Mission:
In bringing alive the past, the Amelia Island Museum of History preserves, protects, and promotes the unique history of Amelia Island and its surrounding area for a diverse community of residents, researchers, and visitors.
History:
The Amelia Island Museum of History is bursting with fascinating stories that are just waiting to be shared with eager visitors and residents. From the Timucua Native American tribe to Spanish and French explorers, from the lawless spirit of pirates to the dignified air of Victorian-era residents, Amelia Island has been home to diverse cultures that have left an exciting heritage.
The Amelia Island Museum sees itself as the caretakers and disseminators of that exciting local history, which it shares not only through a wonderful variety of exhibits, but also by providing a multitude of programs throughout the community for all ages. The Museum also protects and shares local history with genealogists, homeowners and authors by providing a modern research facility. In the coming months, the Museum will highlight many of the varied and wonderful aspects of Nassau County history. But first, how did it all begin?
This story begins a surprising thirty years ago. In 1975, the Duncan Lamont Clinch Historical Society formed a committee to develop the concept for the creation of a museum which would collect items and interpret Amelia Island history. Around the same time, a collector named William Decker was amassing thousands of historical documents, artifacts and books focusing on local history and natural history. Mr. Decker was the caretaker at Ft.Clinch and an avid history enthusiast. His extensive butterfly exhibit had been on display at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and he had also been a gun engraver for MGM studios. His son, Doug Decker, inherited his father's vast collection and felt it needed to be shared with the community.
In 1977, a board of 15 trustees from that original historical society committee incorporated themselves as a non-profit cultural institution under the name of the "Fernandina Historical Museum," with Edith Ferguson Shurley as president. At that time, the Museum hired its first employee, Barbara Stidfole, who began to catalog the collection. The group began to raise funds and to look for a permanent place to showcase this incredible collection. Many of the same people served on the boards of the Historical Society, the Restoration Foundation and the new Museum. The Museum group convinced the City of Fernandina Beach to purchase a portion of the Decker collection as a sign of good will toward and interest in safeguarding local history. The City subsequently donated the collection to the Museum, which stored the artifacts in the old schoolhouse on Atlantic Avenue.
During the 1970s, the President of the DLC Historical Society had convinced CSX to donate the old railroad depot at Front and Centre Streets to the Historical Society for the purposes of a Musuem. They in turn asked the City to take it over and act as caretakers of this historic building. What a perfect place for the local Chamber of Commerce! In 1978, thanks to close ties with the Chamber of Commerce who agreed to share the Depot Building, the first Museum was opened in the old Train Depot. The Decker Collection finally had a home and could be shared with the community. Portions of that collection were combined with traveling and rotating exhibits from the Smithsonian, Ft.Clinch, and the George Davis Collection of historic photos. This was an invigorating time for those who were interested in preserving and sharing Fernandina's rich heritage.
After a new jail facility was built on A1A In 1979, now the offices of the Sheriff, the old jail, in quite a horrible state of disrepair sat empty until Nassau County officials decided what to do with the badly deteriorated building at 3rd and Cedar Streets where rusty, leaking pipes, and walls with peeling paint characterized the structure. When approached by the Museum, the County Commission offered the museum a 99-year lease for $1 per year. With the acquisition of this new building, volunteers soon began the work necessary to create a functional exhibit space. When they began to tear out old bars on the windows and clear and clean a space for exhibits, the trustees felt strongly that they wanted to mark this change in a dramatic way. This new Museum, in a renovated building, needed a new name, so they created a contest geared toward school children to rename the Museum. The winner was the "Eight Flags Museum of Nassau County," which would extend the geographical focus of the Museum's historical message. After renovations of the four-room jailer's quarters, Dorothy Groshell was hired as the first full-time Museum Director. Portions of the Decker Collection were put on display with traveling exhibits located on the first floor of the building, and classroom tours and summer camps soon began in an effort to reach out to the community. In 1982, a new room was cleared to house the Museum's growing Victorian-era collection and a multi-media room was created as well. Susan McCranie Siegmund served as President during this early period and stated in a contemporary news article that "representing the Museum has been the biggest challenge of my life" but credited the true success of the Museum to "the individual efforts of many people," including volunteers, members, and local contributors.
