One of the major misconceptions about Orlando is that there isn’t anything to do in the city that isn’t a theme park or some kind of tourist trap. Another major misconception about Orlando is that we have no culture outside of international tourists. Sure, we love going to Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld, but something we love to do is show off the hidden gems of Orlando. 

We’re happy to kill two birds with one stone by talking about the Orlando Museum of Art. Located adjacent to downtown, the Orlando Museum of Art houses everything from paintings to photography, sculptures, and more. While a visit to the Orlando Museum of Art isn’t an all-day affair, it’s a fun and memorable change of pace.

Getting There and Parking

Unlike a lot of our hidden gems (looking at you Wild Florida and Revolution Off Road) the Orlando Museum of Art is actually located in the city of Orlando! Even if you’re staying in the theme park district, you won’t have far to drive for your visit. Another positive is that there is parking right in front of the museum that’s free.

The Orlando Museum of Art

You can tell that you’re about to see something different straight from the parking lot. Right in front of the museum is a sculpture/fountain that makes the perfect selfie background. You’ll need tickets to enter the museum which can be bought online in advance or at the door. After getting your tickets, you’ll be given a map and an explanation of the current exhibits.

Like a lot of museums, the Orlando Museum of Art has a rotation of exhibits passing through throughout the year, so we can’t write a definitive breakdown of what you’ll see. However,  during our most recent visit, we saw a variety of art styles, giving us a well-rounded experience. We were able to see:

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• A full gallery of landscape painter Louis Dewis
• A gallery of art celebrating the American Way throughout the country’s history. This was especially fun because the museum didn’t separate the art by era, but rather by topic. A modern take on the American West was placed directly next to a drawing of mesas from the 17 century
• A special feature on Australian children’s author Drew Daywalt
• A collection of African artifacts, including handmade woven headdresses and jewelry
• Jewelry and artifacts from Incan South America

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Despite all of these topics centering on paintings, every exhibit had different kinds of art in it. Whether it was paintings, original sketches, drawings, sculptures, photography, or natural history museum-worthy artifacts, we never got bored of seeing the same thing over and over.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for a bit of a change of pace, or a fun addition to a date day/night, the Orlando Museum of Art is a perfect destination. It’s a great rainy day activity, plus it’s a quiet place to get away from the crowds in the ever-desired air conditioning. You’ll see beautiful pieces from around the world and maybe learn a thing or two while you’re at it. Don’t forget to couple your visit to the Orlando Museum of Art with a meal from one of the delicious local eateries in the nearby Mills 50 district.