OUR MISSION is to collect, research, preserve, and exhibit materials and artifacts relating to the history Anna Maria Island. The educational program is one of great importance. It helps to preserve the heritage of our beautiful seven-mile jewel. Historical Society members visit churches and civic organizations to make the history of the Island come alive to students, residents and visitors from all walks of life.
Now that you have fallen in love with Anna Maria Island, come learn about its rich history. The Anna Maria Island Historical Society was founded in 1990 by Pat Copeland and Carolyne Norwood to preserve the Island's unique story. The Historical Society opened the museum in 1992 and continues to manage it today.
A visit to the Anna Maria Island Historical Society Museum is a trip back into old Florida. Our museum displays artifacts, photographs and maps that show the Island's history as it spans from its earliest times as an Indian fishing camp; to the first homesteader in 1893; to the Island's roaring twenties culture; to the baseball players who once wintered here in the 1950s-70s. The historical complex features the original City Jail, the Belle Haven cottage that once sat on the City Pier, and a garden of plants native to Anna Maria Island.
We have scavenger hunts for the kids (and the kid in all of us). Find the alligator dolls, rattlesnake skin and many other unique artifacts, join in the fun!
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