Mission

 

The mission of The Anna Maria Island Historical Society is to enrich the community by preserving and sharing the history of our Island and its three cities, making it come alive to residents and visitors.

 

About the Museum

 

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 Anna Maria 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!

 

Museum Hours

January-April: Tues.-Sat. 10am to 4pm

May-December: Tues.-Sat. 10am to 1pm

Closed the month of September.

Admission is free! Donations are greatly appreciated.

 

Further Resources

 

Historic City Tour brochures are available in our gift shop (they're free!) for each of the three cities - Anna Maria, Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach.

You can download a PDF version of the City Tour brochures here:

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There are many wonderful historical buildings in the cities and not all could be included in the brochures. A list of additional sites can be downloaded by clicking the brown button below:

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This tour was created for AMIHS by Kathryn Rohlwing, Univeristy of Florida intern.

 

View photographs of objects in our collection and of documents in our archives on eHive.

 

Keep up-to-date with our latest activities by liking the Anna Maria Island Historical Society page on Facebook and Instagram page.

Watch oral histories about Anna Maria Island on our YouTube Channel.

 

A calendar of city events that includes museum events can be viewed on the Anna Maria Island Chamber of Commerce website.

 

We greatly appreciate Google and TripAdvisor reviews. Thank you to all the wonderful visitors who have reviewed us! We have received a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor and we are now #5 in the list of top 12 things to do in Anna Maria.