Cute local museum. Entry is free but donations are appreciated. They have volunteer docents who are available to give tours of the outdoor area, unfortunately we did not have time for this but I plan to return to take one.

A hidden gem which locals and tourists should definitely check out. Do you know what Jacksonville Beach originally name was before Pablo Beach. You guessed it Ruby Beach. This museum is free and donations are welcome.

This is an exciting little museum that is divided into various buildings and is a truly underrated tourist attraction. The main building is painted Flagler yellow, which is the color named after the Florida railroad tycoon, Henry Flagler. At the entrance of the main building, you will se the Visit Jacksonville® Museum Passport, in which you win a certain prize from 6 Jax-based museums that give you a stamp on each page of the passport. After that, you walk into a big room, which has a small theater, containing a 15-minute movie about the history of the Jax Beaches and why they are the way they are in the modern era. Here, I’ve learned that the first inhabitants of NE Florida was an American Indian Tribe known as the Timucuans, who settled on that land 25,000 years ago. Before the Interstate Highway System, traveling from central Florida or Georgia was really difficult and it took about 5 hours to get there. When the movie ended, I went on this really cool self-guided tour, in which I need 2 hours to read and memorize, because I’m such a history buff! Nonetheless, the artifacts on display and the boards with facts about the beaches and the history of Mayport are very fascinating and interesting to read more about! After the exhibit ends, you go outside to the other buildings and the tour is guided by a lady who tells all the facts about the smaller buildings on the site of the Beaches Museum. In each buildings, she would ask questions to the little children to see if they know about how trains work and why they were vital sources of transportation 200 years ago. The tour guide was quite friendly and would ask us if we had any questions about the places that she guided us through. In the garden of each house, there are a bunch of beautiful tall plants that make the place look like heaven on earth! I loved how in one of the buildings, there is a model railroad with a black train several coaches long which goes on forever! (Until you turn it off, of course) To explore this museum, I recommend a maximum duration of 4 hours if you want to thoroughly read everything and memorize it if you want to become a local historian! Admission at this place is absolutely free! You can’t got to Jacksonville Beach and not visit this great museum! You NEED to see it for yourself!

Wonderful accidental find while on the way from the beach. The gentleman that showed us around (Ty) was very knowledgeable about the structures and history. They also have an indoor model train that my son loved. The grounds were very well kept. Simple place that I passed everyday for years but worth taking a look at it.

What a great little free museum. Our tour guide, Mr. Burch, was so wonderful and informative! Sadly, we weren't able to go inside the house or the church as it was closed for a concert but the rest of it was awesome! I highly recommend this little gem.

What a beautiful little surprise as I walked the main road to get to the Goodwill. I didn't even know this was here. Butterflies flying around in the little beautiful garden as a stroll through the outbuildings beautiful 75° day. Pablo and 6th Street between route 90. St Paul's Church It's just what I needed. Really. So much so. I drew a few pieces about it. I'll probably make a few based on these buildings because I love the location. I even went back the next day and asked the driver to stop so I could take a few more pictures of the church before I left for NY.

Really cool place if you are into the history of trains or the beaches. They have some old shacks that were built back in the early 1900's. They have a full sized Locomotive too.

On a cold and rainy winters day we stopped by and were delighted by the rich collection of photos and items from the time of bathhouse and casinos mixed in with cowboys and the building of the train. Exceptionally well done.

Great video, exhibits inside building and buildings across the street to tour. Plan on about an hour total. Gift shop is small, many books, some art work, a few children's books. No clothing or jewelry.

Great place to learn about the beaches history, see exhibitions by local artists and get a guided tour of the historical buildings onsite and the story behind the Florida East Coast Railway.

My wife and I really enjoyed the museum. My personal favorite were the outside historical buildings. Reggie was a great tour guide and was very knowledgeable.

very interesting history of the area

Wonderful museum on the history of the area and on the history of swimsuits and lifeguards. Our docent, Reggie, was knowledgeable about the outbuildings he led us through. The buildings have been well preserved and maintained. The church was my favorite.

epic small museum with an epically preserved steam engine

I came here with my 4 grandchildren and my daughter. The docents were so engaging with the children and knowledgeable. Loved this historical gem and can't wait to go back when we can spend more time here.

The museum was great. My wife and I learned a lot about the area. The guide was outstanding,she was very knowledgeable.

Had a great experience with the staff giving us a tour outside and making us feel at home answering all of our questions. Highly recommended!

This was the first time i had Bern in this museum. I was there for the Fletcher High School All Class Block Party honoring the class of 1973. The weather started to get bad the afternoon of April 29th so they announced plans for inclement weather so they were prepared for it. The reunion started indoors and had several other places that attendees could get under when the rain came. The rain stopped about 7:45 and we were able to party outdoors. Since I was reconnecting with old classmates, I didn't get a chance to look at the museum exhibits but I plan on going back at a later date to go through the museum. There were only 2 things that I heard several people mention and one was the lack of food trucks. There was only 1 food truck so I don't know if the others cancelled due to bad weather or what. The lack of parking was a concern of mine. Saturday evening is a bad time for a party at the museum due to St. Paul's Catholic Church holding Mass. My sister and I got there early and had to park pretty close to 3rd Street. I'd like to thank the staff of the Beaches Museum for all the work they did for our reunion. Y'all did a great job!

We love to go when there's a kid friendly event. This last time is was Ride the Rails. The whole museum is free, with model trains and kid train rides. There's a locomotive they can climb into, a circa 1900 train station, a home around that time too. It's a great day outing!

Excellent history and very helpful staff. We've lived at the beaches for years and never went. So glad we did! Awesome history and an even deeper appreciation for the Beaches area.

Love it. Small but powerful place. Neva, our guide was very informative. Definitely going again before I leave Florida

The museum was closed but we walked around and looked at all the old buildings.

We came about 4pm, and the Museum was closed inside. So, better to come earlier.

Loved this museum. It was a nice little peek into the history of Jacksonville. Good place to take the kids. Admission is free, be sure to go into the main building to sign in so they can continue to get grants from the city to keep it going.

Enjoyed my visit this morning. The permanent exhibit makes good use of the limited floor area; ironically the "African American Experience" is as confined within the museum as the African American experience was in the community at large. The historical structures are interesting, the gardens add to the ambience. Will definitely be back.

Reggie was our guide. He is very knowledgeable of museum artifacts and local railroad history. Our friend with us is a retired CSX Train Engineer. My father and many family members had railroad jobs and experience. The museum reflects many thinks I remember from my early years about the B & O railroad in Washington Indiana. My wife and I appreciate seeing all the railroad history we seen today.