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Orange County residents seeking local fun during spring break are invited to visit the Stark Cultural Venues.

Admission is always free to the venues thanks to the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation’s mission to promote education and quality of life in the area.

Families looking for some indoor fun this spring break are welcome at the Stark Museum of Art, according to Studio & Outreach Programs Manager Rebecca Johns.

“From our gallery scavenger hunt, community gallery art exhibitions featuring local student artists, CREATE! Workshop and special exhibition, A Noble Pastime: Hunting Pictures from the Collection of the Sarah Campbell Blaffer Foundation, families will discover something for everyone at the museum,” she said.

Annually, the Stark Museum of Art partners with local school districts to encourage and promote student art.

During spring break, visitors can view art featured in two exhibits.

ART: It’s Elementary, a K-3 art exhibition, closes today (March 11), while Any Way You Slice It, the museum’s 2023 Juried K-12 student art exhibition opens March 18.

Patrons who visit on Saturday will be among the first to view the exhibition.

Visitors are also welcome to download a complementary coloring book designed by a local artist that features well known locations associated with the Stark Cultural Venues.

The Stark Museum of Art is open weekly, Wednesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shangri La Associate Director Katie Krantz said guests can stroll the gardens, take a peek at what’s in bloom, see the birds beginning to nest on Ruby Lake and, perhaps, spot an alligator basking in the sun.”

She encourages visitors to consider taking advantage of Shangri La’s Outpost Tour, which is offered March 18.

“Guests can get an up-close guided tour of Adam’s Bayou via pontoon boat ride,” she said. “It’s a great way to experience the swamp, and an opportunity to visit our nature classrooms, which aren’t accessible otherwise.”

Today (March 11) Shangri-La is celebrating its birthday with the public by offering a free plant to the first 150 visitors to stroll the gardens.

Shangri La offers free admission during their hours of operation, which are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In line with their new operating model, the W.H. Stark House will be open to the public March 17.

On March 17, Hands on History, which requires pre-registration, offers hands-on activities for children ages 5-9 in two separate sessions. Learn more here.

— Written by Shari Hardin