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Di Rosa Preserve
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Tue-Fri. 9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
27 reviews for Di Rosa Preserve
My sister and I signed up for a tour there of women artists. We were the youngest (in our 20's) in a group of adorable and hilarious old ladies. The fees are not steep and their tours are really lovely. They take you in a little tram to Rene's house and they explain all of the art to you, who made and their techniques and other bits like if they were a friend of Rene's, etc. I would definitely recommend taking a tour there. From what I understand you can also go self guided but the place is so huge it's nice to have a guided tour.
This place is great for locals and for tourists or anyone who likes art that may not be considered so main stream.
Great, unique contemporary art. The diRosa owns over 2000 pieces of art, which they rotate throughout three buildings. There are also many outdoor sculptures. All of the art is from northern California and was collected by Mr. di Rosa over a 40-year period.
To see most of the pieces, you have to take either the 1-hour or 2-hour tour. It's definitely worth the time, and I really recommend the 2-hour...because the 1-hour feels too rushed.
Great Place to visit. What an idea. Remember you have to sign up in advance, it is worth it.
: )
A fun, eccentric collection in a beautiful location.
Call and make reservations for a unique museum day-trip.
A side note: When I was younger and lived in the valley, I enjoyed volunteering here on weekends. If you have time you could donate and love art, look into it.
Really, really interesting art. Beautiful estate. Fun trip. The cow jitney is fabulous.
We made a reservation and went on a tour -- I was bummed that we didn't get to see most of the outside art, which I thought would be included. If you want to see the sculptures outside, you have to take the "Meadow Tour" which is offered on Saturday at 10am "when the guys feel like it" lol. So, we'll go back for that.
The only downside in my opinion was that the stories behind the art are so meaningful, and without them some if it isn't as spectacular. Unfortunately, there are no little plaques (since Rene doesn't believe it them) and the docents do a good job, but they can't tell you about very many items, especially when there is a big group and the group is split up so they're repeating the stories. I'd recommend, if you can, go on a weekday, so there are fewer guests in your party and you can ask more questions.
Can't say about stars, but I want to let everybody know...my wife and I went and wanted to see the collection, but didn't realize until it was too late. Most of the collection is only available for viewing on the $10 tour, not the $3 admission. Th $3 only lets you peek around the first building.
If you want to see the full collection, coordinate your time there with a tour and be ready to pay the $10.
I went here cuz my friend A. was going and his friend back out. He had already made reservations for two, it's a nice place to go if you love art & don't mind going to Napa.
We went on the Discovery tour that's $15pp. It includes time in the Main Gallery, Gatehouse Gallery, di Rosa Residence, Courtyard & North Lawn. Total time of tour: 2.5 hrs.
We went Sat 8/4/07 at 11am w/ Reservations and the special exhibit in the Main Gallery was 3X3 (now until 9/22/07). Coolest art: a SF artwork that had lots of famous sights in weird positions, crazy art car, teeter-totter chairs, and banging pots & pans.
Then we got into a shuttle to go to the Gatehouse Gallery - more weird modern art, some weird hanging/spinning angel outside, some naked people artwork.
Next short walk to Courtyard - more strange art, sculptures, views of Winery Lake, which is man-made. You can also see neighboring vineyards.
di Rosa Residence was cool too. Lots more art & where the couple once lived in this 125-yr old winery-turned residence.
The North Lawn was the final stop - where you get an overlook of the Sculpture Meadow and the Glass Chapel by Veronica di Rosa.
No photos allowed in the galleries, but outside was ok. No food/water allowed (they have drinking fountains, No food there!), and no large bags too.
Restrooms in the main gallery, gatehouse gallery, and outside the di Rosa Residence.
We walked back instead of taking the shuttle which gave us more time to take outdoor pics.
website for more info:
http://www.dirosaprese.../
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This is one of the best kept secrets in the Bay Area, and is itself a growing piece of northern California art history.
One rich, eccentric, obsessive compulsive vineyard owner's (Rene di Rosa) art collection fills 4 buildings, outdoor gardens, and a lake. Decades of buying art around the area results in a tour that will make your head spin. And it's not bad or tourist art, or all "summer of love" crap either. There's a lot of progressive stuff. Rene had an amazing eye and has pieces from artists that have gone on to success. He is in his 80's and was still out buying art in the last few years.
