EXPLORE THE MORSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART IN WINTER PARK

EXPLORE THE MORSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART IN WINTER PARK

Explore the Morse Museum: A Winter Park Gem

Tucked away in the charming city of Winter Park, Florida, just a few miles from our historic Thurston House bed and breakfast, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is a hidden gem that beckons art enthusiasts, history buffs, and curious minds alike. This remarkable museum is renowned for its extensive collection of American decorative and fine arts, particularly its unparalleled holdings of works by renowned artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany. Let’s uncover the Morse Museum’s offerings, its rich history, and exciting events to look forward to during the 2023 holiday season.

Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection

The Morse Museum boasts a diverse and awe-inspiring array of American artistry spanning several centuries. Its centerpiece is the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933), the celebrated artist known for his exquisite stained glass creations. Visitors are transported into a world of shimmering beauty as they explore Tiffany’s intricate glass lamps, windows, jewelry, and other decorative arts. The Morse Museum also houses an exquisite chapel interior designed by Tiffany for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, known as the “Tiffany Chapel,” which is a breathtaking sight to behold.

Architectural objects and art from his Long Island country estate, Laurelton Hall, are also on display.In addition to Tiffany’s creations, the museum features a wide range of American art, including pottery, paintings, and decorative objects from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection includes pieces by prominent artists and designers such as John La Farge, Alice Gouvy, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens.

A Glimpse into the Morse Museum’s History

The Morse Museum has a history as rich and captivating as the art it houses. It was founded in 1942 by Jeannette Genius McKean, who named the museum after her grandfather, Winter Park philanthropist Charles Hosmer Morse. Together, she and her husband, Hugh McKean, who directed the Museum for many years, dedicated their lives to preserving Tiffany’s legacy and promoting American art. The McKeans built the collection over half a century, and today, their vision has resulted in a museum that stands as a testament to their passion and commitment.

Originally housed on the campus of Rollins College, it opened on North Park Avenue in 1995, today occupying over 42,000 square feet of gallery space. The Morse is owned and operated privately by foundation and receives no public funds.

Christmas Holidays at the Morse Museum 2023

One of the most exciting events to look forward to during the holiday season in Central Florida is “Christmas in the Park” in Winter Park. Each year, the Morse Museum helps launch this festive season when they light up Tiffany windows in Central Park and present the Bach Festival Choir and Brass Ensemble in concert. This year, the 45^th annual celebration of Christmas in the Park, will take place on Thursday, Nov. 30 starting at 6:15pm. The Museum’s website tells the touching history of the event and the significance or the windows.

Another beloved holiday tradition at the Morse Museum is the “Friday Nights at the Morse” series, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience the museum after hours in a special and engaging way. Each Friday night during the series, the museum comes alive with a variety of activities, including live music, art demonstrations, and special tours. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in the world of American art while enjoying a vibrant and social atmosphere.

The 2023-2024 season series coincides with the holiday festivities in Winter Park and kicks off the Friday after Thanksgiving, November 24, 2023, with a lively jazz quartet. Holiday Friday Nights will continue every Friday night through the end of 2023. Whether you’re a seasoned art enthusiast or just looking for a fun and cultural night out, “Friday Nights at the Morse” is an event not to be missed.

Visiting the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

The Museum is located at 445 N Park Avenue in Winter Park, Florida. Free parking is available behind the Museum and on several levels of the Park Place garage across from the Museum. The Museum and Museum Shop are open every day except on Mondays, and visitors can make appointments on the Museum’s website: https://morsemuseum.org/plan-your-visit/. Several orientation videos are offered online as well, and the Museum provides complimentary audio tours of the galleries via cell phone.

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, is a cultural treasure that invites visitors to explore the beauty and history of American art. It’s remarkable collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s works and its dedication to preserving American artistry make it a must-visit destination.

