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St. Lucie Historical Society, Inc.

St. Lucie County  Historical Museum Guide

Visiting Exhibit  

“More than the Mouse: Florida Fun” 

A vibrant and amusing historical exhibit on Florida’s tourism, opens November 23, 2002

at the St. Lucie County Historical Museum. 

The exhibit by Homan & Reilly Designs of St. Petersburg, Florida, runs through May, 2003.

    Do you remember the old Florida attractions of yesteryear before Disney arrived in Orlando in the 1970’s?  Back then, tourists visited jungle gardens, Silver Springs, Weeki Wachee, and Six Gun Territory. They watched alligator wrestling, rode on the Jungle Queen boat, and swam in saltwater pools at motels in the Keys.

    “More than the Mouse: Florida Fun” highlights the story of the state’s tourism with colorful photographs, 3-D artifacts, text panels, and plenty of palm trees and fishing gear. And, of course, the exhibit wouldn’t be historically correct without plenty of souvenirs and colorful kitsch.

    The exhibit spans a time period from Florida’s early 1900’s  “tin can tourists” through the 1960’s when roadside stands taunted tourists with “Orange Juice--All You Can Drink 5 Cents” and every college student knew that spring break meant a trip to Fort Lauderdale.

    A multitude of posters demonstrate how Florida’s sunshine, warm winter weather, sandy beaches, theme parks, gardens, and roadside attractions have all lured millions of visitors here throughout the years. At the same time, the exhibit researches where all these tourists stayed each winter: for the rich and refined there were the Breakers and the Tampa Bay Hotel, and for the average middle-class tourists there were hotels, motels, rooming houses, or even campgrounds.

    The exhibit is fun, colorful, and entertaining—a visitor attraction in itself. So put on your sunglasses and your Lilly Pulitzer dress or your Bermuda shorts and Panama hat and head over to the museum’s newest special exhibit. 

The St. Lucie County Historical Museum is located at 414 Seaway Drive on the South Beach Causeway Park of Fort Pierce. Museum hours are Tuesday—Saturday 10 a.m.—4 p.m.  Sundays noon—4 p.m.

Please contact Anne Sinnott at (772) 462-1891 for photo ops, further information, or interview.

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