About

Positioned in a gorgeous setting, the American Museum and Gardens was created by an Anglo/American couple, Dallas Pratt and John Judkyn, and opened to the public in 1961 with the ambition to showcase American decorative arts and dispel stereotypes of American culture.

Today the site comprises of:

• The Museum – located in a Grade I listed building, the Museum features collections from the United States where you can visit room sets that recreate periods of American history giving the feeling that someone has just stepped out, as well as our world-renowned folk art, quilt and map collections.
• Special exhibition gallery – houses our shop where you can find unique American products and a gallery with a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions showcasing different links to American culture such as dinosaurs, photography, fashion, American music, history and travel.
• Grade II listed gardens – set on 125 acres of green, rolling topography with stunning views across the valleys. Featuring designs by famous American landscape architectural firm Oehme Van Sweden (OVS), the gardens represent some of the most iconic movements in American landscape design and include the New American Garden, Mount Vernon – which is a replica from George Washington’s famous house outside of Washington, DC – a dell, an arboretum, amphitheatre and children’s garden along with a wilderness trail and parklands for further exploration.
• Stables and Coach House – spaces where we host school and community groups, public events and private hire such as weddings and conferences. During school holidays and on weekends, we also offer a range of activities and crafts for families.
• Café – includes a terrace with panoramic views over the Limpley Stoke Valley, serving a range of homemade British and American food and drink using, wherever possible, produce grown in our own gardens.