Appleton Museum of Art

Appleton Museum of Art

Location within Florida
Established	1987
Location	4333 East Silver Springs Boulevard Ocala, Florida
Coordinates	29°12′19″N 82°04′35″W / 29.205349°N 82.076497°W / 29.205349; -82.076497
Type	Art museum
Director	Cindi Morrison
Website	Appleton Museum of Art

The Appleton Museum of Art is an art museum located in Ocala, Florida. It is affiliated with and governed by the College of Central Florida and has been since 2004.

The Appleton Museum of Art houses a permanent collection of around 18,000 works including art and artifacts representative of European, American, Asian, African, Contemporary and pre-Columbian styles. It also displays certain exhibits on a temporary basis throughout the year. The museum is working to amass a collection of works specifically from Florida artists to represent the history and progression of Central Florida culture. Over time, the Appleton Museum of Art has established itself as a leading art museum in the South.

In 1982, business magnate Arthur I. Appleton gifted his horse breeding and training facility, Bridlewood Farm, to the City of Ocala. Construction began on the museum in 1984, with it originally intended as a place to conserve and display Mr. Appleton's private art collection. The building eventually opened to the public in 1987 as the Appleton Museum of Art, and over time the collection grew, and more works were added to Appleton's private collection.

In 1996, the Edith-Marie Appleton Wing, funded by and named after Arthur I. Appleton's sister, was constructed and in 2009 a 2,662-square-foot art storage facility was also added, bringing the museum's total overall size to just under 82,000 square feet.

In 2013, the Appleton Museum of Art earned accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums.

The Appleton Art Museum is located within the Appleton Cultural Center, a complex east of the city's downtown area, which it shares with the Ocala Civic Theatre. The museum's unique structural design is a work of art, in itself. The two-story travertine marble building is surrounded by a fountain and a long reflecting pool, and the surrounding landscaped grounds span 11.3 acres.