful experience! An afternoon at the gallery is relaxing and always so enjoyable. Unfortunately, the gardens were closed because of the recent storms and I'm hoping everything is safe! Went to the children's area and played for a bit too. Had a coffee outside under the huge trees in the Cafe and had a chai tea that was excellent! This would be an excellent date idea, because its just so peaceful there and invites conversation. I was there with my family and we loved it! There are museum experts that walk aroundand at first I thought they were just making sure we don't touch anything, BUT...they are there to also give informationabout anythingin the museum. We enjoyed talking with the sweet employee as she explained why I thought the oil paintings were following & literally watching me! (hint, they are painted to feel that way) Ohhhh....check out which days & nights you can go for free, because they offer a lot!!

It's one of my favorite places to walk around and admire the art. If I could sit in the garden for hours, I would. It's gorgeous. The different exhibits are always so fun to go and see. My favorite was the women's sports uniforms throughout the years. As someone who works for a sporting company, I loved seeing the styles leading up to the present.

I came here for the first time on a 5th grade field trip many years ago, what I remember the most was playing tag outside in the beautiful outdoor gardens. After moving back to the area I started driving by the Cummer on my daily commute. The waive the admission fee on Friday's from 4-9pm. The Cummer is a great place to visit for any art history fans and for all ages. My favorite part was the recent Flamingo Exhibit last summer. They have rotating exhibits and art classes for all ages. I love the summer Fridays with live mushroom. Perfect outdoor atmosphere to bring a picnic and wind down. Make sure to check it out! This museum is a Jax staple and has alot of cool history.

This is one of those museums that charges a high entry fee and offers a ton of ways to discount or avoid it. Notably, several free days sponsored by various banks exist. Not being local, I didn't have time to wait around so I paid for it. I was surprised by how little museum there actually was; while the buildings look substantial from the outside, there's only one level with active exhibits, and of the complex of buildings, one holds only a few children's areas and meeting spaces. There was also a substantial area closed for installations. Nonetheless, I found a wide variety of aesthetically intriguing and thought-provoking pieces. The wide range included ancient Greek and Roman artifacts, movie posters from an era where Jacksonville was apparently a center of African American cinema, and a room of natural material works with an artistic representation of a mosquito swarm composed of dead mosquitos. Thanks for reminding me I'm in Florida. The outdoor gardens offered a variety of sights, including views across the river. An indoor courtyard awaited as well. So while there were disappointing aspects to my visit, I wasn't terribly disappointed to have put some money towards this museum and spent an hour there. On their free days, or when all there rooms are open, it would be an even better experience.

The Cummer Museum is a great place to go while visiting the Jax art festival under the I95 overpass. They have some amazing pieces of art dating back to BC. For two adults and a student was $55 which was a little pricey for how small this museum is don't let that take away from some of the beautiful pieces that have.

This charming, small museum offers a fascinating history and a great collection of pieces from all over, many from the original owners. I love their beautiful English and Italian gardens for memorable moments. The food and service at the cafe were notably lacking. Despite the cafe issues, I highly recommend it and plan to return. The friendly museum staff and free admission on the first weekend of every month with a Citi, Navy Fed, or Bank of America card enhance the overall appeal. Normally it's $20 for adults.

It is a very nice museum with many collections and beautiful gardens. It costs $18 per person, but it is totally worth it. There is free parking right across from the museum. Their permanent collections include Medieval, Renaissance, 17th century to current. The gardens are beautiful with the skyline of Jacksonville, St John River, and bridge. The Cummer Cafe has good and reasonable menu. We spent about 2 hours strolling through the museum and gardens and had a nice lunch at Cummer Cafe. This museum reminds me of the Getty villa in Malibu, California. My sister and niece from NYC were very impressed!

A very nice museum($20pp) with an outside garden area. It took about an hour and half to view everything. The outside garden was the highlight with its amazing scenery. I enjoyed this museum and would recommend that you check it out!