Make plans, make a reservation. I've been several times over the years. I can't recommend it highly enough. $10-15 but free on wednesdays!
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Click on the website link.
This is a fun art collection. Run by Docents.
One of my favorite places in Nor CAL.
I'm a member. This museum deserves patronage. GO!
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What a fun change of pace for a trip to wine country! Reservations are required on Saturdays, so be sure to call to be able to check out this gem. Rene di Rosa started collecting art of up and coming Northern California artists shortly after World War II. He has amassed 2200 pieces of modern art in various mediums of which roughly 900 on display at any point in time. My favorite was the video taken over 12 hours at Chartres Cathedral of the stained glass windows and then forwarded into a 9 minute video so you could see how the light affected it over the course of the day.
We went on a chilly January morning and were charmed-the natural beauty of the grounds would be breathtaking during the summer months. Rene is now in his eighties and still collecting. The docent was knowledgeable and the tour well paced. Be sure to stop by!
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The collection of art at the di Rosa is a great treasure for California, and it's housed in such a stunningly beautiful environment. Renee di Rosa's taste in art leans towards the funny, irreverant and joyful, which makes for an uplifting visit.
I love that Renee di Rosa's philosophy includes not posting little placards next to the artworks, encouraging visitors to absorb the art and judge for themselves, instead of taking cues from the title or artist or a qualifying description.
I recommend coming here a few times and not trying to take it all in at once - there is so much to see on the tour that it can make you a bit dizzy.
It's unique, beautiful, wacky, and distictly Bay Area. How can you not give it 5 stars? Places like this rarely exist.
Although napa might seem to have a lot of culture, it doesn't. so for napa this is great! If you are coming from a large city with museums and other large art collections then you might not appreciate this. If you live in napa you should at least check this out once.
Drag yourself away from the wine trough for two hours to see amazing works of modern art and hear an fascinating story about one man's love and passion.
My favorite way to "do" di Rosa is during the week with an eye-opener at Domaine Carneros, hit di Rosa, and then have lunch at Boon Fly Cafe at Carneros Inn.
If you sign up for a membership, they will credit your admission price.
A truly hidden gem that should do more to promote itself. Beautiful examples of California art from the 60's to today.
I went with a friend, her sister and cousin in late June not sure what to expect. Most of the art pieces are situational that are not stand alone, meaning the bathroom is full of bowling balls, theres a car hung from a tree, and an angel being swung around in the air. You have to go to see them yourself to fully appreciate what is being seen.
Their website suggests setting up an appointment but we just showed up and got in without a problem. They offer two tours, a grounds tour and a tour of the main collection, we did the latter. The place is amazing during the summer when the peacocks are out and about along with mud swallows. The winter time might be good for the grounds tour, will have to wait and see.
Definitely a great way to kill a few hours.
We came here for a field trip from Davis for the Landscape Design & Architecture program, I think that the Di Rosa Preserve is interesting because of the surreal art and exhibits that he collects. It's definitely worth the drive to check out some of his pieces. I do recommend to make reservations so you can see the permanent collection and Preserve grounds!
I've driven past it many times and was always curious about what the heck those black and white sheep cutouts were doing along a busy highway. They also have peacocks roaming the grounds, be careful, there is this one white peacock that gets easily agitated, I kinda brought it on myself, I crept in closer to take a picture because I've never seen a white peacock before, as soon as I took a shot, the damn thing spun around opened it's feather full out, shrieked at me. At this point I was backing away and the bird started to charge at me... I spun around and took off running, my friend who was with me was on a 2nd story balcony and she was laughing as she saw me take off running across the field and up the stairs. She thought it was hilarious, then we learned some else, the peacock took to the air and landed on the balcony right in front of us, she screamed and we bolted for the door and shut it behind us. So besides our horror movie like experience with the white peacock from hell, which is really funny thinking back of it, I really thought it was a fun way to spend the day.
