Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve | RIBAULT CLUB

Ribault Club on Fort George Island in Florida

Ribault Club on Fort George Island in Florida


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Fort George Island became as a winter vacation destination in 1875 when John Rollins, the island’s owner, and his partners built the Fort George Island Hotel. Unfortunately, the resort business was short lived, for the hotel burned down in 1889, about the same time yellow fever hit the island and kept tourists away. It wasn’t until the 1920s when tourism was revived with the opening of a new resort, the Ribault Club, named after the French explorer who first visited the area in 1562.

Investors first came to Fort George Island in 1923 to open the Army Navy Club, purchasing the island from the Rollins family, the last family to live at Kingsley Plantation. Led by retired Navy Admiral Victor Blue, the Army Navy Club was for retired officers only, and exclusively for men. The Kingsley Plantation house was used as the clubhouse until a new clubhouse could be constructed. This now serves as the plantation Visitor Center.

Former Army Navy Club building is now the Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center

Former Army Navy Club building is now the Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center

The Ribault Club was conceived by Blue and his investors as a club for the families of the Army Navy Club members, plus any other rich and socially prominent members of society. The clubhouse was built in 1928 on the site of the old Fort George Island Hotel, and the club included tennis courts, a marina, and a 9-hole golf course (expanded to 18 holes in 1968). Blue never got to see the club in operation for he died in January 1928. Of course the Great Depression hit the following year.

Information panel on the Ribault Club

Information panel on the Ribault Club

The club was operated by the original owners until around 1944. After that, the land changed hands between a number of developers who wanted to subdivide the island into fancy neighborhoods or create another resort, but nothing ever came of it. In the meantime, the golf course was still open and the clubhouse still used, but it had begun to deteriorate, and nobody was willing to put money into repairs. The last owner finally had enough and sold the place to the Florida Park Service in 1989. The golf course was run as a public course until closing in 1991.

The clubhouse was boarded up and sat for another seven years while it took the brunt of bad weather and constant vandalism. In 1998, the state of Florida decided to restore it, a process that took four years. The renovated clubhouse opened to the public in December 2003. Today it is open on Wednesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM and serves as a visitor center for the park. Inside you will find an information desk and a large exhibit area on the history of the island. Stop in to get a brochure on the park and a hiking trail map.

Lower floor interior of the Ribault Club on Fort George Island

Lower floor interior of the Ribault Club on Fort George Island

The Ribault Club can be rented for events and meetings. It is a popular spot for weddings during the cooler fall, winter, and spring months. Most are held in the evening due to the fact that no alcohol can be served openly until after 5 PM when the park closes to tourists. If you hold your event in one of the private rooms, then you can serve alcohol at any time, but most people want to utilize the grounds for their event. Supposedly the place is booked for weddings every weekend from September through May. For more information see the Ribault Club web page.

Staff prepares for a wedding at the Ribault Club on Fort George Island

Staff prepares for a wedding at the Ribault Club on Fort George Island

A large exhibit area housed in one wing of the building covers the natural and human history of Fort George Island, and Florida in general. It takes about a half hour to read through all of the material, if you have an interest in doing so.

Museum exhibit on the natural history of Fort George Island at the Ribault Club

Museum exhibit on the natural history of Fort George Island at the Ribault Club

Exhibit on the human history of Fort George Island in the Ribault Club's museum

Exhibit on the human history of Fort George Island in the Ribault Club’s museum

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Last updated on April 16, 2022
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