Posts Tagged ‘museum’

Have visiting family or friends?  Take them to some of St. Lucie County’s activities for an enjoyable day.  Keep scrolling down for more.

Oxbow Eco-Center
http://www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxbow/index.htm
Located in northern Port St. Lucie, the 225-acre Oxbow Eco-Center is dedicated to fostering an appreciation of the ‘real Florida.’ Its 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River is a living laboratory of floodplain forest, sandy scrub and pine flatwoods, and swamps and wetlands. From dawn to dusk, you can wander trails, bridges, boardwalks and observation towers on your own. Or you can join a naturalist on a guided walk. The Center, a building constructed using green building technologies, houses an Exhibit Hall and Discovery Room. A life-size exhibit that takes you on a journey down the St. Lucie River to the Atlantic Ocean, is well worth the visit. Be sure to check the monthly calendar which offers a variety of programs for both youth and adults. Art classes, swamp tales, brown bag lectures are just a few.
Editor’s note: Captivating for any age, this is a great family outing. Trails, exhibits, Center are all free, as are many of their scheduled events.  Very reasonable charge for some.

FPL Energy Encounter
http://www.fpl.com/community/learning/energy_encounter_overview.shtml
Your self-guided tour begins with an Energy Treasure Hunt led by Hutch the parrot.  As you pass through the exhibits, press a button where you see Hutch and he’ll lead you further on the hunt.  Many of the exhibits are interactive – touch screens, controls, videos, and challenges keep the kids involved – and new ones are added regularly. The College of Turtle Knowledge exhibit is open year round. Turtle Walks are available in June and July (turtle nesting season), by appointment only, and they’re very popular so make your reservation early.
Editor’s note: Everything is free. FPL sponsors several educational programs for schools and Scouts can earn their Nuclear Science Merit Badge through FPL. 

St. Lucie County Regional History Center
http://www.stlucieco.gov/history/index.htm
The Saint Lucie County Regional History Center offers a unique view into the complex history of the Treasure Coast. Be sure to pay attention as you explore the grounds – you’ll find remnants of the Spanish Treasure Fleet that gave the region its name! Venturing into the museum will reveal major exhibits featuring the native Ais Indian population, the Seminole Wars and the Seminole tribe, the fishing, cattle and citrus industries and a recreation of P.P. Cobb’s general store, complete with product displays. In addition, there are displays dedicated to the Hill photograph collection and the region’s involvement in World War II. Round out your visit by touring the Gardner house, a lovingly-restored showpiece of life at the turn of the century.
Editor’s note: $4 for adults; $3 for seniors and $1.50 for children and well worth it.

For the next couple months we want to share all the amazing things Fort Pierce and St. Lucie County have to offer with our winter visitors and year-round residents who may not be familiar with some of these.

The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum
http://www.navysealmuseum.com/
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated solely to preserving the history of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors, including the Underwater Demolition Teams, Naval Combat Demolition Units, Office of Strategic Services Maritime Units and Amphibious Scouts and Raiders.  Located in Fort Pierce, Florida – the birthplace of the Navy Frogman – the Museum promotes public education by providing the opportunity to explore the history of the Navy SEALs in an atmosphere of respect and honor.
Virtual tours on their website are great, but no substitute for being up close and personal!
Reasonable admission fee.
By purchasing at their gift shop you can support the museum.
Editor’s note: My favorite is a t-shirt that states:
When it absolutely, positively must be destroyed overnight!
Call 1-800-HOOYAH!

The Manatee Observation & Education Center
http://www.manateecenter.com/
The Manatee Observation and Education Center is a waterfront wildlife observation and nature education center located on Florida’s east coast in downtown Fort Pierce. The Center lies just west of the Atlantic ocean and overlooks the nationally recognized Indian River Lagoon, a saltwater estuary and Moore’s Creek, a freshwater creek and historical resting spot for the Florida manatee. The Manatee Observation and Education Center’s primary purpose is to promote understanding and responsible actions for the fragile ecosystems of the Treasure Coast and their inhabitants.
Admission is a buck.  Check out the Calendar of Events, many activities (free and very reasonable) for adults and children.
Editor’s note: Manatees are not in tanks, they roam freely – best time to view in Moore’s Creek is during the winter months.

