Housed in the former county jail (1879–1975), this oral-history museum is tiny but has informative exhibits exploring Native American history, the Spanish Mission period, the Civil War and historic preservation. A variety of tours are available, including the eight-flags tour (11am and 2pm Monday to Saturday, and 2pm Sunday), providing lively interpretations of the island's fascinating history, as well as architecture tours, and pub crawls.
Amelia Island Museum of History
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Cumberland Island National Seashore
13.33 MILES
Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island is an unspoiled paradise. A campers' fantasy, place for family day trips and secluded retreat for…
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
27.42 MILES
This handsome museum, Jacksonville's premier cultural space, has an excellent collection of American and European paintings, Asian decorative art and…
Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville
26.04 MILES
The focus of this ultramodern space extends beyond painting: get lost among contemporary sculpture, prints, photography and film.
26.72 MILES
Traveling with kids? This awesomely named museum (MOSH) offers dinosaurs, all things science and exhibits on Jacksonville's cultural and natural history…
13.19 MILES
Deposit your fee in the blue envelope and pull into the lone parking lot at this stark but lovely park. Take your camera on the short trail to Boneyard…
Little Talbot Island State Park
14.54 MILES
This pristine island (which despite the name is almost the same size as Big Talbot Island) has 5 miles of unspoiled beaches, river otters, marsh rabbits,…
Jacksonville Zoological Gardens
21.24 MILES
Northeast Florida's only major zoo opened in 1914 with one deer; today it's home to over 1800 exotic animals and hectares of beautiful gardens. Favored…
26.81 MILES
At first glance, it looks like a small forest is growing in the middle of the concrete on Jacksonville's south side. But upon closer inspection you'll see…
Nearby attractions
1. Maritime Museum of Amelia Island
0.15 MILES
This small museum on the harborfront has an entertaining collection of maritime bric-a-brac presented with a kid-friendly lashing of pirate-y flair.
2.28 MILES
Although construction commenced in 1847, rapid technological advancements rendered Fort Clinch's masonry walls obsolete by as early as 1861, when the fort…
5.57 MILES
This derelict, but spectacular, mansion was built by Thomas Carnegie and his wife, Lucy, in 1884. It became the base of a vibrant social scene, a…
6 MILES
Used by the Carnegies to store ice, which was cut from frozen ponds and lakes in the winter months. The structure is now a small museum with information…
5. Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum
6.25 MILES
If you have time to spare after checking in for the ferry, this little museum offers some background info on the area's military history, plus early…
6.25 MILES
Learn about St Marys 'Silent Service' through a collection of 20,000 artifacts, including vintage submarine equipment, war relics and deep-sea diving…
6.47 MILES
This small museum offers a vibrant overview of life in American Beach, one of the few seaside resort communities built for African Americans in the…
12.37 MILES
Cumberland Island's pristine, expansive and almost-empty beach runs for 17 miles. There's ample opportunity to see wildlife here. Look out for osprey,…