:: BEACHES AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY - EDUCATION & TOURS ::

Educational Programs and Group Tours

We present educational programming and group tours about our community for all age levels, from school children to visitors and longtime residents. We offer interactive, informative and fun opportunities for you to discover the area’s heritage through exhibits and firsthand accounts which bring the rich history of the Beaches communities to life.

If your school group would like to enjoy lunch during your visit, we have several picnic tables available in Pablo Historical Park. We also offer breakfast, lunch and tea for adult tours by reservation only. Please inform us about any special needs or assistance you may require.

To schedule your group program, contact our Program Specialist at (904) 241-5657 ext. 104.

Educational Programs

Pablo Pals Preschool Programs

Down at the Station (ages 3 – 5 years)

Do your children love trains? Let them experience the time when the railroad ran through town. They will get to ring the bell on a real steam locomotive and learn about what life was like during the turn of the century as they tour Pablo Historical Park. We will sing a song about the railroad, read “The Little Engine That Could” and make a train whistle to take home. Your little engineers will want to make tracks to visit again and again!

Program fee: $3.00 per child (minimum of 15 children)
Teacher and bus driver admitted free - $3 fee for each chaperone
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours

ABCs of Beaches History (ages 3 – 5 years)
Our youngest visitors will enjoy this fun learning experience as they visit the Beaches Museum & History Center. Using our Big Alphabet Book, they’ll learn the ABCs in a brand new way – with each letter telling a little bit about the First Coast history. During a tour of the “Shore Stories” exhibition, the children will search for objects that begin with specific letters and make an alphabet-related craft.

Program fee: $3.00 per child (minimum of 15 children)
Teacher and bus driver admitted free - $3 fee for each chaperone
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours

All Aboard: Living and Working on the Railroad (Grades 1– 5)
Take a step back in time to learn about transportation and railroading in pioneer Florida. Bring the past to life as you visit the Florida East Coast Railroad Foreman’s House, the Mayport Depot and a 1911 steam locomotive at Pablo Historical Park. Experience what life was like living at the beach during the 1900s while working for the railroad. Learn what Henry Flagler’s railroad did for Jacksonville, its Beaches and all of Florida!

Program fee: $4.00 per child (minimum of 15 children)
Teacher and bus driver admitted free - $3 fee for each chaperone
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours

Shore Stories: Step by Step (grades 1 – 8)
Stroll through history with this guided tour of “Shore Stories: Down the Boardwalk.” An introductory video provides an overview of earlier times; from the Timucua, the Native Americans who inhabited these shores, to the colonial powers of France, Spain, and Britain. Down the boardwalk, students will learn about each of the six beach communities: the people, buildings, and events that made them unique. They will gain insight into the historical themes that tie them all together. From the coming of the railroad, and the construction of the jetties to the sinking of the Gulf America during World War II, these shores tell stories that fascinate students.

This program also includes an in-depth tour of the temporary exhibitions in the Dickinson and Hallway Galleries.

Program fee: $4.00 per child (minimum of 15 children)
Teacher and bus driver admitted free - $3 fee for each chaperone
Length of Program: 1 to 1.5 hours

Program specific curriculum guides will be mailed to all teachers who schedule their classes for the “All Aboard” and “Shore Stories” educational programs. The guides are generally designed for 1st through 8th grade teachers and features pre- and post- visit lesson plans and activities designed to meet FCAT benchmarks and Sunshine State Standards.

Be a History Sleuth Summer Camp Program
The Beaches Museum & History Center is a destination site for summer camp programs. Area camps are invited to bring campers to the museum for a fun, learning experience.

The program includes tours of all of the Museum galleries and Pablo Historical Park where they solve a history mystery while searching for clues. Students create an old-fashioned craft to take home as part of their visit.

We encourage summer camp directors to call the museum as early as their schedule permits, as space fills up quickly.

Program fee: $4.00 per child (minimum of 15 children)
Teacher and bus driver admitted free - $2 fee for each chaperone
Length of Program: 2 to 2.5 hours

Adult Group Tours

Our Menu of Opportunities

The Main Course

The Entrée

This general museum program include exhibition galleries and guided tours of historic buildings

Program Fee: $7.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)

Length of program: 2 hours

Just a Slice

Pick between a tour of the exhibition galleries inside the Museum or a guided tour of the historic buildings.

Program Fee: $5.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)

Length of program: 1 hour

The Combo Meal

A behind the scenes tour that includes the General Museum Program plus a personal visit with the Collections Manager and the Archivist to the Museum’s storage areas that are usually closed to the general public.

Program Fee: $8.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)

Length of program: 3 hours

Armchair Appetizer

A slide presentation hosted by the Museum’s Executive Director depicting over 500 years of First Coast Beaches history.

Program Fee: $4.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)
Length of program: 1 hour
And you may want to add one or more of the following…

Desserts

The Boxed Lunch

Lunch at the museum includes your choice of tuna or chicken salad, roll, fruit cup, cookies and iced tea.

Cost: $10.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)

Afternoon Tea

This European tradition consists of hot or cold tea and good old-fashioned baked goods.

Cost: $5.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)

Florida Brunch

Breakfast at the museum includes coffee, Florida orange juice and morning muffins.

Cost: $5.00 per person (minimum of 15 adults)