Lots of History here on St Simon's Island. in regards to WWII. Aerial training, early Radar…read moreSchool, 85 Liberty ships build here

I recall the first time that went here was in 2019. My first visit was awesome and interesting…read more There's plenty of parking here and this museum is close to a beach as well. This museum is full of WWII history and items as well. Another awesome thing about this facility is that is in front of a lighthouse, and I do believe that there are a total of 130 steps to get to the top. If you love learning about military history like I do, then I highly recommend this place. Also, if you have the strength and stamina to climb those lighthouse stairs, then I highly recommend taking a tour of the lighthouse as well. I plan on visiting again sometime this year.

When lighthouses were essential, the operators and their families would live within the lighthouse…read more Visiting the St. Simons lighthouse gives you an insight on the family's daily life, and the fact that this was a comfortable and well equipped home. There is also a nice shop attached for mementos from your visit.

This was a fun way to spend a hour or so and get a lot of history of the island. They actually let…read moreyou go up the lighthouse steps (129 stairs) so you can experience the life of keeper. It's a spiraling staircase that has some landings along the way so you can rest or stretch. But it's the coming down that is a little harder. The spiraling stairs are more disorienting coming down, so take your time. After that there are a few rooms of pertinent information and then they have four rooms upstairs that show what life was life back then. Each room was recreated with artifacts of the time period...and there was a little interactive tablets that explain the different items in the room. A definite stop if you're visiting the island.

Had a wonderful time stopping into the Queen Little town of St. Mary's. While we were here we…read morestopped by the submarine museum and loved it. So much history in one building. I feel like anyone could enjoy this place, but especially those who have been in the Navy. You have to check this place out!

Very accessible, interesting and informative. Well worth the small admission price. Added bonus for…read morepeople with disabilities or the elderly, there is a chairlift to go upstairs.

Family went over memorial weekend. There were quite a few interactive exhibits that didn't work…read more The 3rd floor was closed down and the 2nd floor near the planetarium didn't make sense. You can tell the museum is closing down. The shows in the planetarium were great. They were very educational and entertaining. Other than that my other favorite part was the "Currents of Time." Seeing the evolution of the Jacksonville area. I definitely will check out the new location once it's done.

What a happy celebration day for the museum as they transition to a bigger and modern caliber for…read morethe city. I learned that the museum of science is expanding to a new home and it will take some years for the official move and space. Throughout my travels , looking for staples in the community that offer hands on learning, family friendly spaces, and a budgeted treat truly takes time to explore. Today I walked through showcases filled with history from the Victorian era; some relics were plants and photos from the 1970! I hadn't been inside a planetarium in a few years and you still appreciate the wonder when you hear children awe at the science and story telling in front of their eyes. All the staff were incredible , helping answer and questions they had- a major shout out to Vystar credit union as a volunteer partner making the day impactful for the masses. Go visit your museum- science centers- arts locations as we are continuously evolving in science and expanding our living history. Today was special!

I went on a free tour of Sally Dark Rides and left feeling like my mind was blown. First of all - I…read morehad no idea this was a huge warehouse in Downtown Jacksonville. Nor did I realize most of the dark rides across the whole world are created and developed here! It was amazing!! Our tour guide led us through the building while showing us all of the stages of creating an epic dark ride. This made me think about amusement parks in a whole different way. The tour was about an hour and was very informative. We asked lots of questions and met people from different departments along the way. Highly recommend booking a free tour and checking this out. It would be great for kids as well!

I need to start b my saying that this part of our trip to Florida was not planned! My 11 yo LOVES…read moreanimatronics, most especially, Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF). He originally wanted to visit a much smaller place in Orlando, which is a one man operation charging $375. It was a bit too far and too expensive for what it was so I decided to do my own research of places he would love, Sally Corporation became the place. I filled out the reservation form online and was told there were no spots available during our time in Florida. I couldn't take no for an answer. I emailed back explaining how much my son wants to be a Robotics Engineer and that we would wait as long as we needed to snag a spot. We got an email back the next day that two spots opened up!!! We made our way downtown and parked for free in the back. We entered to learn that the tour was also FREE...FREE! This facility is HUGE! They are arguably the largest producer of Dark Ride Amusements in the US and don't just make the robotic aspect of the animatronics, but they handle EVERY aspect of the creation and completion. From make up, costumes, design, voices, all of that! We were thrilled to see they had a...yep...FIVE NIGHTS OF FREDDY'S attraction! If you've ever been to he Ripley's in San Antonio, you will see one of their biggest sellers there, a ginormous T-Rex, that's their baby that sells for $90,000! The tour takes you to each department and you are truly immersed in their production. It is an working operation so you get to see the people behind the scenes at work, which was SO DAMN INSPIRING for my 11 yo who has told me for 4 TM years that this is what he wants to do in life. He got to see what his future could be like, which is absolutely priceless. The staff, facilities, location, displays, animatronics, all were 5 stars! Hands down a MUST when in Jacksonville! Come for a 10 or 11am tour and then take the FREE Skyway (Tram) to Hemming Park and Check our Sweet Peet's. Your kids will have the best day ever!

