Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum - Boca Grande, FL
Posted by: crackergals
N 26° 43.056 W 082° 15.643
17R E 374600 N 2955777
A very interesting local history and lighthouse museum on Gasparilla Island - Boca Grande, FL
Waymark Code: WM6550
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 04/05/2009
Views: 10
In 1989 a small group of local citizens formed the Barrier Island Parks Society (BIPS), a non-profit, citizen support organization which directly supports our affiliated island state parks including Gasparilla, Cayo Costa, Don Pedro and Stump Pass, their lighthouses, ehibits, personnel and natural assets. Our commintment is to conserve and preserve the environment and our local history through outreach and education.. The group's stated purposed included the installation of a museum of local history in the lighthouse, a goal that was realized 10 years later, in March 1999, when the building opened to the public the Boca Grande Lighthouse Museum. The lighthouse and museum are located inside Gasparilla Island State Park and are operated and maintained by BIPS. ( visit link) There is a $3.50 toll to get onto the island and $2.00 per vehicle parking fee to enter Gasparilla Island State Park. The museum suggests a donation of $2.00 per person to offset operating expenses.
Theme: Exhibits in the museum include displays on the Native Americans who first visited these shores, the Spanish who arrived in the 1500s, the local fishing industry, the history of the lighthouse, the development of the railroad, Port Boca Grande and the town of Boca Grande, tarpon fishing, and the geology, flora and fauna of the Charlotte Harbor estuary. Included in your visit are the incomparable views of the Gulf of Mexico, Boca Grande Pass and Charlotte Harbor.
Street Address: Gasparilla Island State Park. Boca Grande, FL
Gift Shop: yes
Hours of Operation: November - May
Open 7 days a week
Monday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
June - July
September - October
Open 5 days a week
Wednesday - Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12noon - 4pm
The museum is closed the entire month of August and the following major holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The lighthouse is accessible to people with disabilities.
Cost: 2.00 (listed in local currency)
Museum Size: Small
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
Food Court: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions: In order to log this waymark in this category, you must be able to provide proof of your visit. Please post a picture of yourself or your GPSr in front some identifiable feature or point of interest either in the museum, or on the museum grounds.
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