United States of America
The Florida Maritime Museum is a museum, sponsored by Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Courts, located on almost 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land known as the Cortez Nature Preserve within the historic fishing village of Cortez, Florida. It is open Tuesday-Friday and every second and fourth Saturday of the m
onth from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The museum tells a number of stories pertaining to all aspects of Florida's maritime history. Exhibits include historic photographs, boat models, tools, instruments, and other historic artifacts. The museum also features a large collection of shells from the Gulf of Mexico and a research library with a variety of books, plans, logs, diaries, periodicals, letters, records and related archival material whose content is relevant to research concerning maritime subjects, with special emphases on Florida's Gulf Coast. The museum is also home to The Folk School, which teaches traditional Florida maritime skills and folk art. The museum is housed in a 1912 schoolhouse building at 4415 119th Street West. Other historic structures located on the site include the 1890 Burton/Bratton Store, a wooden cistern, and the 1907 Pillsbury Boatshop.
Listen to the audio guide for Florida Maritime Museum Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off