Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens – Florida

As I wrote this in June 2017 we were in Daytona but were getting ready to head south to Orlando. We had a great time exploring the area and doing some of the local activities, including the beach. 🙂  One of the places we visited was the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens.  We had been at The Casements and The Rockefeller Gardens earlier, and it was just a short walk from there. I am so glad we decided to visit. They were absolutely amazing, even if it was incredibly hot and muggy (it is a rainforest after all, lol). The highlights were all the amazing plants and animals we saw while walking around.

Apparently, the gardens were designed by noted Belgian-trained Chicago landscape architect, Henry Stockman in the 1940s, and are situated on approximately 2.5 acres at the southeast corner of Granada Boulevard between Seton Trail and Halifax Drive in Ormond.

Like I said earlier, this place features native and exotic plants as well as water features including tranquil ponds and a relaxing waterfall, artisan-designed walkways, and a stately gazebo. It was so peaceful walking around. I don’t know if it was because of the heat, or time of day, but we had the place almost to ourselves which added to the serenity. The gazebo located in the center of the gardens houses a hand-painted labyrinth designed by Joan Baliker and the late Carol Bertrand and refreshed by Mack Sutton. It is really beautiful.

The Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens contain five ponds that are home to numerous turtles, frogs, and fish. Aquatic plants such as water lilies and water lettuces offer food, shade, and natural cleansing within the ponds. We never saw any frogs, but we saw many turtles and fish. I know frogs were there because we could hear them making noise, we just didn’t see them. It was nice to at least hear them even if we couldn’t see them. 🙂

Because of the lilies and several bridges over the ponds, I had a similar feeling to when we visited Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny.  They were tranquil. I wish we could have stayed longer, but it was hot, muggy, and the bugs were really starting to eat us both alive. 🙁

However, I love waterfalls and before we left the park we spent quite some time watching this one cascade while taking some pictures and video. I have attached one of the videos. Hope you enjoy it.

We didn’t really get too much else in the area besides the regular garden area. there is an Art Museum there too, but we didn’t have time to check it out. There were also some art pieces throughout the garden which was nice. Even a section for the veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam Wars.

We really enjoyed our visit and time spent at the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens. Here is a link to their website with hours, etc. It is a very short drive from Daytona, and something you should check out when in the area. Please feel free to comment if you have been here or have questions. Love to hear from my readers!

Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens Visitor Information

Address:

Phone:

386-676-3347

Hours:

Daily – Sunrise to Sunset

Price:

Free

Directions:

From Interstate 95 or US 1 in Ormond Beach, follow SR 40 east. After you cross the Intracoastal Waterway and pass The Casements, look for the art museum on the right at the next street.

Go one more block and make a right to drive around to the back of the gardens for the parking lot. Parking is free.

Parking:

Free parking located at the south end of our gardens, just follow the signs for public parking! Free street parking is also available along both sides of Halifax Drive.

Access to the Museum and Gardens is convenient with a public transportation bus stop located next to our north entrance and a handicapped accessible drop off area located next to our south entrance. The Museum and Garden paths are mobility accessible. With advance notice of one week, they can often make plans for interpreters in Spanish, French and American Sign Language (ASL).