It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Director, Tamara Bibb Allen.

Tamara was so much more than the Director of the Carrabelle History Museum. She was a friend, a trusted advisor, a steady presence, a quiet source of strength, and one of the most caring and dedicated people our community has ever known. She loved her family, treasured her friends, and truly loved Carrabelle.

For more than 20 years, Tamara gave her heart to preserving our local history and helping make Carrabelle a better place. She shared her time freely, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and was always willing to listen or lend a hand. Her kindness, quiet determination, compassion, resilience, and gentle humor made a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. Whether you knew her through the museum, one of the many community organizations she served, or simply as the lady in the scooter with the big hat and her little white dog, you knew someone special.
It's hard to imagine our community without Tamara. Her legacy cannot be measured in hours volunteered or projects completed, but in the lives she changed, the difference she made, and the love she shared, which will be felt for years to come. She was truly one of a kind, and she will be deeply missed.

Please keep Tamara's family and loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this loss and remember a remarkable woman who gave so much of herself to Carrabelle and Franklin County and to everyone blessed enough to know her.

For those who have asked how they can honor Tamara's memory, memorial donations may be made to the Carrabelle History Museum/Carrabelle CARES. Your gift will help continue the work and community she cared so deeply about. A donation link is provided here. 👒 Donate in Tamara's honor to the Carrabelle History Museum 👒

Carrabelle History Museum Reopens with Gratitude for Community Volunteers

The Carrabelle History Museum will reopen for its regular hours beginning Wednesday, August 12, following a temporary closure after the heartbreaking passing of the museum’s beloved Director, Tamara Bibb Allen.

Tamara’s loss has been deeply felt throughout the Carrabelle community. For more than 20 years, she devoted countless hours to preserving, sharing, and celebrating Carrabelle’s history. Her knowledge, dedication, humor, and quiet strength made her an irreplaceable part of the Carrabelle History Museum.

Although reopening the museum cannot erase the tremendous void left by her absence, it is made possible through an extraordinary outpouring of community support.

A heartfelt thank you goes to all of the volunteers who have stepped forward to help keep the museum open. From greeting visitors and answering questions to simply being willing to lend a helping hand, each volunteer is helping the museum continue its mission during this difficult transition. Their willingness to give their time is a beautiful reflection of the community spirit that Tamara herself represented so well.

Volunteers Still Needed

While we are incredibly grateful to those who have already stepped forward, the museum is still looking for additional volunteers to help keep the doors open and welcome visitors.

If you have a few hours to spare, consider becoming a museum volunteer. Volunteers can help greet visitors, answer basic questions, share stories about Carrabelle, and provide a welcoming presence at the museum. You don't need to be a history expert—just a willingness to help and an interest in Carrabelle's story.

Whether you can volunteer on a regular basis or occasionally, every hour helps and makes it possible for the museum to continue sharing Carrabelle’s unique history with residents and visitors.

The Carrabelle History Museum welcomes residents and visitors back beginning Wednesday, August 12, during its regular hours- Wednesday 12 - 5 pm | Thursday to Saturday 10 am - 5 pm | Sunday 12 - 5 pm.

Visitors are encouraged to stop in, explore Carrabelle’s rich history, and support the museum as it moves forward while honoring Tamara’s remarkable legacy.

To everyone who has offered support, encouragement, and time during this difficult period: thank you. The museum is grateful for the community that continues to stand behind it—and there is still room for more helping hands.

We opened in April of 2009, and since then, residents of the community have generously shared their pictures, genealogy, memories, household and work items to build our collection. Our first artifact was the medical bag of beloved midwife Tillie Miller, donated by Rita Brown Millender and John Brown. From then Carrabelle History Museum has grown to house thousands of items in its collections. Gratefully, we still receive wonderful local artifacts.

The museum is located in the Old Carrabelle City Hall, built by local mason Marvin Justiss in 1938 during the Depression as a work program to employ locals. The museum has two floors of exhibit rooms and areas to show collections with a large foyer for special displays. We have several exhibits that highlight the Shipwrecks of Dog Island; Carrabelle’s Heroes & Notables; the story of Tate’s Hell Swamp; the Steamship Tarpon, which was key to building our community in the early 1900's; and Carrabelle's "First People", Indigenous people who lived here thousands of years ago.

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the Carrabelle History Museum presents “Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story,” a special exhibit exploring the city’s history, civic leadership, and democratic traditions through artifacts, photographs, and stories. Made possible by a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, the exhibit highlights Carrabelle’s role in shaping local government and community life, featuring historic ballot boxes, election materials, municipal records, founding documents, and the stories of Carrabelle’s mayors through time. Housed in the city’s historic former City Hall, where local government once met and served the community, the exhibit offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience history in the very place it unfolded. The exhibit opens July 4 and runs through September 30, with sneak previews available July 2–3. Admission is free. Learn more details on this exhibit here: Special Exhibit: Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story – Carrabelle History Museum

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