I visited the Cummer Museum for the first time last December for a vendor holiday sale. I loved what I saw and became a museum member. I also visited the Age of Armor exhibit. What amazing craftsmanship! The detail in each set of armor had me imagining how much time it must have taken to build each one. The irony was that the armor was built for battle, but I found beauty in each piece. On my recent visit, I attended a member only preview of a new light installation by Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha. Her creations were made with metal. The designs had high powered lights inside which cast images on the floor, walls and ceiling. The cool part was as you viewed each piece your shadow became part of the art. I also visited the gardens, which were starting to bloom nicely with roses, flowering bushes and other flowers and plants. The birds were chirping as the boats passed by on the St John's River. I sat in a few spots throughout the garden and took it all in. Even if you don't want to become a member, I highly recommend checking out the museum. You can spend hours wandering around seeing the beauty of art and nature.

This popular Jacksonville attraction is now up there in my list of favorite U.S. museums. (I still have many more to explore, but top ones so far are the Cleveland Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and the Met.) I love how this museum combines art and nature with its permanent and current exhibitions and expansive gardens (more on the gardens in a minute). The works of art selected for display and the different themes are well-curated and well-explained in thoughtful captions. The museum space itself is very pleasing to the eye and a serene environment for visitors. There's also a great section for kids that seems like it has something for everyone. Lastly, the main gift shop makes you want to buy everything, and it probably has a gift option for every person in your life. I could spend all day inside looking at the different exhibits, but it'd be a waste not to explore the gardens--Olmsted, English, and Italian. The Italian garden is most photographic, but each garden offers something special. I was enamored with the colors and variety of blooms in all the outdoor spaces. The gardens felt like an oasis in the city, and I could almost forget the sounds of cars in the near distance. It was an overall wonderful experience and was well worth the ticket price. They also do free admission on some days of the month.

This spacious museum has lovely manicured gardens overlooking the river and a sizable collection of mostly American art, including contemporary art as well as older works inspired by European and Asian cultures (ex. Impressionism, porcelain art, etc). When I visited, there was also one room for Mediterranean art and another with illustrations from Shakespearean plays. Navigating the galleries was pretty straightforward since everything was on the same floor. It took me about 1 - 1.5 hours to see everything, which would be longer if you also hang out at the cafe or gardens. Many days have free admission, and there are discounts for certain groups (ex EBT, college students, teachers, military, etc), so I would check their website.

I really like this place. Very small and comfy, but that's the issue. I wish it were to expand, I thought there wasn't enough to see. For Jacksonville being a big city, I expect more. They also should get rid of the kids area and make something better out of it. Young kids shouldn't be in museums anyway.

We so enjoyed our visit to the Cummer Museum! We came as part of a group from our residential campus' (Westminster Woods on Julington Creek) Skilled Nursing unit. The staff was very helpful assisting our wheelchair-bound members and we had also brought a "helper" for each (I was my husband's). The main exhibit was Women's Sports Outfits (through several ages) and we all thought it "mahvelous," even the male guests did. We also toured other exhibits and were captivated. The grounds are gorgeous and the view of the river lovely. I'm told you can picnic there but didn't see anyone doing that (best to check). There are a few interactive exhibits and our group took advantage of them! There's a free Friday afternoon opportunity so one could take advantage of that (I have previously). Note: I didn't eat anything this time but on a previous visit I did and it was tasty!

This place is amazing, to being, it is awesome that great sponsors help provide free entrance to the museum a couple of weeknights per week. Check out their events and exhibits page on line, they offer a variety of events, family programs, etc. We visited in December, there was a holiday market and free bubbles. Super nice event. Lots log local vendors, really a nice time. In addition we saw the armor exhibit and it was so cool! Definitely worth the visit. In the warmer weather, the gardens are beautiful, highly recommend a a visit.

