Art & History Museums - Maitland

About the A&H

The Art & History Museums – Maitland is home to five museums that foster an appreciation for art and history through immersive experiences, including exhibitions, events, artist residencies and education programs.

The A&H’s Maitland Art Center campus was founded as an artist

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About the A&H

The A&H’s Maitland Art Center campus was founded as an artist colony in 1937 by visionary American artist and architect, Jules André Smith, and is the only National Historic Landmark in the four-county area of Central Florida. The Landmark status was awarded due to the Mayan Revival architecture — including 200+ murals & sculptures throughout the campus — and significance as a retreat for notable American artists.

Our five museums include: Maitland Art Center, Maitland Historical Museum and Telephone Museum on our main campus, and the Waterhouse Residence Museum and Carpentry Shop Museum on our Lake Lily campus.

The A&H’s educational opportunities for schools include:

1. Student visits to the main campus museums, along with activities related to what they learn at these museums.

2. Outreach visits to schools, where A&H education staff teaches printmaking history and students are guided to make their own prints.

About the museums:

The A&H’s Maitland Art Center galleries offer a more immersive experience than a static museum, and encourages visitors to take a closer look at the artists and the artistic process. Exhibitions change 3-4 times per year, and features works by André Smith, other notable resident artists from his time, as well as contemporary American artists examining a range of modern issues.

The Telephone Museum collection includes equipment and archives representing the story of the Galloway family who started telephone service in this area, and the Winter Park Telephone Company of 1913-1979. The collection, one of the most extensive in the Southeast, includes a working switching station, military field equipment, and much more.

The A&H’s Maitland Historical Museum examines the history of Maitland’s founding families, featuring archival photographs, artifacts and documents that exhibit their stories as they relate to the economic, technological and social aspects of the American experience. The Museum also examines the broader history of Central Florida along with Maitland and surrounding towns.

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Field Trips and Tours: Grades K-8

Program Description

The Art & History Museums – Maitland is unique, in that it is a conglomerate of 4 different places and spaces connected by our common location.

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The Art & History Museums – Maitland is unique, in that it is a conglomerate of 4 different places and spaces connected by our common location.

The Research Studio was founded as an artist colony in 1937 by visionary American artist and architect, Jules André Smith, and is the only National Historic Landmark in the four-county area of Central Florida. The Landmark status was awarded due to the Mayan Revival architecture — including 200+ murals & sculptures throughout the campus — and significance as a retreat for notable American artists.

Students can visit the Art & History Museums-Maitland and explore our campus in many ways.

History & Art Tour: The Research Studio, including the Gallery and Grounds & The Maitland Historical Museum, 1 hour

This tour is art and local history based. Students will explore our main campus while learning about founder J. Andre Smith and his vision for creating a space for artists to live and work. During the school year our gallery features a Fall exhibit and a Winter exhibit that both have local and regional connections. The grounds of the Research Studio are full of places to explore and discuss art and architecture. There are so many stories to tell and hidden visual treasures to find. Additionally, The Maitland Historical Museum is a connected space that delves deeper into Smith’s connection to Maitland and surrounding areas.

Program: Interactive activities can include a History Hunt (a visual scavenger hunt), creating crayon rubbings based off of Smith’s carved cement tiles and plein air drawing.

History & Science Tour: The Telephone Museum, 30-45 minutes

Our newly renovated Telephone Museum is an interactive and exciting place for students to learn all about the history of telecommunication and how it connects to our region. They will experience telephone technology from switchboards to telephone booths, to rotary phones.

Program: The history of communication and the science of sound will be taught through interactive Sound Stations as a part of their experience at the Telephone Museum.

History Tour: The Waterhouse Residence, 1 hour

Built in 1884 by pioneer settler and builder William H. Waterhouse as a home for his family, the house was beautifully restored to represent the lifestyle enjoyed by a middle class family during the late Victorian period. This historic house museum reflects the life of a middle class Victorian family during the early days of the City of Maitland.

Program: Various activities can be included in this tour including, making a thaumatrope and playing Victorian era games.

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