Philbrook Museum of Art
In addition to being one of the nation's top art museums, Philbrook Museum of Art is also a stunning example of Italian Renaissance architecture. Housed in a 72-room villa on 23 acres, Philbrook was built in 1927 as a family residence by oilman Waite Phillips. Now the Philbrook is home to an impressive permanent collection that includes Native American art, American and European painting and sculpture, Italian Renaissance work, outdoor sculpture and works on paper. The American Art Collection features works that express the adventurous spirit of America's Westward expansion by Albert Bierstadt, Adolph Weinman and Frederic Remington, while work by luminaries such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot can be found in the European Collection. The museum grounds themselves are a work of art as well, made up of formal and meditative gardens, burbling fountains, sculptures and winding pathways for visitors to stroll.
An elegant unique venue, the museum can arrange valet parking, florists, equipment rentals, and entertainment bookings for events. The museum's La Villa restaurant overlooking the Westby Sculpture Garden can seat 100 for dinner, while the Zink Rotunda and Mabee Reception Gallery, with a domed ceiling and patterned marble floor, can accommodate 300 guests for a seated affair. The mansion also houses conference rooms, including a space in La Villa that seats up to 80 guests for a luncheon and has a 235-seat auditorium with state-of-the-art audio-visual capabilities.
The Philbrook Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM and Thursday until 8 PM. It is closed major holidays. Admission to the museum is $7.50 for adults and free for children. For more information: 918-749-7941