Jailhouse to Justice! (A Patron Perks* Event) Have you ever been inside the historic Courthouse on Center Street? Maybe to pop into the DMV, but do you know what REALLY goes on there? Join us for a tale-filled walk through town to the…
Read More »Click here to View the "Amelia Island Museum of History Quarterly Newsletter - Jailhouse Muse - Summer 2024"
Read More »Graveside Chronicles Coming This Fall! Have you always wanted to know who resides at Bosque Bello Cemetery? Domingo Pedro de Los Santos Acosta was born in St. Augustine and was sent to Amelia Island in 1808 as part of the Spanish Militia. You…
Read More »We Need Your Help to Make Our Garden Bloom! As summer sets in, we want to make sure our Volunteer History Garden, located behind the museum, is the best it can be! Our volunteer Garden Angels help maintain the plants, but we need your help to…
Read More »Click here to View the "Amelia Island Museum of History Quarterly Newsletter - Jailhouse Muse - Spring 2024"
Weekly Updates April's 3rd on 3rd Tells Florida's Story—Con Sabor Latino! Friday, April 19th, at 6pm Since Ponce de Leon arrived on the shores of Florida in April 1513, stories of this region have never been the same. Flowing…
Read More »Cottages and Courtyards Tour, April 13, 2024 from 10:00am to 4:00pm Celebrate Spring by spending a day out on Amelia Island visiting delightful cottages and courtyards in beautiful historic downtown Fernandina Beach. Price: $20 before…
Read More »March's Brown Bag Uncovers the Island's Spanish History! Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, March 6th at noon First arriving on the shores of Florida in 1513, Spain and its colonists were a near-constant presence on Amelia Island for over 300…
Read More »Remembering Dr. Berta Arias We regret to announce the passing of Amelia Island Museum of History Board Member and supporter, Dr. Berta Arias. Dr. Arias became an AIMH Board member in 2017 and remained so until her passing on February 17th, 2024.…
Read More »Weekly Updates Friday's 3rd on 3rd Presents the Future of Evan's Rendezvous! 3rd on 3rd Lecture Friday, February 16th, at 6pm Once known as the “heartbeat of American Beach”, Evan’s Rendezvous was a popular oceanfront…
Read More »Wednesday's Brown Bag Highlights the Island's French History! Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, February 7th at noon In 1562, the first expedition of French Huguenots landed on the shores of Amelia Island— known to them as the Isle de…
Read More »Weekly Updates Celebrate Fernandina's 200th Anniversary at the Museum! Come celebrate Fernandina’s 200th anniversary with the Amelia Island Museum of History! We have events planned throughout the year to explore the people and…
Read More »Weekly Updates Celebrate Fernandina's 200th Anniversary at the Museum! Come celebrate Fernandina’s 200th anniversary with the Amelia Island Museum of History! We have events planned throughout the year to explore the people and history…
Read More »Weekly Updates Special 3rd on 3rd Lecture This Friday! Special 3rd on 3rd Lecture Friday, January 12, at 6pm Join the Amelia Island Museum of History on the evening of Friday, January 12, to venture deep into “The Heart of La…
Read More »January's Brown Bag Lunch Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, January 3rd at noon In 1564, French arrivals to this area wrote extensively about native Timucua people who appeared at once both male and female. These Timucua held crucial roles in their…
Read More »Click here to View the Information About "Quarterly Newsletter – Autumn 2023"
Read More »Weekly Updates: "WiLdlight: Its Purpose and Plan" with Wes Hinton, VP of Wildlight -- Followed by Community Q&A Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, November 1st, at Noon November’s Brown Bag Lunch will be presented by Wes Hinton, Vice…
Read More »Brown Bag Lunch for November Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, November 1st at noon November’s Brown Bag Lunch will be presented by Wes Hinton, Vice President of Wildlight. He will be providing an overview of Wildlight — its goals, its…
Read More »We Want Your Feedback! The Board of the Amelia Island Museum of History will be holding a strategic planning session to ensure the museum's continued success. We want you to be part of this process and invite you to tell us how you think the museum…
Read More »Only a Few Spots Left! This Jailbreak knocks it out of the park! Join us for a Jumbo Shrimp Home baseball game on Tuesday, September 12th Members only Patron level and above receive first preference Join us for the fun! Here’s what’s…
Read More »Weekly Updates Only a Few Spots Left! This Jailbreak knocks it out of the park! Join us for a Jumbo Shrimp Home baseball game on Tuesday, September 12th Members only Patron level and above receive first preference Join us for the fun!…
Read More »Don't Miss Friday's 3rd on 3rd Lecture! 3rd on 3rd Lecture Friday, August 18, at 6pm In 1820, a suspicious vessel was spotted lingering off the coast of northern Florida— the Spanish slave ship Antelope. The ship and its almost 300 African…
