This is a great little museum, packed with interesting artifacts. We actually came twice, because of their limited hours in December, since we wanted to also get a tour of Belle Haven Historic Cottage. David, an extremely knowledgeable docent, unlocked the cottage and provided the details of the cottage’s history and the background of many of the artifacts that are packed into its small quarters. The main museum, although small, is well laid out and carefully curated. We thoroughly enjoyed our two short visits, and would like to thank volunteer docents David, Nancy, and Sue for their courtesy, knowledge, and kindness.

I'm a history buff, so I'm naturally inclined to seek out the local museum of the place I visit. The jail gets all the pictures, but be sure to step inside the museum itself! To quote Shakespeare, this place is "small but fierce." It is basically the size of a decent two room cottage, but it has impressively professional signs and displays and ample artifacts from the island's history. (There is even a library of old newspapers and paperwork.) The docents, however, are what seal the deal: they are true residents with decades of personal knowledge! The stories are rich and reveal an interesting cast of characters and calamities that shaped AMI. While there, ask a docent to let you tour the cottage next door....and have them explain how it used to be part of the city pier before washing out to sea.

I have been visiting the island for the past 6 years and recently purchased a vacation home there after falling in love with "Florida's Best Kept Secret". It wasn't till this year that I had made my first visit to this museum with a friend due to a little shower that had set in. I wish I would have made the visit earlier. For being a small museum it was filled with such rich and interesting history. I am very excited to be returning this month and hoping to snag some of the famous settlers bread that everyone is talking about...along with taking the hubby to see all the interesting history. Next time you are on the island....DON'T walk past this gem....it will make you love the island even more!

Fun place to stop for some photo opportunities on pine street. The old city jail is here. Around the back on the inside are little prisoner cut outs you can take your picture inside here. There is also a canal behind. You may see some wildlife. We walked up on a little platform an encountered a huge, beautiful bird hanging out in the shade.

We loved the popcorn and movies. A very friendly evening of fun for children of all ages. The docents and support staff were friendly and welcoming! I loved seeing snippets of movies that had been made on the island! I hope that this slice of paradise will continue to be a good place for movie makers!my back yard looks like Tahiti!!

What a nice surprise! My husband and I enjoy history and often visit local historical societies and museums when we travel, so we expected the usual uninspired room full of old photos and yellowed newspaper articles. Instead we found a tiny gem. The small building was packed with information, photos, articles, and personality! By the time we had wound our way through the exhibits we felt that we knew the story of Anna Maria Island. Next door was a small cottage the historical society had recently acquired...fascinating. The volunteer staff were welcoming and loved sharing what they knew. The new curator has apparently turned the museum into this little treasure. Well done! Take a little break from the sun and wander through times gone by on the island.

Small museum, but a nice surprise how much they had. We went thinking it was going to only be some old pictures of Anna Maria Island. To our surprise they have more. The kids enjoyed seeing some antiques as typewriters, record players, phones, etc. They provided our kids with a treasure hunt type activity to find things in the museum. At the end they gave them a prize. The kids enjoyed this. Folks working in the museum were great. There was a young lady and a gentleman that were very friendly.

I just wanted to clear things up from the last reviewer, this museum is absolutely free, they do have a donation jar but you are not required to pay anything. Yes, it is a small museum but this is a small island, it isn't NYC for sure. They do have a little cracker house on site that takes you back to the way life use to be on the island, very interesting. The caretakers there are all volunteers and enjoy answering any questions you may have regarding the history of Anna Maria Island. It is well worth the visit and the price :)

Residents and visitors of Anna Maria are fortunate that someone had the foresight to begin saving some of its history. This small museum is a treasure trove of AMI memorabilia. The museum is free, just accepts donations. The docents who were here the day we visited were excellent! They were so knowledgeable and happy to share AMI history with any and all. The museum is a little cramped, but that is a good thing. It means that they have a lot to share. It is amazing that this site includes the Belle Haven Cottage that was floating in Tampa Bay at one time and was saved from the wrecking ball another time. The old jail, also on the site, provides a good photo op. If you have a day on AMI that is too cool for the beach and an interest in AMI history, this is the place for you. Don't forget to leave a donation!

We took off to check out the shops on pine ave and saw the old roofless jail.We went inside the museum and took the tour and it was very informational.lots of artifacts giving island history.very nice friendly staff.our 7yr old grandson did a scavenger hunt-it was fun and we learned a lot about the island.I say go for a visit you wont be disappointed.Good for a rainy day!