It's a great museum. On display is the historic displays of Jacksonville. The art is amazing and inspiring. The gardens outside are beautifully maintained and well laid out

LAST DAYS OF SUMMER AT THE CUMMER Went to visit the Cummer Museum last Friday, September 9th as the ticketed event is FREE for Jax residents from 4PM until 9PM (usually $15) As long as it isn't raining we would go outside the English/Italian/Olmsted garden and enjoy the views with a drink and is usually accompanied by music, as we enjoy the river vistas, strolling around. There are different galleries to choose from inside the museum as it is home to over 5,000 works of art, spanning from 2100 B.C. through the 21st century. *Special Event* The Buddha and Shiva, Lotus and Dragon, Masterworks from the Rockefeller 3rd Collection at Asia Society is still ongoing and this is the last week it will be on display until September 18. These collections are quite rare as some of the artifacts and statues such as the Shiva as the Nataraja (Lord of the Dance) from the Chola Period, early 970 BC We'll never know when this will be back so come on down and check out this excellent exhibit :) #artisalive at the 904 #visitjax

Stunning art museum with three striking beautiful gardens. The three gardens; English Garden, Italian Garden, and the Upper and Lower Olmsted Garden are each individually grand and are situated along the St John River. The Art museum has multiple collections from varying periods. It is also featuring an exhibit by Deborah Robert's entitled "I'm In", which is incredible as well as extremely thought provoking. It runs through early December. There is food service in the museum but we did not have an opportunity to try due to a scheduling conflict. As an aside, it's also wedding venue.

It's been a long time since I've got to enjoy a museum. And this made me want to visit even more. It's very spacious with lots of art to look at and the garden overlooks the water. It's just beautiful I do recommend visiting.

We visited the Cummer museum and gardens for the first time recently on a free day, and were really impressed. I frequented the Carnegie Museum of Art often since I was a member in Pittsburgh. I forgot how much I missed going to the museum. For a free day, it wasn't totally jammed or crazy at all. We were greeted when we went in, gave the employee our zip code, and were admitted to the museum for free. We checked out all of the galleries, and I especially liked the Cummer family room that was super fancy and cool to see. I had no idea that the gardens were so big! There was a lot to walk through outside and they had a live jazz band! This made for the perfect day. The sights, smells, and sounds made for a 5 star experience. I can't wait to go back again soon. Looking out at the river on a 70 degree February day was just perfect. The museum and gardens are beautiful and pristine. I would love to attend an event here in the future!

We visited this museum when it had the pink flamino exhibit in their beautiful outdoor gardens. I am so glad we did. The location is spectacular. It sits right on the St. John's River in downtown Jacksonville. The exhibit was beautiful. The indoor museum was also very nice, and had a great gift shop. The museum also has a cafe, but we had just had lunch nearby, so we did not try it, but maybe next time.

I am a bit biased since I've been to museums worldwide. So, for the price I didn't think it was worth it due to the size. However, very unique drawing when I went made of tiny words. It was enormous. Not many people there, not crowded. Plenty of historical realism. Quiet atmosphere. Not great for kids

So quaint and beautiful! The Cummer museum is definitely a Jacksonville staple. Right next to the river arts market on the weekends you can easily walk across the street. The entrance fee for us was only five dollars and we started down our way to the hall where we came across European sculptures from King Louis to renaissance masterpieces. As you walk through you can see local artists and different abstract ideas on display. Also you can see sculptures and China table and kitchen wear from the renaissance to Victorian times. Near the very end we went out through the beautiful Italian garden overlooking the St. Johns river. The way they shaped the greenery was stunning. Very quaint, calm and beautiful.

I hadn't been to Cummer for many years and it was a nice addition to a girls day spent celebrating a special birthday. The Frieske exhibit about visiting Jacksonville was very interesting and fun story telling. Enjoyed the variety of exhibits, including the history of Budha, as well as individual pieces. They have a nice little Cafe with seating in or outside with a decent selection of food and beverages. The cheese board we shared had a nice variety but was pretty sparse for 3 people. The gardens are also quite nice and relaxing. Overall a nice way to spend a few hours downtown Jacksonville.