Plan a weekend getaway to Winter Park during this Christmas season and include “Friday Nights at the Morse” in your plan. The Museum, and Central Park are just a quick ten minutes from our historic bed and breakfast, Thurston House. Who knows, but very likely the Morses and the Thurstons attended the same social events while wintering in Central Florida in the late 1800s. And surely, both families offered comfortable and gracious accommodations to their friends and family visiting during the holidays.

Certainly today, the Morse Museum promises an enchanting and immersive experience that will leave you with a deeper appreciation for the museum’s offerings. Mark your calendars, book your stay at Thurston House, and prepare to be captivated by the area’s artistry and history this Christmas season!

New Tiffany Wing at the Morse Museum!

Morse Museum Winter Park

The Morse Museum’s new galleries feature the recently restored Daffodil Terrace and 250 art and architectural objects from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Long Island estate, Laurelton Hall. This new gallery is huge and features all sorts of information about this estate and how it came to be. There is everything from architectural drawings, to a menu from a dinner party. All of it is fascinating!

The new wing also has a room dedicated to the history of Tiffany, their lives and how the company evolved. It is well worth dedicating an entire afternoon to! And don’t miss the museum shop, a place where you can buy that special momento.

And the best part about the Charles Homer Morse Museum in Winter Park Florida is that it is about a 5 minute drive from Thurston House, our Maitland bed & breakfast. And it is only one of several reknowned Central Florida Museums.

Christmas in the Park & Tiffany Too!

Thursday, December 2, 2010 6:15 p.m.–8:00 p.m. (Rain date December 3)

Each year, on the first Thursday of December, the Morse Museum helps launch the holiday season in Winter Park when it lights up Tiffany windows in Central Park and presents the Bach Festival Choir, Youth Choir, and Brass Ensemble in concert. This December is the 32nd annual celebration of Christmas in the Park.

The nine leaded-glass windows installed in the park set the stage for a free outdoor concert of seasonal favorites by the 150-voice Bach Festival Choir, one of America’s premier oratorio ensembles.

Eight of the windows are memorials with religious themes produced by Tiffany Studios for the chapel constructed in 1908 for the Association for the Relief of Respectable Aged Indigent Females in New York.

The Association was founded in 1814 by a group of wealthy New Yorkers as a genteel private charity for elderly, indigent women, including widows of soldiers who fought in the War of 1812 and the Revolution. The first residence, constructed in 1838, was an alternative to the common almshouse. An expanded building was designed 30 years later by Richard Morris Hunt, architect to the rich and famous of the late-19th century.

When the residence was threatened with demolition in 1974, Hugh and Jeannette McKean bought its Tiffany chapel windows at the request of the Association board. The windows are memorials to prominent women who it is believed supported the Association in some way. The Association residence is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tiffany Studios’ Christmas Eve window, c. 1902, in which a figure resembling Father Christmas holds the Christ child, is also on view at the event and in the Morse Museum following Christmas in the Park. The window was designed by Thomas Nast Jr.—son of the famous political cartoonist—for his sister’s home in New Rochelle, New York.

Christmas in the Park was started by the McKeans in 1979 as a way to share a part of their rare Tiffany collection with the public in an informal setting.

Every year guests at Thurston B&B in Maitland drive the short distance to attend this wonderful event!

Charles H Morse Museum of American Art

This well known Winter Park museum just announced their yearly free addmission weekend for this coming Easter weekend! The dates of 4/2-4/4 have free admission to this wonderful museum. Enjoy all that the museum exhibits, from glass to furniture, jewelry to paintings and even a chapel! This gem is just minutes from Thurston House bed & breakfast in Maitland, Central Florida. Book your room now!

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art , Winter Park

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art – Ocean Florida

Originally uploaded by Ocean Florida

The massive cross-shaped “electrolier” in Tiffany’s chapel is one of its most powerful elements. Weighing approximately 1,000 pounds and measuring 10 feet in height, this lighting fixture is comprised of cast metal and green turtleback glass. This reconstructed chapel was featured at the 1893 World’s Fair Exibition. This is only one of the magnificiant exhibits awaiting your visit!