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It's a quirky place for sure. I like the fact alone that it is there, and the grounds are intriguing all around. The ladies that guide the tour are nice and informative too. But I found the art to be on the not so good side. Reminded me of friend's cooky pieces in their freshman year. It's cool that he collected what he liked though, and I found some interest with about 5-10% of the collection. I don't want to sound a snob, you should go for the experience. I had a great day all around the day I went, the art itself just wasn't my cup a herb tea.
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wow.
I only went on the introductory tour, one hour. It felt rushed...but I'm so going back to take a longer tour. I want to do one of the hikey ones in the warm weather times.
love it.
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If you are even the slightest bit into art, you should make a trip to the di Rosa Preserve in Napa. The basic story is that Rene di Rosa is an art lover and vinyard owner and has been collecting contemporary art for years and years. Ten years ago he created a public preserve on part of his vineyard and this is now open to the public. All you need to do is make a reservation and pay $10 and you get a tour of the Gateway Gallery, the main galleries, and Rene and his wife's old home which is now also a gallery. You also get to take a fun little ride on a tram through the grounds and around the man-made lake. If my memory is correct, the collection holds around 24,000 pieces and about 12,000 are on display. The collection holds pieces from several decades and while I thought some of the pieces were a little 80s for my taste, there tons of pieces that caught my fancy. I was really into the black and white photo collection. The house was also very cool, since it is uninhabited, every single space, from the ceiling to the bathtubs, have been turned into showcases for the collection, often in humorous ways. One of the bathtubs was full of what looked like bowling balls. :)
We also got to check out some of the grounds which are full of large sculptures and surrounded by vineyards. If you go in the summer then there are sculpture tours offered also.
One of my favorite things is that there are flocks of peacocks that roam free around the grounds. It seemed like they were a living sculpture.
If you are looking for a romantic trip to take with your significant other, or want to diversify your wine-tasting trip, this is the place for you.
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If you can find the time and opportunity, you MUST see this art collection tucked away in hilly Napa. This art collection is a LOVERS art collection. He collects are that moves him, not just cuz its worth money. And when i say move, i mean disturbing, weird crazy stuff. Highlight - a casket shaped man in plaster full of the dead man's actual cremated remains. Sounds confusing...just go and find out.
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This is a hidden gem in Carneros. Maybe people miss it because of the massive Tattinger property across the street. It is a wonderful, ecclectic collection of art. There is for example a car hanging from a tree, a huge sculpture meadow, a very adult section of mind provoking art in the main gallery and about 40 beautiful peacocks on the grounds. There is a lake and a lot of vineyards. Sterling has their Winery Lake vineyard there. Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for something to mix it up with the wine tasting. Always gorgeous views.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes abstract art or just enjoying a couple of hours on a beautiful Napa estate learning about an eccentric millionaire. The docents do a great job, and the car art alone is worth the trip.
Wow, what a wonderful property and a collection that is the product of a bit of madness. Never the same tour twice as the modern art collection changes often, so I go once a year. I recommend the twilight tour in the summers. What a great way to wind down a day.
Half of two large galleries were empty because they were still transitioning back to normal after a recent auction. Although the admission was modestly discounted, I was still disappointed after having planned the trip in advance and after having driven several hours to get there. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the eclectic collection that was available as well as the grounds, and our tour guide was wonderful, so I would still recommend a visit. But when you make reservaions, I would recommend that you ask specifically whether any gallery space will be closed or be in transition.
Free Wednesday tours. I love the grounds and the fact that this guy has opened the property to the public. I must say that there were only 2 pieces of art that I liked. Everything else actually made me queasy. I don't like modern art much for just this reason. There is a really cool/horrible piece there. It is a slip cast (clay) of a man who died of AIDS. The cast and the clay piece are displayed. It is strange and disturbing and I wouldn't like it at all if I weren't into pottery. The house is cool. Ugly art.
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a beautiful bohemian haven in napa's carneros region, complete with peacocks. if you've been on highway 121 heading to or from napa then chances are you've passed by this place without ever noticing it. rene di rosa put together this collection of mostly local art by mostly unknown artists over the decades, and the care with which he chose the pieces really shows. my honey and i are getting married here on may 10 and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to have a small and very unique wedding in northern california. the staff has been very nice to work with and the setting is surreal and beautiful.
