TOP PICKS
Ringling Museum + Sarasota
Once inside, remember to breathe and take
it all in, and we do mean all. There are some 21 galleries filled with European, Asian and American artwork, plus traveling exhibitions. The best part? There’s no charge on Mondays. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is one slice of a 66- acre enclave rich in history. Included on this sprawling property is the Cà d’Zan mansion, on sparkling Sarasota Bay, and the Circus Museum. While a fee is required for those two venues, something else you can do at no cost
is take a walk on the estate grounds, passing cherubic statues on the path to Mable’s poetically beautiful rose garden. ringling.org
Wynwood Art Walk + Miami
Wynwood is Miami’s burgeoning epicenter of the arts and creativity. Experience it firsthand monthly on 2nd Saturdays when the Wynwood Arts District emerges as the proud beacon of light for what a resurrected, once- forgotten warehouse neighborhood can become. Today, with 50 galleries, four museums, and several major collections, boutiques and hot restaurants (we still love Joey’s), one walkabout could very well turn you into a regular. It all happens between I-95 and Biscayne Blvd, from 20th to 36th streets. New extended Art Walk hours: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. wynwoodmiami.com
Kingsley Plantation + Near Jacksonville
This 19th-century cotton plantation is one of the last standing examples of the plantation period (1763-1865). Consider it a 60-acre history lesson, complete with 24 cabins once used to house slaves. Part of the National Park Service, it’s located on the northern tip of Fort George Island, near Talbot Island State Parks on Highway A1A. Visit the bookstore (it’s in a 1920s building) for more on the plantation’s namesake, Zephaniah Kingsley. nps.gov
NO-FEE DAYS
Wolfsonian-FIU + South Beach
Even the Mediterranean Revival facade of this intriguing museum has style. Inside, find the collec- tion Art & Design in the Modern Age. Enter for free on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. wolfsonian.org
Tampa Museum of Art
Part of the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the building itself is the crowning glory, a modern vision houses contemporary works. ”Art on the House” free on Fridays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. tampamuseum.org
Morse Museum of American Art + Winter Park
The new wing is an ode to Louis Comfort Tiffany (yes, of that Tiffany family). Check out the restored Daffodil Terrace free on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. (September to May). morsemuseum.org
Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens + Jacksonville
With gardens on the St. Johns River, the museum offers free entry on Tuesdays. See European Old Masters (think Rubens) and an exhibition on Riverside Avondale through July. cummer.org
HISTORIC FOOTSTEPS
Florida Historic Capitol Museum
See this 1902 gem with its stained-glass dome; tour with Andy Edel, the Tallahassee historian who brings times past to life. flhistoriccapitol.gov
Fort Matanzas
This national monument requires a ferry ride via the Matanzas Queen III. During New World power struggles, the fort guarded St. Augustine‘ s river approach. nps.gov
Casements
On the banks of the Halifax River, this former Ormond Beach winter home of philanthropist John D. Rockefeller was where he entertained Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. thecasements.net
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