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 Local 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.
ALL THREE CARRABELLE MUSEUMS JOIN TOGETHER FOR MUSEUM DAY 2024
Carrabelle’s three museums will open their doors free of charge on Saturday, October 5, 2024 as part of the annual Museum Day celebration. In honor of this day, Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum, Carrabelle History Museum, and Crooked River Lighthouse Museum invite you to Carrabelle FL for special activities and exhibits.
Camp Gordon Johnston Museum will be open from 11 am – 5 pm. Carrabelle History Museum will be open from 10 am – 5 pm. Crooked River Lighthouse will be open from 9 am – 5 pm for this event. Guests can also enjoy the expanded Country "Super" Market from 9 am-3 pm at Crooked River Lighthouse Park with local crafts, baked goods and area produce.
Each year, Museum Day goes beyond getting visitors through museum doors; it shines a spotlight on incredible culture, sciences, and history exhibits.
This year Carrabelle is celebrating the theme, “Pieces of History: Shells and Shards” and each of Carrabelle’s three history museums will each commemorate it with their own unique focus and interpretation.
Every piece tells a story. From the intricate Native American pottery shards and shells from a midden that reveal ancient cultural practices, to the remnants of WWII that highlight the courage of America’s soldiers, and the historic Fresnel lens that guided sailors to safety, these fragments together form the rich mosaic of our shared heritage. This event shares the idea that history is composed of various fragments that, when pieced together, form a comprehensive picture of our past. Each fragment, whether it be cultural, military, or technological, provides unique insights into different eras and aspects of human experience.
Pieces of History offers a unique and engaging way to connect and emphasize that each fragment—whether a pottery shard, a wartime shell, or a lens piece—contributes to our understanding of the past. Visitors can gain a richer, more interconnected view of history and appreciate the multifaceted nature of our heritage.
Author and speaker Robert Jacob will be featured at two locations on Museum Day. Robert has over 50 years of experience in living history portrayals and is passionate about dispelling myths and inaccuracies found in historical records. He has written several books, including A Pirate’s Life in the Golden Age of Piracy, Pirates of the Florida Coast: Truths, Legends, and Myths, and Blackbeard: The Truth Revealed. He will be at the Crooked River Lighthouse from 9 am - 12 pm ET for a book signing and informal discussions and upstairs at the Carrabelle History Museum from 2 pm - 4 pm ET for a book signing and to discuss the Pirates of the Florida West Coast.
Funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
INFORMATION ON THE MUSEUMS
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum - Honors the military men and women as well as civilian personnel who trained and worked in Carrabelle and Franklin County during 1942 through 1946. The museum houses numerous displays of military artifacts, photos and memorabilia of many types. Plus the Motor Pool building displays the museum’s military vehicles on site – WWII DUKW, German Lieferwagen, and WWII Jeep. Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum is located at 1873 Highway 98 West, directly across from Carrabelle Beach where military troops practiced D-Day beach assaults. Saturday hours 11 am-5 pm. www.campgordonjohnston.com/
Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum
Lisa Keith-Lucas, Board President
(850) 697-8575,
museum@campgordonjohnston.com
Carrabelle History Museum - Features local artifacts and exhibits including Carrabelle's Native American people, Shipwrecks of Dog Island, the Steamship “Tarpon”, the original “World’s Smallest Police Station”, Carrabelle industry and culture (seafood, lumber and more) and families from the pioneer days to the present. Carrabelle History Museum is located at 106 SE Avenue B, Carrabelle, FL. Saturday hours 10 am-5 pm. www.carrabellehistorymuseum.org
Carrabelle History Museum
Tamara Allen, Museum Director
850-697-2141, 850-524-1153,
carrabellehistorymuseum@gmail.com
Crooked River Lighthouse - The history and the science of the lighthouse are displayed through interesting exhibits, including a historical setting of the early 1900’s, various lighthouse beacons, the methods of constructing a skeletal tower lighthouse, plus the lighthouse’s original 1895 Fresnel lens! Also on display are the original Keeper’s House clock, a barometer, an antique glass fire grenade, and more. Crooked River Lighthouse is located at 1975 Hwy 98 West, Carrabelle. Saturday hours 9 am-5 pm. www.crookedriverlighthouse.com
Crooked River Lighthouse
Steve Allen, Managing Director
850-697-2732,
carrabellelighthouse@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 2 through Saturday, October 27
This unique exhibit delves into the rich prehistoric history of Carrabelle, showcasing intricate Native American pottery shards and shells that tell the stories of ancient cultural practices and daily life.
Every piece in this exhibit tells a story. From the shells that reveal the seafood consumed by the area's early inhabitants to the tools crafted from discarded items, such as conch shells repurposed into farming hoes, these fragments come together to form a rich mosaic of our shared heritage.
The exhibit highlights the fascinating artifacts from Carrabelle’s earliest inhabitants, particularly those from the Apalachee tribes. These prehistoric people lived in numerous villages along the shore of St. George Sound and the local rivers over two thousand years ago, with over 40,000 tribal members residing between the Apalachicola and Aucilla Rivers.
Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of villages, middens (ancient garbage piles), and burial grounds within Carrabelle's city limits, suggesting the area was an important trade port due to its natural deep water harbor at the confluence of three rivers. The “Shells & Shards” exhibit shares the lives of Carrabelle’s “first people.”
This exhibit is sponsored by C-Quarters Marina, Duke Energy, Shaun Donahoe Realty, and funded in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.
Funded in part by Franklin County Tourist Development Council