The Gilded Age: Treasures from the Lightner Museum

From Friday, June 7, through December 31, 2024, the Lightner Museum showcases an exhibit that offers a fresh look at the extensive Lightner Collection: The Gilded Age, Treasures from the Lightner Museum.

The millionaire class of that era earned their wealth in industry, commissioned opulent art, and purchased beautiful furnishings for their homes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. While pundits and writers from the era, including Mark Twain, satirized the new materialism, historians now know that the art and architecture from the Gilded Age increased our understanding of how society changed during those decades.

Most of the art for this exhibit was chosen from the museum's permanent collection and includes stained glass, ceramics, furniture, metalwork, paintings, and sculpture. The works are fittingly displayed in what was the Alcazar Hotel's grand ballroom. 

The statue in the photo is "Cleopatra" by sculptor, Raffaello Romanelli. Otto Lightner purchased this statue, and most of the others in the exhibition, when he was a publisher in Chicago.

Admission: $19.00 for adults; $16.00 for college students, seniors, and military; $12.00 for St. Johns County residents and youth aged 12-17; free for children 11 and younger.

When: From Friday, June 7 through Tuesday, December 31, 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Lightner Museum is located at 75 King St. in historic downtown St. Augustine.

The Museum is generally open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., seven days a week. They are closed on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.