The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum

During my last trip to Orlando, I wanted to do something that was a bit off the beaten path. So, I searched TravBuddy and found a listing for the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum and what a find it was!

Located in the Winter Park area - a great neighborhood to explore on it's own, the Morse Museum features an amazing array of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Glass, pottery, jewelry, etc. are all featured. The two short included videos provide interesting information on how the museum came to be and how close the world came to losing so much of Tiffany's work. The highlight of the museum for me was definitely the chapel Tiffany designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago. Fablulous windows, intricate mosaics...I still can't believe it was designed and built in such a short period of time! The museum also boasts a wonderful gift shop with a wide variety of items. I found a nice bottle stopper for a friend's birthday, and a friend of mine bought a small umbrella in a unique pattern. Both were affordable momentos of our pleasant day at the Morse.

Once you've finished your tour of the museum, I would also recommend taking some time to stroll around the neighborhood. There is a great selection of shops and restaurants/cafes to wander in and out of that make it hard to believe that you're so close to Disney and the main tourist attractions.

Website: http://www.morsemuseum.org/home.html

Admission: $3 Adults; $1 Students; Kids under 12 are free (though I'm not sure how enjoyable most younger kids would find it as it's a quiet museum with a lot of fragile items on display)

Hours: Open during the day Tuesday through Sunday (Closed Mondays)

There's free parking for museum visitors behind the museum itself. You can visit the store without entering the museum from a separated, marked side entrance.

The seemingly small Morse Museum holds the world's largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany lamps, glasswork, art and jewelry. Many of the pieces come from Tiffany's own burnt down estate in Long Island, salvaged by the original Museum founders. The highlight of the museum is a completely reconstructed chapel (chandelier and stained glass windows included) from the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Keep an eye out for my favorite piece: a vibrant pendant necklace with a peacock on one side and a flamingo on the other.

In the fall through spring, the museum offers free admission on Fridays after 4pm. There is also classical music on Sundays and winter Friday evenings.