Jacksonville Maritime Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 1985 by Fred Sandberg, David Swan, Robert Parrish, and Monica Anguili |
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| Dissolved | 31 Dec 2015 |
| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| Type | Non-Profit |
| Visitors | 9,856 (2014) |
| Public transit access | Bus: P3, SS35, WS2, Riverside Trolly Monorail: Central Station Northbank Line
Southbank Line
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The Jacksonville Maritime Museum (JMM) was a special place that shared the exciting history of ships and the sea in Jacksonville, Florida. It explored how the city was connected to the St. Johns River and the big Atlantic Ocean. The museum had amazing collections, like detailed models of ships from the old Mayflower to modern vessels. You could also see paintings, photographs, and artifacts that were very old, some dating back to 1562. Later, the museum became known as the Jacksonville Maritime Heritage Center.
The Museum's Journey
The Jacksonville Maritime Heritage Center started as the Jacksonville Maritime Museum in 1987. It was run by a group called the Jacksonville Maritime Museum Society, Inc., which was a non-profit organization. Their main goal was to show how important maritime trade was to the local area. They also wanted to teach people about the many different parts of the ocean environment.
Finding a Home
From 1990, the Jacksonville Landing let the museum use empty shops to show off their large model ships. This lasted for seven years. However, the museum had to move five times during those years. Each time a new store wanted the space, the museum had to pack up and move to another empty spot. In 1997, they were told they had only seven days to leave. This time, there were no more empty spaces for them to use. Many of their exhibits had to be put into storage or loaned out to other places.
In 1993, the museum found a more stable home. It moved into a 1,500 square foot building on the South bank of the Jacksonville Riverwalk, close to Friendship Fountain. It stayed there for almost 18 years. Then, in January 2011, the museum moved back to the Jacksonville Landing. This time, they got a lower monthly rent.
The new spot at the Landing was on the ground floor and had more space. This meant they could display more items. Ship models that had been loaned out were brought back to the Jacksonville Maritime Heritage Center. The new museum even had a fun, interactive area for kids and a theater that could seat 60 people.
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Why the Museum Closed
In August 2015, the museum's board of directors decided to close the museum by the end of that year. The museum did not get any money from the city government. The money they received from memberships and donations was not enough to cover their yearly budget of $45,000. Since the museum was run by volunteers, they could not keep it open without more financial support.
Amazing Collections
The museum was home to hundreds of interesting artifacts. It had permanent exhibits about the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and Napoleon B. Broward’s Three Friends Tugboat. Other popular exhibits included displays on St. Johns Riverboats, the history of Shipbuilding in Jacksonville, and a detailed RMS Titanic diorama.
One of the largest models ever shown at the museum was of the World War II U. S. Navy heavy cruiser, USS Louisville. This amazing model was 18-foot (5.5 m) long! It was first loaned to Jacksonville by the person who built it, Ray Arthur. After the museum decided it no longer needed the model, it was given to the Frazier Museum.
