What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Ava Gardner

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Official Page of Ava Gardner: The Golden-Age Hollywood Star
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Visit for information on the Ava Gardner Museum
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This is the Official Page of the Ava Gardner Estate and the Ava Gardner Museum. The Ava Gardner Museum is home to an incredible collection including original scripts, photos, costumes, and personal effects of screen legend Ava Gardner—a true Hollywood “Cinderella” story. Experience her rise from a local country girl to one of Hollywood’s film goddesses. Born near Smithfield, Ava’s friends and co-stars included Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and Gregory Peck. Her grave site is located in nearby Sunset Memorial Gardens, approximately two miles from the museum. Merchandise is available for purchase. Wheelchair accessible, public restrooms. Free parking along street and rear lots. Admission per person:
$12 adults; $10 seniors, military, teens; $8 children ages 6-12, under 6 - Free. Special group rate of $10/person for 10 or more. Group Heritage Tours $15.00/person (price includes museum admission, subject to availability, please call for details)

Please also consider becoming an Ava Advocate for $36/year (individual) or $60 (family- up to 5 people). Includes a yearly calendar, unlimited admission (excluding special events), and a 15% discount in the gift shop! Hours: Monday- Friday 9:30am -4:30 pm, Saturday 9am- 5pm, Sunday 12pm- 5pm. During instances of inclement weather we may operate on delay or close for safety reasons. Please keep updated by checking our Facebook or calling the museum. Closed: Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

10/12/2026

Attention Ava fans! Did you know there’s a museum dedicated to her life and career? ❤️ Located in downtown Smithfield, North Carolina, just minutes from her birthplace, the Ava Gardner Museum is home to an incredible collection that offers a closer look at the woman beyond the silver screen!

Interested in supporting the museum? Become an Ava Advocate! 🌟This membership program helps support the museum’s exhibits, programs, and preservation efforts.

For just $36 a year, you’ll enjoy:
🎟️ Unlimited free admission to the Ava Gardner Museum
🗓️ A FREE Ava Gardner Museum calendar
🎁 15% off ANY gift shop purchase
👀 And more!

Make this meaningful by becoming an Ava Advocate! 💖

Become a member here: https://bit.ly/3BggQ9r

10/09/2026

✨ Lights, camera, Ava! 🎬

It’s ! Looking for recommendations for your weekend watchlist? Ava’s filmography is a great place to start. From drama, film noir, and romance to comedy, disaster films, and westerns, there’s something for every type of movie lover! ♥️

If you were introducing someone to Ava’s films for the first time, which movie would you recommend first — and why?

Drop your pick in the comments and help someone discover their new favorite film! 🤩

10/07/2026

A little midweek pause with Ava. 💖

📷: Ava photographed by Wayne Miller on the set of ‘On the Beach’ (1959).

10/05/2026

Happy Monday! 🌹 This week, don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.

📸: Ava, circa 1950.

09/25/2026

As the Ava Gardner Museum's "Ava in Spain" themed festival draws near, we're thinking of Ava in 'The Angel Wore Red' (1960) on this .

For Ava, the movie marked both a continuation and a beginning.

Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, the film continued Ava’s relationship with stories about Spain on film while taking her back to her Rome, a favorite filming location. Ava stars as a cabaret entertainer opposite Dirk Bogarde’s role as a priest. It is an intriguing mixture of political turmoil, faith, and romance. It is a chapter in Ava’s Spanish story that is truly unlike any other.

But as one love continued, another began.

It was during the making of ‘The Angel Wore Red’ that Ava met Bogarde. They immediately became dear friends, and it was the beginning of a friendship that would endure for the rest of her life. He later remembered Ava with extraordinary affection, calling her one of his “greatest and most beloved friends.”

‘The Angel Wore Red’ continued Ava’s connection to Spain and began her connection to a dear and true friend.

09/18/2026

On this , we’re taking a look at the many ways Spain became part of Ava Gardner’s film career. 🎬

After 'Pandora and the Flying Dutchman' (1951), Ava returned to a Spanish storyline in one of her most notable films, 'The Barefoot Contessa' (1954), in which she played Maria Vargas, a Spanish dancer from Madrid. In 'The Sun Also Rises' (1957), she portrayed Lady Brett Ashley against the backdrop of Pamplona. And in The Naked Maja'' (1958), she stepped into the world of 18th-century Spain as the Duchess of Alba, opposite Anthony Franciosa’s Francisco Goya. In 1960, she once again starred in a film set against a Spanish backdrop with 'The Angel Wore Red.'

Over time, the Spain Ava portrayed on screen and the Spain she experienced in her own life became closely intertwined. It was never simply a backdrop for her films. It was woven into the roles she played, the culture she loved, and the life she built for herself. ❤️

Which of Ava’s films set in Spain is your favorite?

📷: Ava dancing on set of ‘The Sun Also Rises’ (1957) and photographed for publicity for ‘The Naked Maja’ (1958).

09/16/2026

Did you know? The Ava Gardner Museum is hosting the 2026 Ava Gardner Festival October 2–4 in Smithfield, North Carolina! 🎬

This year’s festival celebrates Ava’s life in Spain and her enduring international legacy with a weekend full of films, festivities, and of course, flamenco!

Whether you've been a fan for decades or are just discovering her story, this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate a star and her legacy. Tickets are available through the Ava Gardner Museum.

For more information and tickets: https://bit.ly/4ikmQ4c

09/04/2026

We hope your weekend is just dreamy. 💫

📸: Ava photographed by Arnold Newman, 1949.

08/31/2026

Today’s the day—and we’re all smiles! 😁

Just like Ava, we can’t hide our excitement! The countdown is over, and it’s Ava’s day on Turner Classic Movies’ ! ✨ Have you tuned in yet? Which films are you looking forward to most?

And don’t fret once the credits roll! Stay tuned for more information about the Ava Gardner Museum’s annual Ava Gardner Festival, taking place October 2–4 in Smithfield, NC.🎬

For more information: https://bit.ly/4xgjG62

08/28/2026

Our countdown to Ava Gardner’s day on is almost complete! ⏰

One of Ava’s most iconic roles was as “Maria Vargas,” a Spanish nightclub dancer turned movie star, in ‘The Barefoot Contessa’ (1954). The character is celebrated for her beauty, pursued by the public, and surrounded by people who believe they know her. Ava understood that experience better than most. ❤️

Ava wrote about the role in her autobiography: “Of all the pictures I’ve made…there’s no doubt that The Barefoot Contessa is the one that most people identify me with. That damn advertising line, “The World’s Most Beautiful Animal,” will probably follow me around until the end of time.”

Maria Vargas is glamorous, mysterious, independent, vulnerable and, ultimately, unwilling to let the world completely define her. Ava’s portrayal of Maria as she faces the complexities of becoming a star is one of her most memorable, celebrated, and magnificent performances. Don’t miss your chance to see it on August 31 on TCM. 🎬

Interested in learning more about Ava’s iconic roles? Stay tuned for more information about the Ava Gardner Festival taking place in Smithfield, NC October 2-4!

Address

325 E Market Street
Smithfield, NC
27577

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	12pm - 5pm

Telephone

(919) 934-5830

Website

http://www.avagardner.org/

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