An old cottage, mangrove, former ice house & jail make up the island historical site & museum…read more This free museum building from 1920 was originally an icehouse. It went on to serve as an automotive garage, a sea turtle hatchery, & a public administration building. In 1992, the City of Anna Maria turned it into a Historical Society for use as a museum. The Historical Park is the site of a fresh water well established on the Island. Then it became a park used for picnics in the early 1900s. The Historical Park is now planted with drought & disease resistant native plants. The goal of this park is to educate everyone about native plants & provide an example of eco-friendly landscaping. The one room city jail was built in 1927 to "quarter rowdies" who had had a bit too much to drink at the local tavern & dance hall. It was used until the 1940s, when it caught fire. The wooden roof burned away, but the original structure remains. The city decided to use the old jail as a photo op for visitors, so it was left standing & painted with its current slogan. Strangely, this is one of the most photographed attractions on the Island & you know I could not resist.

This is a nice little spot to catch up on the history of this beautiful island getaway we call Anna…read moreMaria Island. We didn't get to go into the actual Historical Museum Building, but we did explore the few areas on ground. First we viewed the Old Jail. Hard to imagine this actually was a jail in the 1920's for the loud drink crazy people. They had bars so they could not get out, but the ceiling was exposed so they could get badly bitten by the bugs. It is now known as the number one place to get pics on AMI. We then checked out the old cottage. This cottage was called Belle Haven. It was built in 1920 on the City Pier down the street, but it fell in the Bay. They decided to include it in the Historical Society for Anna Maria Island. It reflects what cottages looked like back in the day. You can peak through the window which I did. Lastly is the mangroves. This use to be a park for picnics in the 1920's. This is a nice spot to check out history. It is small and just right.

I would have loved if we could have gone inside the museum... that's what the 1 star knocked off is…read morefor. But the rest of the grounds and displays were great! The beachfront walking trail and the story of deSoto's history from Spain described in full detail... I was not excited to hear how some of the horses had to be killed and eaten for survival purposes ... But back in the day, almost 500 years ago, I guess emergency survival food and water kits weren't readily available. Good idea to keep in your car, along with some TP. I would love to kayak around here. The water and the view were beautiful! There is a long route and a short route for walking, you also will learn about the different types of mangroves and other Florida native plants/trees. Definitely worth another visit, hopefully when the museum is open again, but my understanding is there's no one even answering the phones (even at the number on the sandwich board as you enter the park) so you'll never know when they will reopen.

This site is still undergoing reconstruction after the storm damage in 2024 but the trails are open…read moreand a limited number of events are being staged on some weekends. The Spanish explorer De Soto landed near Tampa Bay in 1539 hoping to find gold, bring religion to the indigenous Americans and claim land for Spain. De Soto died from disease in 1542 never having found the gold he was seeking. The survivors of his expedition eventually reached the Mississippi river and set sail for the Caribbean in 1543. This National Monument is dedicated to him and has a nice hiking trail through the mangroves here. There are also two privately funded monuments dedicated to the religious personnel who accompanied De Soto on his voyage to America. Free admission and parking. The visitor center is still closed but porta johns are available.

John came for our friend's bachelorette and we had a TIME!!! Hilarious and adapted to our crazy…read moresetting of 12 tipsy women. He made it special for our bride and the tricks were amazing! He also pulled through with Girl Scout cookies at the end!! Shout out his lovely daughter for those!

Thank you for such a wonderful evening. it was a lot of fun. Its the perfect way to keep the crowd…read moreentertained.

I was excited to hear that 30 original paintings by the Florida Highwaymen were being exhibited…read morehere from June 14th through August 12th. Not only that but they are all placed in the different cottages/buildings on the park's grounds. Thy have a wonderfully restored 1880 post office, a 1910 cottage that a military family lived in a a 1900 house, to name a few. They are full of antiques, photos and at least three Highwaymen paintings. The main building houses tons of agricultural exhibits, tracing the role of farming in Manatee County from the 1840's on. It's all free too!! Our tour guide, Mandy, took us through each building, always with an interesting story about the place or the people who lived there. We ended at the 1918 Carnegie library, now a museum/document center which has records going back to 1840. Delightful way to spend an afternoon.

I stumbled upon this spot by accident and was so happy I did. It's such a relaxing spot with…read morejetties and small beach access. Small parking lot, but the spots freed up quickly as many people didn't stay long. I recommend stopping here if you're looking for a more quiet beach spot away from the crowds.

Anna Maria City Pier, is currently locked. But you can still enjoy the views from either side of…read morethe pier. There also a walking path, that leads to Bayshore.There is plentiful of parking!

Dj was a great guide for our group. Went into detail about all the different species, had…read moreextensive information on a few of them and he seemed to enjoy his job. This was a great experience with some opportunities to hold some of the stars at Croc Encounters. I definitely would recommend.

Loved our tour with DJ. He was a great guide and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this…read moretour. I would take other guests again.

Frame and matting were a great match for my dad's WWII Army enlistment photos. The price was…read morereasonable as well.

I own a frame shop in Fountain Valley, CA and an item we shipped slipped and needed to be…read morereattached and handled very carefully. They did a wonderful job, and even let the client bring the art and wait while they fixed it. Highly recommend their efficient, professional and quality work!