If there is a problem with Old Florida Museum, it's deciding where to start when describing all there is to see and do. First of all it's a hands-on facility that lets visitors take part in day-to-day living tasks from the distant past up to the 1900s.
Self-guided tours are popular, as individuals make their way through Old Florida Museum and its many, many activities. But the facility also offers group tours led by informative, friendly guides (groups of 15 or more).
This may indeed be the best way to learn about other cultures and other times. Visitors get their hands on such items as foods, utensils, tools and weapons. Entertainment blends with education to make Old Florida Museum one of the more popular tourist stops in the Sunshine State.
The touch-and-see learning programs take about one hour to complete. Groups can choose one or all of the three programs, in advance, so that classes of up to 25 can be accommodated without serious difficulty. The museum even offers a picnic area that will seat about 50. Old Florida Museum also has a fascinating general store from which visitors can get historical games and tools that have been part of the school program experience.
This unusual museum also offers a one-of-a-kind activity called the Florida Cracker Pioneer Program. This unique program covers the years from 1821 to 1900, when the early settlers and adventurers came to the territory. The name may have come from the sound of the cracking whip used to herd cattle. Some of the activities available on-site are corn shelling/milling, writing with a quill pen, sugar cane grinding, lasso station and old time games. The facility also has an extensive experience based on the Timucua natives of northern Florida. This program covers the years from pre-European times to 1565. (800) 813-3208 (904) 824-8874
