As summer rapidly approaches, the need to find relatively inexpensive but still fun and engaging day trips for couples and families is becoming more urgent. The Florida summer heat frequently makes being outside quite unbearable, and often the only way to combat the heat and escape the crowds of tourists is to find indoor and local activities that only those native to the Orlando area would know about.
Luckily, there are a couple of options on the table for those looking to find something fun to do that isn’t too far from Lake Nona, including the Orlando Museum of Art, a personal favorite of mine. First, the museum is very inexpensive, especially for Florida residents. The entry fee for adults is just $15, and for college students with ID and kids ages 4-17, the cost is just $5. Children under four get in free.
The museum has art that will appeal to the young and old, including a variety of interactive exhibits that are sure to keep children entertained. The art featured in the museum comes from all across the state of Florida, the United States, and sometimes even the world. The museum offers a variety of “Art Encounters” for kids that allow them to explore their own artistic interests and create projects of their own. Other activities for the young ones include Kids Yoga and Spring Art Camp. Adults and teenagers are sure to enjoy their time at the museum as well. Teens and adults are both welcomed to sketch in the galleries, creating art inspired by the pieces in the museum, and teens are offered the opportunity to build their personal portfolios through Teen Studio sessions.
Not only are the exhibits insightful and powerful, they also offer some wonderful opportunities to take pictures and interact with the art pieces, surely offering some wonderful photos for Facebook or Instagram. Recent exhibits have included collections related to Seminole Arts and Culture, sets of sculpture and paintings from across the globe, as well as works from the ancient Americas.
Each time I visit the museum, I am overwhelmed by the blessing it is to have such a powerful museum that showcases stunning works so close to us in the Orlando area. It is one thing to see a piece of art and recognize the talent and ability of the artist, but it’s another thing entirely to see that art and learn something powerful and exceptional from the piece. The Orlando Museum of Art does just that.