The house of refuge is one of Stuarts most historical sites! The House of Refuge near Gilbert's Bar, in Stuart Florida, is the oldest structure in Martin County. It's the only remaining House of Refuge of the original ten built by the U.S. government along the Florida coast in the late 1800s to shelter shipwrecked sailors and travelers. These houses provided food, shelter, and assistance to those stranded due to storms or other maritime disasters. The Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge played a crucial role in saving lives during a time when shipwrecks were common along the treacherous Florida coastline. read more

My wife and I were looking for something to do with our kiddo and stumbled upon this place. We have driven by this place for years not noticing it was there. We always thought it was just an entrance to the beach but to our surprise, it was more than that. Once you park, there are a few parking spaces labeled specifically for this museum. Entrance is right next to the parking. You start at the first little house where you'll get a video about the place itself and its history before you start the tour. Once you start the tour you can visit the actual refuge house and find a collection of antiques artifacts, walks along the house while reading and learning about its history, the Georges Valentine shipwreck and Don Pedro Gilbert. You can also visit the Quarters, stroll around the garden in the back facing the street and the lagoon, snap some pictures on the benches or swing on the rocking chairs while facing the beach, enjoying the breeze and counting the ships and boats you can find. Our toddler enjoyed playing with the helm by the rocking chairs and pointing at everything he saw Behind the House of Refuge there is a nice spot to take pictures by the rocks and the beach. We witnessed a small wedding ceremony during our visit, right by the watch tower. Overall it was a great time for the 3 of us and a good way to spend our Saturday. I'm glad we found this small place and learned so much about the Hutchinson Island history. read more

A great piece of Coast Guard and Florida history. This is located off the beaten path. It is associated with the Elliott museum and is located about 2 miles or a 5 minute car ride from the main museum. You can buy a combination ticket to see the Elliott and the House of Refuge museum. I think that is the best deal. You can coordinate for a museum staff member to drive you over and back. It was a good deal and very convenient. I would recommend going to the Elliott first and then the House of Refuge. You could drive yourself but there are very few parking spaces at the Refuge. The house is the only one of the original 10 houses built by Florida to helped shipwrecked people along Florida's east Coast. You enter through the house by the small parking lot. The staff was very friendly. The entrance house serves as a ticket booth, a waiting area and a gift shop all in one. The small set of structures is located right on the beach and offers a lovely view. They have you start at the third house where a volunteer shows a movie and then describes more about the history of the people and the structures. The next house has individual rooms that describe each period in the history of the house. Overall, it was a very nice visit to a structure that is key in describing the true initial Coast Guard history. read more

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Ok, history buffs, this is one to visit! It's so cool to be standing on this property on Hutchinson Island and be able to see the ocean so close on each side of the island. There is also cool limestone reaching out to the ocean next to this property. Makes for great ocean pictures. This and other houses like it were built in 1875 to aid shipwrecked survivors on this once desolated barrier island. It is amazing to see this wooden house still standing after all of Florida's storms. We made the trek out here during the week. It was a clear day so the drive over the bridge was magnificent. You can visit this and the Elliott Museum on one visit. You will be shown a short history video before a guide takes you over to the house. This is one of the freebies for our NARM card. What an excellent, educational visit! read more

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So much history and interesting facts can be found at House of Refuge! I'm glad we made the stop. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the historical events and structure of the home. There are also beautiful views of the beach. Tip: Buy the combo tickets that include admission to the Elliot Museum. read more

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This was my first time here with my ten age son. Admission was ten dollars. The person at the front Deb was amazing. We had an amazing tour guide who taught us so much about the history of this house. He was amazing. He educated us and let us roam the beautiful property on our own. The property is so beautiful. Looking over the ocean. There is so much history here. Both of us were so amazed about all we have learned. I would recommend this part of history to everyone. read more

