Beaches Museum

06/03/2026

On June 3, 1909 Mayport was incorporated as a city!

Viola Singleton described the town as “having no paved roads, no running water, large hotels with abundant gingerbread trim, reflective of the Folk Victorian style, three small churches, a schoolhouse, and a community hall.”

06/02/2026

This Thursday and Friday is when the real work begins, and the exhibit will open up to volunteers--not for viewing, but for deinstallation! We need extra hands to help remove some of the previous exhibit's hardware.

Work will be happening from 10 to 4 both days. Sign up with Jon Wolf at [email protected] to let us know when you can participate! We encourage you to bring your own tools if you have them, especially electric screwdrivers! See you Thursday and Friday🛠️

05/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who supported the Museum and attended the Walk-A-Thon!

05/31/2026

On May 31, 1991 the iconic Silver’s Drug Store closed its doors after 31 years of service.

Located at 100 First Street in Neptune Beach, Silver’s Drug Store opened in 1960. It offered the usual drug store fare, beach and souvenir items, but most importantly the sage advice of Leonard “Doc” Silver.

Doc Silver offered advice to many local residents who resisted going to see a medical doctor and he also knew when to strongly insist they seek expert advice.

Inside Silver’s was also the legendary “Ellen’s Kitchen” we still know and love today. Ellen’s served what many considered to be “the best breakfast at the beach” and was able to continue being a local favorite even after Silver’s closed.

Doc Silver would go on to work part time at the North Beach Pharmacy and later enjoyed his family and travelling during retirement.

05/28/2026

Recognize this space? Our well-loved permanent exhibit is experiencing a much-needed expansion! The video enclosure walls are coming down, making space for more topics in the exhibit, better maneuverability, and a brighter look. Long-time volunteer Pam Blalock leads the charge!

While the permanent exhibit is closed for renovations, AB100, our temporary exhibit celebrating 100 years of the City of Atlantic Beach, and the Right Whales of Amelia Island traveling exhibit remain accessible to the public, as does our historic park!

05/25/2026

On May 25, 1948 work finally began on the B.B. McCormick Bridge, an important piece in the plan to connect Jacksonville to the Beaches on what would be known as Beach Boulevard.

The drawbridge would be completed in 1949 but the “road” wasn’t an easy one.

According to local historian Don Mabry, B.B. McCormick thought of the idea of a bridge from Jacksonville to the beaches in 1922 as he was “always trying to foster the growth of the beaches, Jacksonville Beach in particular. He and some others made a survey for a possible highway route which branched from Atlantic Boulevard and paralleled the Florida East Coast Railway line to the beach but coming into Jacksonville Beach at Twelfth Avenue South.”

Unfortunately the roadway was repeatedly postponed due to World War II. Finally in October 1945 construction of the new beach highway, McCormick’s dream since 1922, began in earnest. B.B. McCormick’s own company, B. B. McCormick & Sons, paved the way east and west of the bridge while the George D. Auchter Company constructed the twin bascule bridges, named the B. B. McCormick Bridge.

On December 17, 1949, as his health was failing, B. B. McCormick arrived by ambulance to cut the ribbon on the B.B. McCormick Bridge. From a gurney, he used his pocket knife to cut the ribbon opening the bridge and a new connection with Jacksonville and the beaches.

05/25/2026

New article by guest writer Johnny Woodhouse: Sisterhood of Service - Fletcher High Grad Followed Siblings into Women’s Army Corps.

In 1972, Private Judy Teate completed her basic training at the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) Center at Fort McClellan, Alabama, becoming the third of her four sisters to join the military during the Vietnam War era.

A 1970 graduate of Fletcher High School, where she participated in school plays and chorus, Teate enjoyed writing poetry and was affectionately regarded as the baby of the family, according to her big sister Billie Harbison...

Read her full story on our website: https://www.beachesmuseum.org/sisterhood-of-service-fletcher-high-grad-followed-siblings-into-womens-army-corps/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSCuFlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeODFUbRzP0KnvlQz65cWVSSHiQHlLi7VyxoYz2CcXrR5d-Y6V8ER3kGpONo8_aem_Cn7a1qs4E79fJuicfIjJtQ

By Johnny Woodhouse In 1972, Private Judy Teate completed her basic training at the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) Center at Fort McClellan, Alabama, becoming the … Read the full article