The setting is beautiful- near the beach The volunteer in the house was a wealth of knowledge. So…read moreinteresting how close the USCG center used to be to the inlet but with time, it is so much farther away. The info about the liberty ships, the blimps, and the amount of soldiers lost on Coastal Georgia was amazing. The information regarding the Black Outs was new to me and learning loose lips may sink ships came from this WW2 movement in coastal Georgia was interesting. The community spirit was alive and reading the room and doing the interactive games for identifying planes and navigating the blimp put us right there. We enjoyed the boathouse and the center visit. It was informative and the volunteers who are there are a wealth of knowledge and they make it even better.

This is an incredibly important part of World War II that many people aren't aware of. The Germans…read moreruthlessly attacked merchant ships along the East Coast of the US and even came onto our shores. They turned the old Coast Guard Station into a museum. Definitely worth the stop!

We've been multiple times on different days at different times. Our first visit there were quite a…read morelot of children considering Piper's place touts interactive play that is good for children needing sensory play. It can get quite loud, especially when they're at max capacity. And there is not a quiet zone like some places have. At the first visit I saw two workers going around wiping down toys and touch points for germs, which was very nice. The following two visits I did not see that. If you want to be sure, your child isn't being pushed or bullied you have to watch out for the parents who just sit there on their phones, which I suppose it's normal for any setting where kids play. I was frustrated one day, when I called to see if they were open, and I was told to make a reservation to play because when they are at max capacity, they will turn people away. I found that frustrating because I have been there when they were very easily 20 children with hardly any room to play. They have a membership program but not sure if the value is good. They also have a place for parties, but I have not known anyone to do a party there. I wouldn't necessarily call this place a "discovery museum", where kids can learn, there are play centers with dress up, and there is a wind tube and a vacuum tube, but the majority of the time seems like kids go down the slide into the ball pit or ride around on the little play carts they have.

If you're a history lover and in the area, you can't miss the Amelia Island Museum of History -…read morewhich is housed in the old historic jail building. THe museum itself isn't the largest but you'll be very surprised at just how much has gone down on this small island on the edge of the Georgia/Florida state line. If it's any indication of just how tumultuous this area was - 7 distinct flags have flown over the island throughout written history. From natives to pirates to Spaniards and Confederates and everyone in between - there's a lot more to Amelia Island than just million dollar beach homes and waterside dining. Admission is $10 for adults. Make sure that you arrive with enough time to enjoy one of the complimentary docent tours. It's included with your museum admission so to not take advantage is a big missed opportunity. The tour we had lasted over 1 hour and in that time our guide covered essentially most things you would learn from reading the exhibit displays but with added insight. As an added bonus, there is a parking lot attached to the museum and plenty of street parking as well. I'd recommend starting your Amelia Island vacation with a trip to the museum so you can appreciate the historical footsteps you're walking in while on the island.

Worth a stop if you want to learn the history of beautiful Amelia island !…read more The Amelia Island Museum of History offers a well done look at the island's past, from the Timucua Indians to Spanish and French explorers and even pirates. The exhibits are interesting and well presented, with videos and displays that make the history come to life ! There is a docent led tour, which is included with admission. Tours run Monday-Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., and they add great context and storytelling to the exhibits. Fun extras: there's a pressed penny machine for collectors and a passport stamps if you're tracking your travels. There's also a nicely stocked gift shop . Plan to spend at least 30 minutes here, though history lovers could easily stay longer depending on how much reading you want to do. Plenty of parking makes the visit even easier.

Great time walking the halls and decks of "The Gray Ghost of the Vietnam War"…read more Cost was $22 for my wife and I combined to go on a self guided tour through the ship. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and kind. You could be through and done in 20 min or take your time and be there a couple hours.

The USS Orleck Naval Museum is definitely a must when visiting Jacksonville!…read more This amazing museum is located at the old shipyard (pretty close to the baseball stadium). They have their own free parking for up to two hours. However, there's not many spots so I would recommend coming early. We visited on a Saturday morning and we were the first ones there. The people volunteering were amazing and gave us the full story behind the ship. After learning from them, I felt like we had an even better understanding of the things we were learning from the self-guided tour. One cool thing compared to other ships turned into museums, if that this one actually had a lot of interactive elements. However, keep in mind that some of the videos and sounds can be very loud, so if you are with someone sensitive to loud sounds, perhaps skip those. At the end of the tour they have a small gift shop with some cool items, included ship coins (in case there are any collectors out there). They also had the Navy 250th anniversary coin, which I thought was really cool.