maritime museum

Look , if you want to go to a real maritime museum then you must go check this out . My brother in law and my self went this past labor day week and I had maid a list of places to go while we were there and by far this was the best place we went the whole week ( I actually could have went back again ) !! It's not your big fancy show museum that you see on T.V. with people working there that have memorized what to say , it's a group of real hard core dedicated treasure hunters that you meet and that tell you about there adventures treasure hunting basically day to day . They have found and have on display things that I have only seen on T.V. and there right in front of you ! I'm from Kentucky and my B in law is from Ohio and this was cool . Thanks Billy Six Guns for giving us a great tour . Good luck with the show coming to Discover channel . Paul & Terry

Our docent was Ed Gavron. He has the ability to hold your attention while educating on treasure hunting in waters near Amelia Island. There are artifacts in the museum associated with a commercial research and salvage recovery company. The artifacts were found while attempting to locate sunken Spanish ships near Amelia Island. The explration process is explained in detail from permitting to the equipment and techniques used. By time we were done I felt like I had attended a lecture, but this time I did not fall asleep thanks to the docent's knowledge and enthusiasm. No charge for our one on one tour, but donations were accepted.

Such a fun, informative stop!!! The place was founded and is run by real-life treasure hunters...those associated with big names such as "The Atocha" treasure found by Mel Fisher's crew. They are currently working a ship just south of AI. We were met at the door of the unassuming, easy to miss, building by Bill "SixGun" Taylor, the museum manager, who was our guide. Others waiting to guide visitors included the resident underwater archeologist Scott Jensen, and the co-founder of the museum, Ed Gavron. Not light-weight docents (and we don't mean to denigrate docents at all), but hands on full-of-information guys who have been there! I could not begin to tell you the fun tid-bits of treasure hunting and finding that we learned. And...The museum and it's crew are being featured on Discovery channel in the near future. It's a nice, casual, family stop, and we highly recommend it.

I went to all the museums on the Island and this museum actually has authentic artifacts. They gave you guided tours, and there was no charge.That is always a plus. The other maritime museum sucked. The museum of history was nice, but it did not have many displays. No tours given and most things were just reading.

From the street, this small exhibit looks a little bit like the poor cousin to the main Amelia Island Museum in town. However, I recommend that you take the time to stop in and look around, as they do some incredible things with the resources at hand. About 8-10 rooms are filled with interesting artifacts of the various sea services, and the volunteers who staff the place are passionate about their work. In addition to the museum itself, they are also involved in working on various treasure wrecks, discovering their secrets and obtaining additional displays for the museum.While this facility does not charge an admission fee, they do readily accept contributions, which go towards furthering their own building and exhibits. They are a great bunch of folks doing fantastic work, and I highly recommend anyone with an interest in the sea to stop by.

We stopped in the Maritime Museum based on a review we read here on trip advisor. WOW!! We loved it, the guys at the museum were more than happy to give us a personal history lesson on the ship wrecks lost and found as well as the treasure they have been researching and excavating for years. The treasures found are amazing and there is more to come with their up and coming reality show to be aired next June/July. Our kids loved it so much they made us go back to get their picture taken with the guys. A must see if visiting the Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach area.

We had never met individuals who have discovered treasure and items from the past. It was cool to see all the different discoveries and treasures. The guy there with the toy dog led us around each room. He was very nice and we could tell that he was passionate about his work. I'm happy we were able to visit before the T.V. show comes out. I wish them luck on their future!

Very interesting information to learn about the island. The price includes the History Museum. You can go to the top of the Lighthouse.

My wife and I stopped by on the way to the beach. Lots of fun. Staff was friendly and informative. No entry fee, donate if you want to.

These guys are the real thing and are making a T. V. Show, you better get some photos and autographs now.

We went down to St Augustine for a day trip and stopped by SOS Nautical Antiques.. And after we told the store managers where we were staying they started telling us about these folks and their treasure hunting.. So we made a stop by their museum.These guys are the real deal.. The wife and I had a personal tour and history lessons.. And you have got to se their unique treasure hunting ship..It was docked out in the marina because of a storm coming thru.. I just wish I could have gotten a tour of it too..

True local experience. Local treasure hunters, searching local waters, adding charm to our local area. Great group of guys here, they will talk with you, share their experiences, even give you some great insider advice on other places to see in town.

I was blown away by my visit to this museum. It may look unassuming from the outside, but on the inside is a treasure trove of artifacts and a staff of curators who are very friendly and informative , This is a must see in this area.

Pretty modest looking on the outside, this small museum is definitely worth the visit. Four or five rooms inside are filled with artifacts from wrecks along the east coast of Florida, with several pieces from Amelia Island. The "tour guides" are the actual salvage and wreck divers who found this material, and most of the artifacts are from their own personal collections. So the person leading your tour, has a very close connection to the history and recovery of these pieces.My mother and I spent about 90 minutes touring the museum. I have seen a lot of similar stuff like this before, but what impressed me most about this place is the incredible knowledge and passion of our guide. He knew the history of the Spanish ships that carried much of this treasure. He knew how the wrecks had been found. He had actually dived on and helped in the salvage operation of several of the wrecks. And he was more than happy to share his knowledge and stories.The Museum also has small displays of more modern naval history and a bit on the history of shrimping in Fernandina Beach.Manage your expectations. This is not the American Museum of Natural History. It is a more direct connection to the wrecks of Florida and the divers who did the salvage. Go.