Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum

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Address: 129 Osborne Street, St. Marys, GA 31558

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Located on the mainland in St. Marys, Georgia, is the Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum, a museum run by the National Park Service but located in a different building from that of the park’s Visitor Center.

The museum is open from 1 PM to 4 PM daily, except when closed on Christmas Day. These hours make visiting the museum nearly impossible for anyone who is traveling to Cumberland Island National Seashore for the day because the first ferry leaves at 9 AM and the second at 11:45 PM. Only those who come to St. Marys specifically to visit museum or those returning to the mainland on the 10:15 AM ferry after a night of camping on the island will be able to see it.

In addition to Cumberland Island being known for its scenic beauty, it has a rich human history, and this is the focus of the museum. Exhibits start with the original residents, the Timucuan Indians, who occupied the entire area before the Spanish arrived in the 1500s and remained a presence until the early 1800s, by which time European disease and expansion had wiped them out.

Timucaun Indian exhibit at the Cumberland Island Museum

While Cumberland Island played no significant role in the American Revolution, it, along with St. Marys, did see action in the War of 1812 during a small skirmish in January 1815 at Point Peter where a battery to protect the mouth of the St. Marys River had been constructed in 1796 (Point Peter is located on the mainland near St. Marys). The British won the battle and occupied the town and the island. However, the war ended two months later, and the British returned to England. An entire room is dedicated to this battle, complete with information panels and a collection of military paraphernalia unearthed in a 2003 excavation of Point Peter. There is also a 13-minute film about the battle and the excavation.

Battle of Point Peter exhibit room at the Cumberland Island Museum

Artifacts found in a 2003 excavation of Point Peter at the Cumberland Island Museum

A short video about the Battle of Point Peter plays in the Cumberland Island Museum

The bulk of the exhibits cover the post-Revolution settlement of the island, with most focusing on the Carnegies and the Gilded Age. This section of the museum is well done, containing not only typical information panels but also dioramas depicting lifestyles in the early 1900s and plenty of old photos. There is a 13-minute movie about Cumberland Island located in this section of the museum.

Carnegie photos and models of their mansions on Cumberland Island

Exhibit in the Cumberland Island Museum about the recreational activities on Cumberland Island during the Gilded Age

There is also a collection of carriages on display. None actually belonged to the Carnegies, but all are typical of the time, and it is probable that the Carnegies owned such models.

Brewster & Company Victoria Carriage on display at the Cumberland Island Museum

ca. 1900 Glenn Falls Buckboard Surrey by the Griffith & Leland Company on display in the Cumberland Island Museum

A book and souvenir store is located in the building. Merchandise is similar to that sold at the Visitor Center’s store, though this one is a little bigger.

Book and souvenir store at the Cumberland Island Museum in St. Marys

The Cumberland Island National Seashore Museum is one of the larger National Park Service museums that I have been to, though it is not so packed with information that it is overwhelming. The two videos will take up about a half hour of your time, and should you be so inclined to read through all of the exhibits, you can do so in about 45 minutes. I recommend setting aside at least a half hour for the typical visitor and an hour and a half for those who want to see and read everything.

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