A Life Well Traveled reveals how film locations, life abroad, and keepsakes from the road shaped Ava's story. A traveling suit. A well-used suitcase. Postcards, matchbooks, and luggage tags collected along the way. The newest exhibit at the Ava Gardner Museum brings together the personal pieces that accompanied the Johnston County native as her career and curiosity carried her around the world.

A Life Well Traveled explores Ava Gardner's journeys in both her professional and personal life, from her earliest travels to the decades she spent living abroad. Through clothing, photographs, documents, and everyday travel accessories, the exhibit offers a closer look at the woman behind the Hollywood image and the adventurous spirit that shaped her life beyond the screen.

A Journey That Changed Everything

Ava first traveled outside the United States while filming Pandora and the Flying Dutchman in 1951. The production took her to Spain and England, two countries where she would later spend the latter half of her life. Reflecting on the movie, Ava said, "Making it changed my life forever."

That first international production opened the door to decades of travel. Location filming for Mogambo, The Night of the Iguana, Bhowani Junction, and The Barefoot Contessa brought Ava to countries including Uganda, Mexico, Pakistan, and Italy. The destinations were more than backdrops for her films; they introduced her to places and cultures that influenced the international life she eventually chose for herself.

Ava Gardner Museum exhibit featuring information and items from Ava's life and travels abroad.

The Pieces Ava Carried and Kept

Visitors will see objects that make Ava's travels feel both personal and current. The exhibit includes one of her suitcases, a jewelry case, and accessories such as gloves, handbags, and shoes. Clothing on display includes a traveling suit and a top she wore while filming The Night of the Iguana in Mexico. The exhibit also features Ava's personal photographs, postcards, passport photos, driver's licenses, books, and other materials. Together, these objects trace a life spent moving between film locations, homes, and countries while revealing the small reminders of each journey that she chose to keep.

"Like many of us, Ava Gardner held on to the small pieces and tangible remains of her travels. The everyday ephemera of postcards, tickets, matchbooks, and luggage tags on display in this exhibit transport visitors to the time of Ava's 20th-century journeys, but also remind us of their modern-day relevance," said Elizabeth Riddick, Director of the Ava Gardner Museum. "We hope that visitors will leave with a new understanding of Ava's adventurous spirit and tenacity in settling abroad at a time when the Hollywood studio system worked to preclude that."

See A Life Well Traveled

A Life Well Traveled spans Ava's earliest travels through her later years living abroad, presenting an intimate view of a woman whose life became increasingly international. The exhibit is currently open and expected to remain on display for approximately one year, giving both first-time visitors and longtime fans a reason to visit and revisit the museum.

The Ava Gardner Museum is located at 325 E. Market St. in Downtown Smithfield. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and closed Sundays and Mondays. Hours are subject to change. Visit the museum website for current admission information or call (919) 934-5830.

Ava Gardner Mural and Rose Garden in Smithfield, NC.