Baker Block Museum facts for kids
The Baker Block Museum is a special place in Baker, Florida. It's a museum that teaches you all about the history of the Florida panhandle. It focuses a lot on Okaloosa County, showing how people lived and worked long ago.
The museum's main goal is to keep old items and documents safe. These items tell the story of how the Florida panhandle grew. It also helps people learn about important historical events. You can discover the early cultures of Native Americans, Spanish, French, and Dutch people. The museum also teaches about old industries like making naval stores, using railroads, and cutting timber. You can learn about pioneer communities and fishing too.
What You Can See
The Baker Block Museum has many interesting things to explore. You will find old tools and antiques from the past. There are also displays that show what homes and shops looked like long ago.
The Heritage Park
Outside the main museum building, there is a fun area called the Heritage Park. This park has several old buildings that you can visit. You can see a historic post office, a mill, and a log cabin. There's also a blacksmith shop where people used to make things from metal. You can even see a corn crib and an outhouse, which were common long ago.
How the Museum Works
The Baker Block Museum is run by a group called the North Okaloosa Historical Association, Inc. This group started in 1992 thanks to Jeanette and Charles Henderson. The museum is a non-profit organization. This means it uses all its money to run the museum, not to make a profit.
The museum relies on help from the state and county. It also gets support from sponsors and volunteers. These people and groups help provide the money and effort needed to keep the museum open. A board of directors meets every month to make important decisions for the museum.
Visiting the Museum
It's free to visit the Baker Block Museum! You don't need to buy a ticket. The museum is open from Tuesday to Friday. You can visit any of those days between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. It is also open on the third Saturday of every month during the same hours.
