This story is part of our weekly Hidden Gems feature series as the USA TODAY Network-Florida takes readers around the state to highlight some of our most interesting attractions.
DESTIN — Just off the main road through Destin and nestled under the oaks, the Destin History and Fishing Museum holds countless photos, artifacts, fish mounts and all things that have made Destin what it is today.
Located off Harbor Boulevard at 108 Stahlman Ave., the Destin History and Fishing Museum is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit run by a board of directors. It was founded in 2005.
The museum is celebrating 20 years at this location this year. The doors opened in October of 2005, “but we are celebrating all year long,” said museum Executive Director Vivienne Williams.
The museum features the history of the early pioneers from the 1830s, the history of the fishing industry from seine boats to the boats that moor in Destin harbor today.
The museum may be small at 5,500 square feet (about the area of a basketball court), but it is jammed packed with “all things Destin.”
“Everything here in the museum has been donated … and a lot has been donated from the descendants of the founding families … it’s a lot of Destin history,” Williams said.
What makes the museum special?
“One of the things that makes the museum special is, it is not based on any one person who is famous. It is based on everyday people doing everyday things and being great at it,” Williams said.
And one of the things that Destin has done great, repeatedly, is fishing.
So much so, that it earned the moniker of “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.”
“We have over 100 fish mounts here in the museum that have been caught in the Destin area. And over 10,000 photos in our collection,” Williams said.
The museum holds “tens of thousands artifact … including the photos,” Williams added.
The fish mounts, which include everything from blue marlin to dolphin, and shark to snapper, can be seen hanging on the 40-foot-long fish wall.
Along this wall are interactive touch screens that tell you about the fish, and a little about the Gulf and the surrounding areas in Destin.
The museum also has a room dedicated to the Destin Fishing Rodeo, which is one of the longest running fishing tournaments in the United States. There are past booklets, trophies, photos and even a leaderboard on the wall.
“This year in October will be the Rodeo’s 77th tournament. We’re excited,” Williams said.
What to expect?
Williams normally recommends an hour for people to go through the museum and check out the exhibits.
“But I’ve seen people spend three hours here and I’ve seen people spend 30 minutes here, it totally depends on what they are looking for or what they want to do,” she said.
For the children or young at heart, the museum offers a scavenger hunt and hands-on activities.
“There is plenty to see and plenty to read,” Williams added.
The oldest artifact in the museum is a scraper, which is an arrowhead that breaks the point off.
“The Native Americans would use it to scrape the scales off fish or hides to make sure they are clean for leather,” Williams said.
The scraper dates to 8,000 B.C., which is about 10,000 years ago, and puts it in the Ice Age, she said.
The most recent donation to the museum was a large collection of photographs from the Marler family from the 1950s and 60s. The Marlers are one of the founding families of Destin, with the Destin bridge coming into Destin bearing the name of William T. Marler.
Another recent addition is the “Killer Wail” guitar that has an Orca whale on the back. “The image of the Orca is from a book that was here when this was Destin’s first library,” Williams said.
The building that houses the museum was Destin’s first public library, from 1961 to 2003. The Destin Library can now be found at 150 Sibert Ave.
Destin History and Fishing Museum, Destin
Where: 108 Stahlman Ave., Destin
Hours: The Destin History and Fishing Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Ticket pricing: Adults, $10; military and first responders, $9; senior 65+, $8; student, $5; and 5 and younger, free.
More info: www.destinhistoryandfishingmuseum.org/
This article originally appeared on The Destin Log: Destin History and Fishing Museum is a hidden gem on Florida’s Emerald Coast
Reporting by Tina Harbuck, The Destin Log / The Destin Log
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