Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum (East side)

This image shows the East side of The Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, which faces Lake Michigan and features two terraces known as the Terrace della Luna and the Parnassus Terrace.

The terra-cotta paved Terrace della Luna directly off the mansion is flanked by Palladian style pavilions that frame views of the moon over Lake Michigan. A wide stone balustrade forms the terrace wall and defines the staircase down to the lawn. The terrace provided a summer space for sun-loving plants to add beauty and to supply the former Smith family household with culinary and medicinal herbs. Potted lemon trees stand on each side of the terrace doors. This space is currently used for community events and private rentals.

The first garden below the Terrace della Luna is called the Parnassus Terrace and reflects this theme. In Greco-Roman mythology, Mount Parnassus was the home of Apollo and the Muses. The Muses, daughters of Apollo, were believed to inspire creativity by visiting artists while dreaming. In early times the number of muses were not standardized and even today they are not always shown together. Modern variations of statues representing the muses include architecture, engineering, science, mathematics, medicine, industry, and other schoold of intellect and the arts. The small statues along the concrete wall on this terrace represent the modern arts. The muses at the north stairway reflect the sections of the orchestras – woodwinds, strings, and percussion. The south stairway represents the four seasons – Fall, Summer, Winter and Spring. The southern statues represent theater and architecture.

Photography by Kevin Miyazaki.