What is a Museum?

A museum is a place where special objects are kept. Whether a “museum” is a shoebox filled with personal treasures or a huge, official building filled with priceless works of art, these spaces and places have objects that are believed to be important.

Collections and exhibits in a museum reflect the many choices of what to include in the museum and what had to be left out. Museums take great care to preserve and protect the items so that they can be enjoyed and shared by others for a long time.

African American Museum of the Arts, 325 South Clara Avenue, DeLand, Florida, (386) 736-4004 Map

Atlantic Center for the Arts, 1414 Art Center Avenue New Smyrna Beach, Florida, (386) 427-6975 Map

Brevard Art Museum, 1463 Highland Avenue, Melbourne, Florida,
(321) 242-0737 Map

Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, 227 E. Kennedy Blvd., Eatonville, Florida, (407) 647-3307 Map

Museum of Arts & Sciences, 352 S Nova Rd., Daytona Beach, Florida,
(386) 255-0285 Map

Museum of Florida Art, 600 N. Woodland Boulevard, DeLand, Florida,
(386) 734-4371 Map

Orlando Museum of Art, 2416 North Mills Ave., Orlando, Florida,
(407) 896-4231 Map

Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens 78 East Granada Boulevard, Ormond Beach, Florida, (386) 676-3347 Map

Southeast Museum of Photography Daytona State College, 1200 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, Florida, (386) 506 4475 Map

Science Museums:

Air Force Space & Missile Museum, 191 Museum Circle, Patrick AFB, Florida, (321) 853-9171 Map

Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science, 2201 Michigan Avenue, Cocoa, Florida, (321) 632-1830 Map

Discovery Science and Outdoor Center, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, Florida, (352) 401-3900 Map

Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, Florida, (321) 638-1015 Map

Gillespie Museum, 421 North Woodland Boulevard, Stetson University, Deland, Florida, (386) 822-7330 Map

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute 5600 US 1 North, Ft. Pierce, Florida, (772) 465-2400 Map

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, (321) 449-4444 Directions

Marine Science Center, 100 Lighthouse Drive, Ponce Inlet, Florida, (386) 304-5545 Map

History Museums:

Black Heritage Festival/Museum, 314 N Duss St, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, (386) 478-1934? Map

DeBary Hall Historic Site, 210 Sunrise Boulevard, DeBary, Florida, (386) 668-3840 or (386) 736-5953 Map

DeLand Naval Air Station, 910 Biscayne Boulevard, DeLand, Florida, (386) 738-4149 Map

Halifax Historical Museum, 252 S. Beach Street, Daytona Beach, Florida, (386) 255-6976 Map

Pioneer Settlement for the Creative Arts, 1776 Lightfoot Lane , Barberville, Florida, 386-749-2959 Map

Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, 4931 South Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet, Florida, (386) 761-1821 Map

Did you know?

• The Greeks built the first museum in 307 BC

• The word “museum” comes from the Greek word “mouseoin”

• One third of the world’s museums are in the United States

• There are all kinds of museums including a potato museum, a cookie jar museum and a McDonalds’ museum