Four Highlands County Museums to Celebrate International Museum Day
SEBRING, Fla. (April 25, 2022) – Visit Sebring is pleased to announce that four local museums will participate in this year’s International Museum Day (IMD) with special docent-led tours, receptions, presentations, art exhibits, raffles, free admission, discounted and extended hours scheduled to occur on or around May 18.
The purpose of IMD is to raise awareness that museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. Today, more than 37,000 museums in 158 countries participated with special events and activities.
This year’s IMD celebration will focus on three themes: 1) the power of achieving sustainability, 2) the power of innovating on digitalization and accessibility and 3) the power of community building through education.
Children’s Museum of the Highlands will offer FREE tours of the museum on May 18 at noon, 1 and 2 PM. Tours will be approximately 30 minutes long allowing guests to see the exhibits, learn about the museum, and ask questions. Play time will not be available with the tour; however, anyone who participates in a museum tour will receive a free Play Pass for future use. One free Play Pass/registered tour guest. RSVP your tour spot at (863) 451-5385 or via email Director@ChildrensMuseumHighlands.com
The museum will also offer special Wednesday Museum play opportunities with discounted admission of $5/person and Tot Time Storybook Program at 10:30 AM. This program provides children (target age 1-4) with a read-aloud storybook time with themed activity to accompany the story. Program is included with daily admission. Address: 219 N. Ridgewood Drive, Sebring. Phone: (863) 451-5385.
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Museum Curator David Schmidt Smith will present “Charles R. Knight: The Artist Who Saw Through Time,” on May 18 (6:30 PM), May 19 (9:30 AM) and May 28 (1:30 and 4:00 PM). Knight became internationally famous for paintings of wildlife, dinosaurs and creating the murals for natural history museums in New York, Los Angeles & Chicago. His work made possible the appearance of prehistoric animals in films from The Lost World and King Kong to Fantasia and Jurassic Park. Knight had an enormous impact on museum paleontology and changed how museums exhibited their fossil and bone collections. Knight’s 1942 Works Progress Administration (WPA) mural completed for the Sebring Post Office now hangs in the Sebring Public Library. Park admission fee of $4 or $6 per vehicle applies. Address: 5931 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872. Phone: (863) 386-6094.
The Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC) will be open from 12:30-4:30 PM on International Museum Day. The last exhibition of the season will be open through May 18, and MOFAC will offer a guided tour with the curator at 2:30 PM. All MOFAC visitors on International Museum Day (May 18) will also be entered into a raffle to win a signed print of the painting “On Sacred Ground” by Christopher Still. Address: 600 West College Drive, Avon Park, FL 33825. Phone: (863) 784-7240.
Peter Powell Roberts Museum of Art and Cultural Center will celebrate International Museum Day on May 18 with scheduled docent-led museum tours and video during the day, free admission, HCA member discount on purchases, extended hours from 10 AM- 4 PM, refreshments, a children’s scavenger hunt and a special exhibit by Bob Clarke from Tanglewood Art League.
Address: 310 W. Main Street, Avon Park, FL 33825. Phone: (863) 402-8238.
Other Highlands County Museums include:
- American Clown Museum & School
- Archbold Biological Station
- Avon Park Depot Museum
- Highlands Museum of the Arts (MoTA)
- Lake Placid Historical Society Depot Museum
- Military Sea Services Museum
- Sebring Historical Society
Plan your museum exploration with this map.
Visit Sebring is the destination marketing organization managed by the Highlands County Tourist Development Council (TDC). The mission of the TDC is to contribute to a positive quality of life for the residents of Highlands County through destination promotion, tourism development, advocacy, and resource management – which are foundation pieces for future economic growth. For more information, visit https://www.VisitSebring.com or find us on social media @VisitSebring.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Casey Wohl Hartt
(863) 640-1743
Casey@VisitSebring.com
