The Museum, like most public ones, gets funding from its patrons, the biggest of which is one family in Jacksonville. It got its name from the Cummer family who gave it to the city as a gift in 1961.

The Cummer matriarch donated 60 art pieces which have grown into a 6000-piece collection. The family provided the Museum with more than just art; they also gave their property including their house. The big home became the museum itself and the riverfront grounds became the lovely Italian-themed gardens where you will find fountains and a statuary. Mrs. Cummer’s sitting room is preserved and has become a specific area of the Cummer Museum.

Nowadays the museum carries a unique mix of traditional and modern art. There is an art collection from the 19th century, along with some Japanese prints. There are American artwork coming from the American Regionalists like Hart Benton. Artwork from the landscape painters of the Hudson River and impressionists like Childe Hassam are also featured.

Summer is usually the time for special exhibits and in 2009 the Cummer Museum featured the works of Paul Jenkins who is an abstract painter. They also had a display of the handmade quilts created by the members of Gee’s Bend in Alabama.

The Cummer Museum has an Art Connections area that is perfect for children because it has interactive activities for them to learn more about art. This section has made the Cummer Museum asamong most child-friendly. They also offer classes for adults and for kids; and they also partner with schools to help the students learn more about art.

Another part of the Cummer Museum is the new Hixon auditorium wherein presentations and lectures  are held. There are also plenty of torus and concerts which make it a staple in the cultural lifestyle of the people in North Florida.

The Cummer Museum has won an award in Best Practices in Access because of its accessibility to people of all kinds. They partner with institutions that help the disabled such as the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.

For Museum visitors, a day can be capped off with some coffee at the Tree Cup. They can also purchase souvenirs from the gift shop.

The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a place teeming with life and culture and this makes it one of the best places to visit in Florida.

1. Trinity College

Built in 1592, Trinity College is Dublin’s oldest university, wherein the Book of Kells is kept, a manuscript written by monks that is nearly two centuries old.

2. Christ Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral is Dublin’s oldest building and dates back all the way to 1038. It was built as a monument to serve a powerful army, in courtesy of the invading Vikings.

3. Dublin Castle

Dublin Castle is filled with magnificent crystal chandeliers and painted ceilings that simply take people back through time a thousand years. Built during the time of the Norman invasion, this structure is wonderful example of medieval architecture that really captures the artistic influence of the time.

4. National Gallery of Ireland

Various influential masterpieces by Picasso and Monet are on display in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin’s largest gallery. Dublin’s past and present history can be found in the 2,500 paintings that can be found here.

5. Guinness Storehouse

Ireland’s most famous beer export used to be produced in this famous old building. Since its relocation, the Guinness Storehouse now finds it a pleasant chance to be able to tell tourists how one of the world’s favorite beverages was originally produced.

6. Temple Bar

For a more modern look at this cosmopolitan city, visit the Temple Bar. Filled with a wide variety of bars, restaurants, shops and art galleries, this is a great place to simply kick back and enjoy.

7. Smithfield Village

For more eating, drinking and shopping, visit a newly renovated development in the form of Smithfield Village. By walking to the pinnacle of the Chimney, view the stunning panoramic sights of the city.

8. Grafton Street

Grafton Street is pretty much the busiest shopping area of Dublin, with choices of shops varying from local crafts to big-name department stores. Right in front of this street lies Nassau Street, where traditional Irish gifts and souvenirs can be purchased – the most convenient shopping location in the city.

9. Pint of Guinness

As much as Irish Guinness is appreciated all over the world, there is nothing as great as sipping Guinness in its home city.

10. Irish Grand National

Join runners and riders during the month of April at the Irish Grand National, one of the great sporting events of the calendar.

The flower slowly emerged from the remnants of the mountainside.  According to the forest rangers of the Meilan village, Jinfeng town, the stone flower was discovered by an elderly villager about a month ago when he was collecting firewood deep in the forest.

The village head Ran Zaizhong believes that the ‘stone flower’ is a gift from nature and reveals that the township officials will protect the ‘stone flower’ and develop the location as a scenic local attraction. The villagers have now built a path through the woods so that people can easily visit the location.

Geologist Dr. Meng Youyan, after studying pictures of the ‘stone flower’ said the so-called petals are in fact 300 million-year-old chert nodules.

Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, England

Bemersyde ‘Scott’s View’, Borders, Scotland

Blea Tarn, Cumbria, England

Hadrian’s Wall at Steel Rigg, Northumberland, England

Cot Valley and Porth Nanven, Cornwall, England

Saltwick Bay, North Yorkshire, England

Left: Merkland Point, Isle of Arran, North Ayrshire, Scotland

Right: Fairy Glen, Snowdonia National Park, Wales

Adventurous

 Innocence

Practical

Heavenly

Romantic

Charming

Melancholy

 Intellectual

Depression

 Enlightening