Weekly Updates:

"WiLdlight: Its Purpose and Plan" with Wes Hinton, VP of Wildlight -- Followed by Community Q&A
Brown Bag Lunch
Wednesday, November 1^st, 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 history, its current status and its plan for the future - as well as answering questions from the community. This will be a great opportunity for Amelia Island residents to hear about what is happening on the mainland and to ask questions about developments that influence our entire Nassau County community.

Attendance is free and open to the public and attendants may bring their lunch. Seating is limited on a first come, first served basis. This program is wheelchair accessible.

Watch this program remotely at https://www.twitch.tv/ameliaislandmuseumhistory

For more information contact Jarrett at 904-261-7378 x.102 or [email protected]

You're Invited!

Bicentennial Info Sessions

November 2nd at 9AM at City Hall OR November 3rd at 5:30PM at the AI Museum of History

Fernandina Beach was established on January 1, 1825, which means its 200th birthday is around the corner. The City of Fernandina Beach, along with Fernandina Beach Main Street, the Tourist Development Council, the Amelia Island Museum of History, Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, Arts and Culture Nassau, and the Restoration Foundation are collaborating to bring you a commemorative year of events.

If your business or organization would like to be part of the celebration but have questions... these sessions are for you! Committee members will be on hand to answer questions or brainstorm ideas! Coffee will be provided in the morning session with wine/beer at the afternoon session.

Check out the City's website (www.fbtl.us/200) and Facebook page.

Remembering Barbara Wagner

Barbara Jones Wagner, a long-time resident of Amelia Island and docent at Amelia Island Museum of History for over 25 years, passed away on Wednesday, October 18 at the age of 95.

Barbara was born in Brooklyn, NY on February 20, 1928. Before college, Barbara volunteered as a nurse's aid during World War II. Barbara graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Connecticut College in 1949. After college, Barbara moved to Grand Rapids, MI and met John Richmond "Rich" Wagner, whom she wed in 1950. Upon moving to Atlanta, GA in 1968, Barbara began teaching French and became language department head at Riverwood High School. Fluent in French, Barbara's love of the language would be a lifelong pursuit and passion.

Barbara was an avid tennis player, lover of travel, dog enthusiast, voracious reader, French teacher, and volunteered her time to numerous local historical societies well into her 90's. She will be deeply missed by her friends, family and all who knew her.

Learn About Shrimping History and Support the Museum!

For more information or to book a tour, click here!

Veteran's History at the Museum

AMELIA ISLAND MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CROSS THE LINE FOUNDATION

VETERANS! WE NEED YOU FOR THE VETERANS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

The Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress collects, preserves and makes accessible the firsthand recollections of U.S. military veterans. For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jarrett Hill at [email protected] or 261.7378, x. 102.

Pub Crawl

A wealth of historical information about downtown Fernandina and a good time for all!

Make a reservation to tour a few of our small town’s most popular, notorious or otherwise historic pubs and bars. This 2.5 hour tour covers about eight blocks of our historic district with stops at three to four of Fernandina’s historic pubs to enjoy a specialty drink and tales of years gone by. Along the journey your tour guide will regale you with colorful tales about the town and the people who lived there. It’s history with a kick!

This tour is held at 5 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

A minimum of 4 people is required to run the tour, with a maximum of 8 people per group. Must be 21 years of age or older. ID is required. The cost is $40 per person.

To reserve your spot, contact Thea Seagraves at [email protected] or call 904-261-7378 x 105.

Membership Corner

Annual Membership Drive

It’s time to renew memberships for 2024. Thank you to all of our current members for your support in 2023! Money received from members through dues plays a big part in offsetting our operational expenses and allows us to offer a diverse calendar of exhibits and programming to our community. If you are a member, please consider renewing your membership for the coming year. If you are not a current member we’d love to have you back.

Memberships can be renewed by mail or online by navigating to our Membership Page (https://ameliamuseum.org/membership/). We look forward to seeing you around the museum!

City of Fernandina Beach Bicentennial Celebration

The City of Fernandina Beach, along with Fernandina Beach Main Street, Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Historic District Council, the Amelia Island Museum of History, and the Amelia Island- Fernandina Restoration Foundation are collaborating to bring you a commemorative year of events.

Fernandina Beach was established on January 1, 1825. To celebrate its impending 200th birthday, we are collaborating with local organizations to bring you a series of activities throughout 2024 which culminate with a City-wide party on January 1, 2025.

The Fernandina 200 Steering Committee is looking for a variety of diverse activities that will attract residents and visitors. An application for involvement is available on the City’s website. Possible activity ideas could include hosting a scavenger hunt, live performances, creation of a time capsule, artifact displays, children’s events, home walking tours, old-time photo booths, musical performances, local culture culinary offerings, genealogy discussions, or art exhibits and competitions.

Updates will be available on the City’s website (www.fbfl.us/200) and Facebook page.

Steering Committee:

Amy Boek, Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau

Sal Cumella, City of Fernandina Beach

Phyllis Davis, Amelia Island Museum of History

Lisa Finkelstein (chair), Fernandina Beach Main Street

Mary Hamburg, City of Fernandina Beach

Mike Harrison, Historic District Council

Lorelei Jacobs, Amelia-Island Fernandina Beach Restoration Foundation

Nassau County Liaison, Brandy Carvahlo

This steering committee is responsible for coordinating and sanctioning all non-profit and business participation in the Fernandina Beach Bicentennial Celebration. Please contact Lisa Finkelstein, Committee Chair, at [email protected] or by phone at (904) 624-7147 for additional information.

Stop By to See Our Latest Exhibit!

Fernandina in Fiction

For as long as people have lived on Amelia Island, they have told stories about the land. Join us on an exploration of Amelia Island's appearances in popular fiction, from William Bartram to Pippi Longstocking and John Grisham. This exhibit examines what has drawn creatives to Amelia Island, and how the stories we tell about our island reflect our community.

This exhibit will be on display from September 15th until December 6th.

In Case You Missed It...

If you missed our recent programs, click the links below to watch them!

3rd on 3rd: "Dire Straits for Historic Cemeteries" with Sarah Miller

Brown Bag Lunch: "The Descendants of Domingo Fernandez" with Jean Dixon Mann