Gardens And Galleries

They are among America's most lavish mansions, but no one has lived in them for years. Instead, the three properties featured in this captivating AMERICA'S CASTLES house world-class collections of rare art, books and manuscripts and are blessed with gardens of unmatchable beauty. Marvel at the extraordinary galleries of Philbrook Estate, filled with Italian Renaissance masterpieces and priceless ancient art. Donated to the city of Tulsa by oilman Waite Phillips, Philbrook has been a mecca for art enthusiasts for over 50 years. Tour the 130-acre botanical gardens of the Huntington House, home to more than 14,000 species of plants, and go inside the walls of the Beaux Arts style home that houses one of the finest collections of rare books and manuscripts in existence. Today, over 2,000 scholars a year investigate the hidden nuggets of Huntington House's treasured tomes. Finally, the massive 100-room Reynolda House, originally built for the founder of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, has been transformed into one of the finest museums of American Art in the world. Highlights include the 2,500 pipe aeolian organ and majestic, two-story living room.

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