New Smyrna Museum of History

• 120 Sams Ave, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
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  (386) 478-0052
  

The New Smyrna Museum of History is located at 120 Sams Avenue in New Smyrna Beach. It is a small but engaging place that chronicles New Smyrna Beach’s surprisingly long history.
It is located in the heart of the Canal Street Historic District so a visit to the museum is easily paired with exploring the shops and galleries or grabbing a quick bite at one of the many eateries.

The museum itself is operated by the Southeast Volusia Historical Society (SVHS). The Southeast Volusia Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1982. Originally, the museum was located in Connor Library in the Old Fort Park before moving to the “Old Post Office” built in 1923 on Sams Avenue in 2003. It has been there ever since, fulfilling the mission of the Southeast Volusia Historical Society of collecting, archiving, and displaying public artifacts related to the Southeast Volusia County area.

Inside the museum you will find displays describing the lengthy timeline of New Smyrna Beach history. The city of NSB was founded in 1768 and is one of Florida’s oldest cities. Other sections of the museum describe the early settlers of the area and they even have a section on the history of surfing.

There is also a research library, the Sweett Exhibit which is an extensive collection of Native American artifacts found in New Smyrna and the archaeology lab which is not open to the public but still interesting to peek into as the archaeologists work to study and catalog local finds.

The museum is staffed by friendly and extremely knowledgeable volunteers. They also have a nice gift shop for guests to take home a piece of New Smyrna Beach history. The museum is open from 10 AM to 4 PM Tuesdays through Saturdays, and closed on Sundays and Mondays. Admission for adults 18+ is $8, for young adults 11-17 it is $5, kids 10 and under are free as well as Museum Members are free.

It is definitely worth a visit to learn more about New Smyrna Beach’s fascinating history!