Cedar Key Museum offers guests a chance to go back in time to experience the history of the area. The museum is a window into Florida’s past and ways of life that have all but vanished, from the indigenous people who once lived off the land to the timber loggers who shipped cedar across the state.
This museum features shell and artifact collections and intricate dioramas spanning from prehistoric times to the early 1900s. You can learn about the history of Cedar Key and the people who lived in the area. Designed by architect Charles Kuhn in 1961, the building is an outstanding example of mid-century modern architecture, plus a testament to the outstanding craftsmanship of the University of Florida exhibits team.
The intricate dioramas were all made by hand, down to the smallest of details – like the pipe in the hand of a sailor and needles on the branch of a pine tree. The lettering in many of the displays was done well before today’s digital printing by a technique called Leroy lettering. The artist used a special device to keep the lettering straight and similar in size and shape. Be sure to look closely, because the museum itself truly is a piece of art.
Not to be missed is the extensive collections of St. Clair Whitman. The Cedar Key resident was known for his collections of seashells and native American artifacts, and he was once featured in National Geographic. He arranged for his collections to be donated to a museum after his passing, and they are housed here at Cedar Key Museum State Park. St. Clair Whitman's restored family home is also at the park. Walk through the house and see what life on Cedar Key was like in the 1920s. Grab a rocking chair, feel the marsh breeze and be sure to linger at this special place.
Picturesque Cedar Key, on Florida's Gulf Coast, was a thriving port city and railroad connection during the 19th century. Cedar Key Museum State Park encompasses 18 acres and offers an opportunity to imagine yourself as naturalist John Muir, taking a quiet walk past large pines and oaks down to view Cedar Key's expansive salt marshes. John Muir did in fact spend a few months in Cedar Key in 1867, commemorated with a state historic marker located on the museum grounds.
The John Muir historic marker was placed on the museum grounds in 1983, commemorating the naturalist's 1867 visit to Cedar Key during his historic walk from Kentucky to Florida. About the visit he wrote: "For nineteen years my vision was bounded by forests, but today, emerging from a multitude of tropical plants, I beheld the Gulf of Mexico stretching away unbounded, except by the sky. What dreams and speculative matter for thought arose as I stood on the strand, gazing out on the burnished, treeless plain!"
A short nature trail gives visitors the opportunity to see wildlife and birds, as well as native vegetation. Small gray squirrels, gopher tortoises, mockingbirds, blue jays, woodpeckers, and green tree frogs can be seen on the museum grounds and along the walking trail. A walk along the tranquil nature trail will lead you to a boat launch, where you can put in your kayak or canoe and explore the salt marshes around Cedar Key. These waters attract people from far and wide! Bring your binoculars to enjoy a variety of bird life in the salt marshes that line the shores. Ospreys soar overhead, scanning the water below for their next meal. Roseate spoonbills and other wading birds congregate in groups, striding through the shallow waters.
page information credit: Florida State Parks
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