Ava Gardner Museum — Attraction in Smithfield

This is a fabulous museum, very well done, high quality, but it HAS to be larger! I could spend much more than the hour I did spend & have never been an Ava Gardner fan really, although I don't dislike her, she just wasn't given enough vehicles to make her the best actress of which she was capable.

Still, the displays were well-lit, full of great info and descriptions. I couldn't believe how many original costumes they had from her movies! The docent, Beth, was fabulous & started us out with an 18-minute movie to get us to know a wee bit about Ava & then we went off by ourselves into the museum. which basically is ordered in a circle going clockwise. In the back there is a library which as of May 20 had an exhibit of Ava's 100th birth. There are plenty of videos of snippets of her films, documentaries, & interviews.

The gift shop could be even bigger, but it's well displayed & I bought many items as there were a great deal of books, dvds, & such to keep me interested.

If you are interested in old Hollywood, acting, textiles/fabrics/costumes, you will really enjoy this museum. If you are an Ava Gardiner fan, then spend 2 days, you will NOT be disappointed. This small town is only 30-40 mins south of the RDU so it is easy to get to. In town there are quality hotels, nice restaurants that even had food for this vegan to eat, plus lovely boutique shops all within walking distance from the museum. One could make a weekend of it, but I found it busy, so next time I am coming during the week, when prices are less expensive. Although, the fee was very reasonable.

Thanks Ava Gardiner Museum & the staff! Great...

I have traveled I-95, (North & South) 4-5 times a year for 9 years! I've often thought that it would be interesting to make a planned stop on one of my treks to see the advertised Ava Gardner Museum. I FINALLY did it!! WOW - I was very impressed!! The building facade and tidy street where the museum is located sets the ambience immediately. I noticed the atmosphere of a small town of days-gone-by calling me into the historical era of Ms. Gardner's fame. Upon entering the museum, the friendly docent kindly directed me & my (patient!) husband into the theater to begin our introduction to Ms. Gardner's life. An interesting and concise film gave a glimse through Ava Lavinia Gardner 's childhood, her "discovery", and all that made Ms. Gardner a star during the golden age of Hollywood. The curated collections on display throughout the rest of the space are well organized & encourage the visitor to explore Ms. Gardner's life,career, and professional & personal artifacts as their time permits. I highly recommend making this a planned visit on an overnight stay before continuing to your final destination. I found it interesting and, for clarity, I don't consider myself an "Old Hollywood" buff. Even so, I walked away with an appreciation of Ms. Gardner. Ava's life, career and philanthropic contributions which are continued today through the Ava Gardner Trust, exhibit a grounded woman who didn't take herself too seriously, loved her hometown roots, her family and lived life on her terms. Bravo, Ava, BRAVO!! Time...

This museum is a hidden gem. I was in Smithfield because it was the midpoint town for a friend and I to meet up. I noticed the museum was near our lunch spot so we decided to give it a look. We were greeted by docent Beth Cannon who gave us a lovely warm welcome. She led us into small auditorium style room for the introductory film. The room’s walls were lined with many paintings of Ava, along with informational wall text, and Beth treated us to a small talk before starting the film. The movie was about 20 minutes long and was incredibly comprehensive in giving a great overview of Ava’s life. After that we walked through the museum to see a collection of costumes, accessories, and other items belonging to Ava or associated with her films. More extraordinary than all this was the wall text, which did a great job of detailing many small anecdotes about Ava. It’s clear both the museum caretakers and the town are proud to call Ava their own, and they take the job of telling her story seriously. My friend and I really enjoyed our visit here, and I felt inspired to watch many of the films discussed in the museum. Definitely worth visiting if you are in Smithfield or...