- Q: Are there free museum days in Jacksonville?
- A: Yes, museums and cultural attractions in Jacksonville offer free days weekly or monthly, including the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens and the prestigious Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville.
- Q: What low-cost public transit options are available in Jacksonville?
- A: The Jacksonville Transportation Authority provides bus service throughout the city, a monorail called the Skyway in downtown Jacksonville, and the St. Johns River Ferry at Mayport.
- Q: Are some attractions in Jacksonville free only on certain days?
- A: Yes, some attractions are free only on certain days – please check before you go.
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The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a Jacksonville fine art museum that was originally established in 1961 following the death of Ninah Cummer, who donated her personal art collections for the creation of a new museum facility. The museum preserves Cummer's home and estate as an art museum and public garden, offering free admission for visitors on Tuesday evenings and the first Saturday of each month. A beautiful permanent collection of artwork is showcased throughout the estate, with pieces dating as far back as 2100 B.C. Highlights of the collection include European and American paintings from the Renaissance and modern eras and collections of Meissen porcelain. Several rooms are preserved in their original historic condition, containing period-appropriate furniture owned by Cummer. Outside, the museum's 1.45-acre gardens include a garden designed by the Olmsted Brothers.
829 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204, Phone: Phone: 904-356-6857
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville is a contemporary art museum that was originally founded as the Jacksonville Fine Arts Society in 1924 and was Jacksonville's first American Alliance of Museums-accredited facility. Today, the museum is housed within the city's historic Western Union Telegraph Building in Hemming Park, showcasing a permanent collection of more than 800 pieces of contemporary and modern artwork created since 1960. Rotating temporary exhibitions of contemporary artwork from regional and national artists are also showcased on the museum's third floor. Visitors can enter the museum for free on the first Wednesday of each month as part of the city's Art Walk events.
333 N Laura St, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Phone: 904-366-6911
Riverside Arts Market
Riverside Arts Market is an award-winning weekly public market held underneath Jacksonville's Fuller Warren Bridge, attracting more than 4,000 weekly visitors. The event has been recognized by Folio Weekly and the Urban Land Institute as one of Florida's top farmers' markets and has been featured in international publications such as USA Today and the Financial Times of London. Visitors can peruse and purchase produce, meat, dairy, and pantry goods from local farmers and vendors until 3:00pm or sellout, with artisan vendors and live music performances also showcased. The market participates in the SNAP assistance program, providing low-income visitors with a chance to purchase low-cost organic produce. Special events at the market include morning yoga sessions and a monthly First Saturday Brews craft beer event.
715 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204, Phone: 904-389-2449
Jacksonville Public Libraries
Jacksonville Public Libraries are the official public library system of Jacksonville, holding a collection of more than three million items for visitor circulation. The system began in 1878 as the Jacksonville Library and Literary Association and services the city of Jacksonville today, along with neighboring Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau, and St. John's Counties. Visitors can explore the system's new Main Library building, which opened to the public in 2005 and houses public exhibits within the Jax Makerspace Gallery, including the Jacksonville: A Tale of My City photography history and retrospective permanent exhibit. Maker supplies and studio space are also offered at the public Jax Makerspace, which is available for hands-on self-directed crafting and technology work.
303 N Laura St, Jacksonville, FL 32202, Phone: 904-630-2665
Kingsley Plantation
Kingsley Plantation preserves the site of the former Fort George Island cotton plantation of Zephaniah Kingsley, one of many plantation owners on the island throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Kingsley operated the plantation between 1814 and 1837, maintaining his plantation through the labor of many enslaved men, women, and children. Today, the plantation is maintained as a living history site, showcasing the state's oldest extant plantation estate and a full row of slave cabins. Free self-guided tours are available daily, with interpretive exhibits offered throughout the plantation's grounds within its main house, its slave quarters, and its barn. A visitor information station, bookstore, and interpretive garden are also hosted on site at the plantation.
11676 Palmetto Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32226, Phone: 904-641-7155
Beaches Museum and History Park
Beaches Museum and History Park extends along three blocks of Pablo Historical Park, showcasing a wide variety of permanent and temporary exhibits on the region's beach history. The museum was the vision of Jean McCormick, who began acquiring land for the project in 1978 through the Beaches Area Historical Society. It was opened to the public in 2006 and now houses a number of historic structures and artifacts, including the city's former post office building, depot station, and a preserved foreman's house. Other artifacts include a restored 28-ton steam locomotive and the preserved St. Paul's By-the-Sea Chapel, constructed in 1887. Visitors can explore the museum park for free Tuesdays through Sundays during the morning and afternoon hours.
381 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, Phone: 904-241-5657
Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens
Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens are a beautiful 120-acre nature preserve facility located on land formerly owned by the Humphries Gold Mining Company, which was converted into a public garden and arboretum facility in 2008. The arboretum is free and open to the public seven days a week between 8:00am and 5:00pm, offering more than three miles of beautiful woodland walking trails, including the easy Lake Loop Trail, the moderate-difficulty Upper and Lower Ravine Trail, and the more strenuous Jones Creek Trail. Trails showcase diverse ecosystems, with ancient and national champion live oak trees, native blueberries, and Florida azaleas showcased along the way. Benches and picnic tables are provided for visitor use, with interpretive signs elaborating on plant species.
1445 Millcoe Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32225, Phone: 904-318-4342
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in Jacksonville that preserves more than 46,000 acres of the last remaining unspoiled coastal wetlands along the United States' Atlantic Ocean coastline. The preserve was originally established in 1988 to protect more than 6,000 years of natural and human history at the site and was significantly expanded in 1999 through the works of Preservation Project Jacksonville. Today, the site includes several free visitor attractions, including the 19th-century Kingsley Plantation, which is open to the public and showcases an historic plantation estate and a row of slave cabins. Visitors can also explore Fort Caroline National Memorial, which preserves the remains of a failed French settlement along the banks of the St. Johns River.
12713 Ft Caroline Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32225, Phone: 904-641-7155
Jacksonville Jazz Festival
Jacksonville Jazz Festival is one of Jacksonville's premiere annual celebrations, held each Memorial Day weekend since 1980, when it was begun as the Mayport and All That Jazz Festival. Today, it has become one of the largest free jazz festivals in the United States, drawing international superstars such as Dizzy Gillespie, Harry Connick, Jr., Miles Davis, and Mavis Staples. Performances are offered throughout the weekend at the Jacksonville Landing, Hemming Plaza, the Florida Theatre, and the festival's main stage, which is constructed along Monroe Street. Events include the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition, which awards cash prizes to five finalists and a chance to perform a headlining concert at the event. Artisan vendors line the event's main thoroughfares, with artists selling goods in mediums such as painting, sculpture, jewelry, and woodworking.
117 W Duval St, Ste 280, Jacksonville, Florida, Phone: 904-630-3690
Plan Your Trip
Table of Contents:
- 1. The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
- 2. The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
- 3. Riverside Arts Market
- 4. Jacksonville Public Libraries
- 5. Kingsley Plantation
- 6. Beaches Museum and History Park
- 7. Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens
- 8. Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
- 9. Jacksonville Jazz Festival