Read More »Brown Bag Lunch This Wednesday! Wednesday, August 2, at 12pm Photography on Our Greenway with Bill Birdsongt Come learn about animal life on our island from Bill Birdsong, a longtime local and wildlife photographer! This program will…
Read More »Weekly Updates July Brown Bag Lunch Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, July 5, at 12pm Sustainable forest management provides a continuous flow of goods and materials that we use in our everyday lives. Ensuring that these forest products are supplied…
Read More »Temporary Exhibit Opening: Friday, June 16, 2023 at 6:00pm Earth & Heat: Amelia Island Pottery, Past and Present with Dr. Niell Wallis Your favorite mug, your terracotta planter, your heirloom tea set: pottery is all around us, but the…
Read More »Weekly Updates Summer Camp 2023 It's time to get ready for MASH! Registration is now open for the Museum's Summer Camp! This year, come and explore the "Golden Age Firsts and Fernandina"! This camp will focus on the Golden Age of Fernandina…
Read More »We're Hiring! Some sad but exciting news: our Curator, Summer, is moving to the Baltimore area with her fiancé in July! Please wish her well on this new adventure. Which means...our Curator position is open! Click here for full job…
Read More »Final Tea of the Season Last Victorian Tea Join Us For a Spring Fashion Show! Wear your best hat and outfit to the last tea of the year, the Tea House Fashion Show! Make your reservations now. Limited seating, $35.00 per person. Amelia Island…
Read More »Weekly Updates May Brown Bag Lunch - Historic Preservation Month Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, May 3, at 12pm In 2009, a house at 801 Someruelus Street in Old Town, Fernandina Beach, Florida, was deconstructed due to its advanced state of…
Read More »Shrimp Festival 2023 Plan on visiting our famous Shrimp Gumbo tent at this year’s Shrimp Festival. We will be on North 2nd Street outside The Palace. The Museum will be closed both Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6th, 2023. No Ghost…
Read More »Weekly Updates Friday's 3rd on 3rd - Temporary Exhibit Opening March 3rd on 3rd - Temporary Exhibit Opening Friday, March 17, at 6pm Curated through the Museum’s annual Student Exhibit Program in which local high school students curate and…
Read More »Hop on over for tea! Make yourself a stupendous hat and join us for high tea on March 12th! Spaces are limited. For more information, contact Thea Seagraves at 904-261-7378 x.105 OR [email protected]. March 3rd on 3rd - Temporary Exhibit…
Read More »Mark your calendars for the 20th Annual AIMH Golf Tournament! The Tournament is in Handicap Scramble format, with Prizes guaranteed for every foursome (Even last place is a winner!) Entry fee includes: Pre-tournament reception party on…
Read More »Stories Underground Stories Underground is currently on display in the temporary gallery! The exhibit highlights significant historical excavations on Amelia Island, from crude 19th century explorations of Native American Burial mounds to the…
Read More »Weekly Updates February 3rd on 3rd 3rd on 3rd Friday, February 17, at 6pm In response to the demolition of the historic Keystone Hotel, a group of concerned citizens founded the Amelia Island-Fernandina Restoration Foundation in 1972 . Buddy…
Read More »Wednesday's Brown Bag Lunch Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, February 1, at 12pm The Right Whales of Amelia Island: Why are they here? Why celebrate? Why worry? Richard Timm, cofounder of the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors, will draw on resources…
Read More »Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, February 1, at 12pm The Right Whales of Amelia Island: Why are they here? Why celebrate? Why worry? Richard Timm, cofounder of the Amelia Island Whale Ambassadors, will draw on resources from the Florida FWC, Georgia…
Read More »3rd on 3rd Friday, January 20, at 6pm Produced by WJCT and Wild Iris Productions in 2000, An American Beach focuses on MaVynee Betsch and the American Beach community's efforts to protect the beach from development. After the film, Carol…
Read More »Weekly Updates The Museum will close early at 1pm on Wednesday and remain closed until Friday. Happy Thanksgiving! CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS: December Brown Bag Lunch It Came from the Attic: A Community Show and Tell Event Brown Bag Lunch…
Read More »Call For Participants: December Brown Bag Lunch It Came from the Attic: A Community Show and Tell Event Brown Bag Lunch Wednesday, December 7, at 12pm For lovers of old objects and photographs, the joy comes more from the story behind the…
Read More »2022 Holiday Home Tour Holiday Home Tour tickets are now on sale! Tickets may be purchased online or at the Museum. Tickets are $35 before November 28th, and will be $40 on November 28th and after. New this year! Come join us for an exclusive…
Read More »2022 Holiday Home Tour Holiday Home Tour tickets go on sale on October 3rd! Tickets may be purchased online or at the Museum. Tickets are $35 before November 28th, and will be $40 on November 28th and after. Tickets for the Preview Tour and…
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