Gardner Museum of Architecture - Quincy, Illinois

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Gardner Museum of Architecture - Quincy, Illinois

The Gardner Museum is a stone Romanesque Revival style building erected in 1888. It was built of limestone. A stucco addition was added to the back of the building in 1929. Massive masonry walls of rough-cut or rusticated stones, rounded arches, and towers characterize Romanesque Revival buildings. The Gardner Museum is a full two stories with a circular corner tower that rises to three stories and features views of nearby Washington Park, as well as of the Mississippi River and the Missouri countryside beyond. Ornamental iron railings and supports are intact at the entrance. The interior features butternut woodwork throughout and a handsome staircase with an ornately carved baluster. The second floor has a large room, formerly the library reading room, has a tongue and groove wood vaulted ceiling. It now houses the "Aspirations in Glass" exhibit of stained glass windows saved from demolished churches.

The first floor Main Gallery of the Gardner Museum features "A Kaleidoscope of American Architecture". Using Quincy as the backdrop, it explores the development of our national architecture since 1825 when Quincy and Adams County were established. "A Kaleidoscope of American Architecture" is divided into several sections, a brief description is given on each.

The second floor Main Gallery of the museum contains the other main exhibit, "Aspirations in Glass". Here, in the large former library reading room, with its twenty-one foot (seven meter) high wood vaulted ceiling, visitors can view many beautiful and massive stained glass windows salvaged from storm-damaged, and demolished churches in Western Illinois. The largest window features Jesus Christ as the Good Shepard knocking at the door, from the Macomb Unitarian-Universalist Church. It towers twenty feet (6.6 meters) tall over the room.

Tours are available for both adults and school groups. Tours can be self-guided or a volunteer or staff member can walk you through. Please make an appointment in advance if you require a guided tour so we can be sure to have someone on hand to accommodate you. For guided tour e-mail or call us and give us your group information including: organization name, contact person & number, number of adults, number of students & ages, and the date & time of the intended visit. The costs of guided & school group or organization tours are $2.00/adults and $1.00/students.

Locaton: 332 Maine St, Quincy, Illinois

Phone: (217) 224-6873