Ever since I discovered a historical marker in Delray Beach that marked the place a House of Refuge once stood I have wanted to visit one. The Houses of Refuge were federally operated life saving stations that were built on the beach so that the keeper could rescue ship wreck victims during a time period when the main form of travel and hauling goods was by ship. The houses were spread along Florida's coast and were often very isolated. The house that was near me, the Orange Grove House of Refuge was the last place barefoot mailman Ed Hamilton spent the night before he disappeared forever into the Hillsboro inlet. What exactly happened to him is a mystery that has never been solved. The House at Gilbert's Bar was one of ten built on the coast of Florida and the only one to remain in existence. Built in 1876 it is the oldest structure in Martin County. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The building was constructed of Florida Pine and designed to withstand hurricanes. With the amount of hurricanes in Florida it is a miracle that this building survived. Today the structure is owned by the Martin County Historical Society. In addition to the house they operate a small gift shop on the premises. I was finally able to pay a visit on December 9th at the annual holiday open house. Admission was free from 1 to 3:30 PM. The house is located on a part of the beach called St. Lucie Rocks which is an outcropping of Anastasia limestone. The house is between the ocean on one side and the Indian River Lagoon on the other. For the event the house was decorated with old fashioned Christmas decorations and the volunteers served homemade cookie and cider. You can tour the kitchen, dining room, parlor, and bedroom. Underneath the living quarters was a boathouse where the rescue boats were stored. It is now a small museum. The interior of the house is preserved to look like it did when the keeper lived there in 1904 which was the year that keeper Captain William E. Rea was able to rescue seven survivors from the shipwreck the Georges Valentine. During the same storm Rea also rescued 15 survivors from the Spanish wreck of the Cosme Calzado. In later years the house became a Coast Guard Station. During WWII a lookout tower was constructed as a place to scout for German submarines. I had a great time visiting this important part of Florida history. In addition to serving as a museum the house also hosts weddings. Throughout the year the Historical Society holds lectures and art exhibits. A complete listing can be found on the website dedicated to the house. If you are in the area I highly recommend a stop to learn about Florida's pioneers and pirates. read more

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The House of Refuge is a very interesting little museum. Our tour guide was very nice and pleasant although he wasn't the most knowledgeable of guides. Overall, his tour was pretty good despite the fact that he seemed a little light on details and couldn't answer some of our questions. This is a well preserved site and is the last remaining House of Refuge. There were originally 10 of them built between 1874 and 1884 by the U. S. Lifesaving Service. The Lifesaving Service and the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service merged in the early 1900's to form the U. S. Coast Guard. read more

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Along a relatively sparse stretch of beach is the House of Refuge museum, definitely a must see if you are in the Stuart area. The house was built in the 1870s, back when the area had virtually no settlers and Florida was the frontier, and served shipwrecked sailors. The house shows you a way of life unimaginable in today's society of convenience. Many original household items from the scores of caretakers and sailors over the years are on display. I highly recommend the tour, as the staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about this Florida treasure. Pack a picnic and sit along the rocky bluffs, watching the waves roll in. read more

House of Refuge - Beachview - Museums Near Me - Stuart, Florida

This is an awesome place for history buffs! We absolutely enjoyed our visit here and learned a great deal from Tom about the house and the events and people that were involved in this amazing House of Refuge. The location is just beautiful and I would definitely love to come back for one of their meetings to learn more! read more

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The House of Refuge had so much history to learn about.The location is absolutely beautiful! Great day. read more

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Awesome place to run away to. Full of history and located on a beautiful and serene beach. Plenty of shells to collect. The rocks are great for photo oops and sitting next to the water. Well the ones with flat surfaces. Great area for fishing as well or simply just sit and relax and have the waves wash away all of your worries. I love it here. Out of Jensen and Stuart beach I prefer here! read more

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This is a very cool place to visit lots of history and last place of it kind on our Florida coastline. However, the county is not funding it adequately. It is very rundown and in need of major TLC. Hope county commissioner Doug Smith can find ways to appropriate funds to preserve this historical site with a very rich history. It is a shame to see it go downhill. The 2 gentlemen who run it have ask numerous times for assistance but apparently it goes on deaf ears. . Come on Marion county do something proactive! read more

Linda was wonderful. She gave us a funny and knowledgeable background history of Gilbert's Bar house of Refuge Museum. If you get a chance stop by it's worth the trip !!!! read more

This is a small, very interesting museum. I had driven by the museum many times and did not take the time to stop. Mistake. This is a unique,sole surviving moment in Floridas history . Worth stopping by. There is something here to be of interest to everyone in the family. read more

This museum is a must! Our tour guide was very informative. The entire facility is kept up & all the exhibits are very interesting. The gift shop is very nice, too. I would recommend it for teens & older. read more

Great place with a great story. Worth a visit for sure. Lots of local history. Enjoyed the shipwreck features.

This place is a real surprise in the middle of South Florida. It was enlightening to hear about Black Bears that once roamed Hutchinson Island. It is quite old and has a beautiful ocean view. Amazing to think that this one building was the only refuge for miles for stranded ships in the late 1800s, when today the nearest strip mall is practically a few miles up the road. This find is along one of South Florida's most beautiful drives, too. read more

For any who are interested in Florida nautical history, this is a gem as its the last remaining House of Refuge of the 10 that used to line the Atlantic Coast in Florida. These were built in the 1870s to provide food, clothing and medical care for survivors of shipwrecks along the Florida coast. Staffed by its professional "Keeper" Linda and knowledgible volunteers, the Museum gives tours of the house and its historic exhibits that cover much of Florida's nautical history including Gilbert the Pirate, shipwrecks and rescues, absorption into the US Coast Guard and Naval Service during the two world wars, offshore German U-Boats, sea turtle rescue and most recently historic preservation. They also host an interesting series of morning and evening lectures during the winter season. read more