Preserving the History and Culture of Carrabelle, Florida

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.

The Carrabelle History Museum is hosting the Carrabelle Culture Crawl on Saturday, March 28, 2026, 10 am to 3 pm. 

This cultural event is a free celebration of local culture, art, music, history, food, and fun at the Carrabelle History Museum and in the heart of downtown Carrabelle. It is a wonderful opportunity to experience the wonderful local culture that Carrabelle has to offer.

MUSIC Live music and entertainment will be enjoyed on the streets of Carrabelle, with Florida folk music, classic country, modern songs, Gospel and favorite oldies. A variety of musicians will be performing including Florida Folk musician, Frank Lindamood, Sumpin’ Old & Sumpin’ New, Jhaki and Robert Davis, Elijah Cole Allen, and Shaken & Stirred.

Visitors will spot fun, costumed characters from the Fishy Fashion Show by Joan Matey wandering the streets. These walking photo ops are a fan-favorite at the Crawl.  Plus, the talented Lydia Countryman and friends will delight the crowd with their life-size dog puppets walking the streets.

ART will abound featuring local artists and artisans. Visitors can watch as artists paint “plein air” offering a glimpse at the creative process in action. Shops and galleries will feature lots of artwork available for viewing and buying. The always popular public art drawing and coloring activity will be hung in storefront windows as well as sidewalk chalk and other family friendly art activities to allow their creativity to flow.  There will be special activities at the Rio Carrabelle Gallery for kids and adults. Be sure to stroll over to see Carrabelle’s two large, stunning murals!

CARS & TRUCKS Returning this year will be a Car Cruise-In on Marine Street with a variety of beautiful classic, vintage, and even modern cars to the Crawl!

FOOD Carrabelle’s delicious food offerings will be celebrated as local restaurants and cafes serve fresh seafood, award-winning crab cakes, salads, authentic deli sandwiches, burgers, and more. Sweet treats include donuts and açaí bowls, alongside coffee, shakes, and energy teas. Plus local food trucks will be serving up even more delicious options including Sour Puss Gourmet Lemonade with a variety of delicious, refreshing lemonades.

CULTURE Visitors can also enjoy demos and displays highlighting traditional skills that connect with the craftsmanship of the past. Features include quilting, cast net throwing, blacksmithing, woodworking, turpentining, rug making and more. Several talented authors, including Michael Kinnett, Kermit Brown, Royce Rolstad, Charles Schultz and Shelby Day, will be signing their books. Guests can learn about the culture and history of the area with exhibits at the Carrabelle History Museum including Shipwrecks of Dog Island; Tate’s Hell; and the Native People’s display. Visitors can discover the bygone eras when lumber merchants, steamships, and shrimping vessels lined the deep Carrabelle River. 

 Funding in part by the Franklin County Tourist Development Council.  A big thank you to the sponsors of this year’s Crawl:  Air Con of Wakulla, Centennial Bank, Coastal Realty Group, Duke Energy, Inovia Consulting Group, Stone’s Home Centers and Weems Memorial Hospital.