Anna Maria Island Historical Museum

Anna Maria Island Historical Museum

Anna Maria Island Historical Museum
4.5
Monday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
About
The Museum is a wonderful little treasure conveniently located on Pine Avenue in the city of Anna Maria, Florida. It has a well planned display of island history and knowledgeable volunteers to help make your visit pleasant. It is free to visit but they welcome donations. The Museum limits visitors to 5 at a time to insure the safety of all our visitors.
Suggested duration
< 1 hour
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  • nancyolah
    636 contributions
    Don’t miss taking a tour of Belle Haven Historic Cottage
    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.
    Visited December 2021
    Written December 18, 2021
  • HanLeia
    Louisville, Kentucky166 contributions
    Great for anyone who appreciated quaint and quirky history
    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.
    Visited June 2021
    Traveled solo
    Written July 1, 2021
  • Joyce M
    Cincinnati, Ohio21 contributions
    DON'T walk past this GEM!!!
    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!
    Visited August 2019
    Written March 5, 2020
  • CA
    Dallas, Texas184 contributions
    Fun photo op
    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.
    Visited May 2022
    Traveled with family
    Written June 2, 2022
  • Lois Rebecca M
    241 contributions
    Movie night on the Island
    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!!
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 24, 2020
  • Kimbacat
    3 contributions
    A wonderful surprise
    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.
    Written September 7, 2007
  • iamafairadvisor
    Miami, Florida194 contributions
    Nice Surprise
    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.
    Visited August 2015
    Traveled with family
    Written August 15, 2015
  • RustyKat
    4,902 contributions
    Museum with a lot of History
    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 :)
    Visited May 2015
    Traveled with friends
    Written August 6, 2015
  • 53lynnw
    North Canton, Ohio104 contributions
    If you like history...
    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!
    Visited February 2015
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 21, 2015
  • AMI-OHIO
    Racine, Ohio51 contributions
    Free Museum
    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!
    Visited July 2014
    Traveled with family
    Written July 16, 2014
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions

4.5
153 reviews
Excellent
93
Very good
53
Average
5
Poor
0
Terrible
2

CA
Dallas, TX184 contributions
May 2022 • Family
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.
Written June 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lois Rebecca M
241 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
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!!
Written January 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kimbacat
Celebration, FL3 contributions
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.
Written September 8, 2007
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

iamafairadvisor
Miami, FL194 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
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.
Written August 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RustyKat
Tampa4,902 contributions
May 2015 • Friends
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 :)
Written August 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

53lynnw
North Canton, OH104 contributions
Feb 2015 • Friends
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!
Written February 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AMI-OHIO
Racine, OH51 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
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!
Written July 16, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike S
London, UK968 contributions
Dec 2019
Museum and its various artefacts and photographs explain the history and development of Anna Maria island and its community.
Separate building is a well restored,small,furnished cottage previously located on the municipal pier! Also adjacent is the tiny,basic former jailhouse!
Written December 5, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for visiting and reviewing.
Written January 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

BeaK888
North Pole, NY27 contributions
Mar 2019 • Family
We learned the island was made popular by a colonel, one of th properties had a guest, a hurricane camel washed the house away, and the fella escaped through a window
Written April 16, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

fishblow
Florida167 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
We stopped in on our last visit to AMI mainly because it was extremely hot out and we knew they had air conditioning. Very happy we did, The museum itself has many interesting facts about the island and is located in a building that was originally built in 1920 as the islands ice house. In addition to the actual museum, you can also visit the Old City Jail, where people that were arrested for public intoxication were placed to 'sleep it off'. Usually it only required one evening in the jail and they seldom had repeat offenders, since the jail had no windows...only bars over the window openings. Anyone that has ever slept on the beach in Florida knows while this might cause someone to think twice before having to sleep there another night. With your admission (Free - donations gladly accepted), you can also visit Bell Haven - a small house that was originally built on City Pier, but fell into the bay in 1926. It was pulled from the water and towed a few blocks inland and became a family home for over 50 years. There is also a nice trail through the mangroves along a stream where a family can have a picnic lunch.
Written November 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Anna Maria Island Historical Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Anna Maria Island Historical Museum

Anna Maria Island Historical Museum is open:
  • Mon - Fri 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM



Anna Maria Island Historical Museum Information

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Very Good Reviews

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