A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery
http://www.backusgallery.com/
The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery, a 5,000 sq. ft. public visual arts facility, was established in 1960 by A.E. Backus, the preeminent Florida landscape painter, and a group of local art enthusiasts. The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery features the Nation’s largest display of original paintings by Alfred Ernest Backus. Four additional exhibition wings feature changing exhibits of artwork by contemporary Florida artists. Located in historic downtown Ft. Pierce, a mere 2 blocks from Backus’ longtime home and studio and adjacent to the location of his original studio.
Small admission fee, free admission on Sundays.
Editor’s note: Next door to Manatee Observation Center, ample free parking provides convenient access to other area attractions, casual waterside dining and boutique shopping downtown.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute Ocean Discovery Center
http://www.fau.edu/hboi/OceanDiscoveryCenter.php
The Harbor Branch Ocean Discovery Center is the public gateway to Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. The ODC houses interactive exhibits, small aquaria, a video theater, and other displays exploring the marine environment and depicting the research efforts of the Institute. ODC exhibit content is developed in close coordination with the Harbor Branch project managers by a team of award-winning educators and media specialists.  Exhibit content is continually evolving to showcase the ongoing research and conservation efforts of Harbor Branch and to give visitors a close-up look at the emerging technologies used by the marine research community.
Editor’s note:  Free admission – but drop some $ in the donation box and lots of cool stuff in the gift shop.

When I stumbled into this website a while back, my first reaction was “huh?  barbed wire?.”  Of course I had to check this out.  Officially chartered in 1991 as The Historical Museum Of Barbed Wire and Fencing Tools, is a non-profit entity dedicated to preserving the history and artifacts of barbed wire.  The complex, located on Route 66 in McLean, Texas, houses The Devil’s Rope Museum, The Texas Old Route 66 Museum, The Western Heritage Community Room, The Hagemeier Library, and the Museum Mercantile, a large souvenir store.

Even if you don’t give a hoot about barbed wire, their website (http://www.barbwiremuseum.com/index.htm) is a good read, encompassing almost 150 years of American history and the barbed wire woven through it.  Who invented barbed wire, making the wire, how it affected the West, the Fence Cutter Wars, use in warfare, how it attained the moniker “Devil’s Rope”, etc.  Thoroughly enjoyable and informative – students, teachers and historians will find this particularly helpful.

Seen one, seen them all?  Not quite.  There are over 570 patented wires with over 2,000 variations.  Two patents became the most practical and successful, leaving the rest to become part of history and varying from common to very scarce.  Wonderful drawings including clear descriptions take some of the mystery out of the different types of barbs.

Other sections of this website include a special library with recommended reading list, how to identify barbed wire, where it can be purchased, and what is going on today in the barbed wire collecting hobby.  A new wire collection Appraisal Service is now offered for tax, estate, or insurance purposes.

There’s a lot more here:  cattle brands and history, McLean POW camp, Texas Route 66 information.  Artist Al Martin Napoletano is featured with some of his works.  Closely associated with the barbed wire collecting hobby since the early 1970s, Napoletano is a rodeo circuit artist and has illustrated many books.

If you’re planning to travel in Texas, the museum has information about Texas Route 66, The City of McLean, Texas and other nearby areas.  You can see the first restored Phillips Service Station in Texas, learn all about the McLean Prisoner of War Camp built during WWII, stay in a vintage Route 66 Motel, and eat at the world famous Red River Steak House.

Take a look at the museum dedicated to barbed wire – “whose existence is both absolutely beneficial to progress, at times cruel beyond comprehension, caused drastic changes in world-wide warfare, and yet protects our lives twenty-four hours each day.  What more intrigue could you ask of any subject presented to you?”

Tell ‘em I sent ya ~ Victoria