Look for the Mermaids on Parade public art project
while visiting Norfolk, Virginia.
venturing in for closer looks at over 50
different gardens, such as the Butterfly
Garden, the Enchanted Forest, the Sensory
Garden, or the Japanese Garden with small
stone temples and a koi pond. Garden lore
has it that if you walk around Friendship
Lake while holding hands with your BFF,
you’ll be friends for life. Enjoy lunch at
the onsite café and peruse the gift shop for
botanical-themed items. In October, don’t
miss AcquaFire, when the Renaissance
Pond blazes with fires accompanied by live
acoustic music, and during the holidays
marvel at a million sparkling lights during
Dominion Garden of Lights.
All Manners Of Art
Surrounded by lush gardens and woodlands, the Hermitage Museum and Gardens looks like something out of a fairytale.
Built in 1908 by William and Florence
Sloane, Mrs. Sloane later converted the
Arts and Crafts style summer home into
a museum for her impressive collection
of artworks from six continents. There are
paintings, sculptures, tapestries, merchant
chests, snuff bottles, and even a vintage
Tiffany Travel set. Enjoy details such as the
carvings around the fireplace in the Great
Hall and a stained glass window of Columbus’ trio: the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.
There’s beautiful woodwork, an organ and a
confessional that’s a closet. Contemporary
art is upstairs with frequent rotating exhibits. Bibliophiles will swoon at the collection
of 3,000 books that include first editions
and early volumes by HG Wells and Mark
Twain. You can check out the original kitchen and take a look in the gift shop housed
in the old vault. Stroll through the rose
garden and take a peek at the grotto and the
unique collection of millstones.
Glass Art as Performance Art
The Sloanes could be considered the
patron saints of Norfolk’s art scene, as they
helped launch what is today the world-class
Chrysler Museum of Art, where Roman
statues and Japanese woodblocks mingle
with French impressionists and modern
AMY TROTTER HOUSTON
HERMITAGE MUSEUM AND GARDENS
Relax under the magnificent
magnolia tree on the
grounds of Hermitage
Museum and Gardens.