Beautiful!! I love the Cummer! It is a great place to show off how beautiful Jax is to out of town friends and family! On tues and Fridays I believe it's free to get in and walk around all the amazing artwork, make sure to get out back to the gardens, traditional English, Italian and a new gardens, right on the river it's so so pretty there! You often see people there having professional pics taken! They also have a kids area with interactive areas they can create their own masterpieces :) Also within walking distance to great restaurants

Cummer Museum is one of my favorite places in Jacksonville! Today they allowed people to attend the museum for FREE to celebrate MLK day. Throughout the museum there were events people could participate in like live art, live music, and yoga. The Cummer Museum has special events like this all the time that they advertise on their website and Instagram page. Our family had a wonderful viewing the exhibits but the boys LOVED the children's area were they colored and explored all the hands on items.

The best way to spend a lazy afternoon is at the Cummer. You get to peruse a gorgeous collection of art, and if you're lucky, you get great weather and music in the beautiful the garden. Spent the afternoon lounging soaking up the sun and tunes. Couldn't ask for anything more.

Excellent museum with garden. Collection is good enough. But special section to display name artists is perfect. Currently they are displayed Zaneli Muholi self portrait. Zaneli quote "it is comes from within that is beautiful ". This display is black and white portrait with different hair styles. It has interesting post. Most importantly is attend her film to explain herself. She is an activist for the people of Africa. Most women were violated due to war lord Ian's local criminal. Zaneli speak up for them. The museum permanent collection includes Flemish to modern art. It is interesting to see many collections. Some art is just the statues displayed. They have it own beauty. The collection divided into 17th, 18th, 19th, medieval and Renaissance art. The garden divided into three sections. The three part are English, Italian, and Olmsted garden. Each section has it own theme. Flowers is blooming while our visit. The garden overlooking the river is beautiful. It is a prime area to see the downtown Jacksonville.

I appreciate art as much as "the other guy" but the sameness of many art museums with endless galleries of European masterpieces gets a bit unimaginative. That's why I appreciate the Cummer Art Museum more than the usual. They have a large interactive area where you can create your own art (at least temporarily) on video screens, they dedicated a whole room to a hanging display of art (dried flowers), they have the classics as well as contemporary pieces. And they have an outdoor area along the river with 3 large distinct gardens with a picturesque view of Jacksonville. Another plus is plenty of free parking in nearby lots and on the street (just have to look for it). Lastly, they seem to have a few days or evenings where admission fees are waived (just have to look for it). We spent 2 hours here w/o being bored (Can't be said for many art museums).

First of all, love that I was able to check-in and use a BOGO for Yelp which was great. Came here midday on Wednesday and it wasn't a disappointment. What a great gem of art and botanical gardens all in one. I'd say come dressed ready for some great photo ops in the gardens. We came in winter and it was beautiful and would love to come back to see it in full bloom. I enjoyed seeing the artist, I'd say this museum isn't large but you get to see and learn so much while you're there. My recommendation is spend about an hour or two looking around and that including walking the gardens.

If you haven't visit the Sporting Fashion Exhibition at the Cummer Museum and you're into fashion then make this trip on your bucket it!

The museum was so interesting to explore. The gardens were gorgeous. There's a wide variety of pieces here. The staff was very nice and helpful.

I went with a social meet up group I'm happy they add places like this to meet up at to get to know spots in town. I've lived in the area +2 years and had not gone to the museum ever and I really enjoyed going it's so nice and peaceful. The exhibitions that were on display were very nice and the gardens are very cute it's a nice place to go walk around and spend an afternoon total cute date vibes too.

A family friendly event and a chance to experience art ! I enjoyed each gallery and the beautiful garden

Beautiful place to go every season. We can spend hours here viewing the art exhibits and walking through the Garden and we love the hands on area in the children's section as well.