For the first time all three of Carrabelle’s fascinating museums are participating in Smithsonian’s Museum Day Live! on Saturday, September 23 with FREE admission and extended hours from 10 am to 5 pm. Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum, Crooked River Lighthouse, and Carrabelle History Museum will also have special activities and exhibits for this special promotion including Camp Gordon Johnston’s WWII military vehicles, an exhibit about historic trains and steamboats at the Carrabelle History Museum and 103’ tower climbs at the Crooked River Lighthouse.

Smithsonian recognizes the extraordinary power of museums to provide visitors with insight and inspiration. Over 200,000 people downloaded tickets for last year’s event, and this year’s event is expected to attract more museum-goers than ever before.

Additional details on the exhibits and promotions for Smithsonian magazine’s 13^th Annual Museum Day Live!

Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum

Authentic Army training films taken throughout Franklin County during WWII will be shown. These provide a wonderful illustration of what the area was like back in the 1940s. WWII and antique military vehicles will be on display and military veterans will be on hand. This event will also serve as a fond farewell to the current location in the City Complex as the museum prepares to move into its brand new museum facility across from Carrabelle Beach.

Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum honors the soldiers, sailors and other military as well as civilian personnel who trained and worked in Carrabelle and Franklin County during the WWII years. Camp Gordon Johnston Museum houses over 5,000 square feet of military artifacts, vehicles, photos and memorabilia and is currently located within the Carrabelle City Complex, 1001 Gray Avenue, Carrabelle, FL

Carrabelle History Museum

Ray Andersen, a local professional artist, will be at the museum from 10 am-12 noon working on a beautiful, historical mural of Carrabelle\'s working waterfront circa 1880-1920. This large painting in progress depicts a time when lumber, seafood, turpentine and people all met at the waterfront. Visitors will can meet and talk with Ray about the mural and watch as he brings Carrabelle’s history back to life. In addition, the museum will have a temporary exhibit showcasing the railroad and steamboats of Carrabelle’s heritage. The fascinating history of the transportation of a bygone era along with the music and sounds that reflect the lives of the working class people of those times will be featured.

The Carrabelle History Museum also features artifacts and exhibits on Carrabelle\'s Native American people, the Steamship “Tarpon”, the original “World’s Smallest Police Station”, Carrabelle industry and culture (seafood, logging, and gas stations) and Carrabelle families from the pioneer days to the present. The Carrabelle History Museum is located at 106 Avenue B, SE, Carrabelle, FL.

Crooked River Lighthouse

Staff and volunteers will be offering a wonderful lantern-making workshop at the Keeper’s House from 1-4:30 pm. Materials, instruction and hands-on help will be provided to make some unique, colorful lanterns for just a $5 donation. At the end, attendees will get to take their own finished lantern home with them.

Additionally during this event, FREE lighthouse tower climbs will be available to children (ages 12 and under) and to members. Adult climbs are available for just a $5 donation. All lighthouse tower climbs are from 1- 4 pm.

The history and the science of the Crooked River Lighthouse are interpreted with intriguing exhibits, including a historical setting of the early 1900’s, examples of beacons and the methods of constructing a skeletal tower lighthouse. The original Keeper’s House clocks, a barometer, a glass fire grenade, and more. Also on the grounds, a nice park picnic area features picnic tables, picnic shelters and a small playground. Crooked River Lighthouse is located at 1975 Hwy 98 West, Carrabelle, FL.

The Museum Day Live! ticket is available for download at Smithsonian.com/museumday. Visitors who present the Museum Day Live! ticket will gain free entrance for two. One ticket per email address is permitted. For more information about Museum Day Live! 2017 and a full list of participating museums and cultural institutions, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.