A Message from Keys History & Discovery Center
It’s been a little more than a month since all the Keys community and much of Florida began preparing for a storm named Irma. Since the days of her ominous landfall in the Lower Keys, life as we know it throughout the Keys has changed and Hurricane Irma is one for the history books…and history museums.
Keys History & Discovery Center and the building in which it is housed on the property of the Islander Resort fared well through the storm, with only minor cosmetic damage to the exterior of the building. Unfortunately, the Islander Resort, a Guy Harvey Outpost, took a huge hit, flooding the property, the majority of rooms, the bar and restaurants, and the main lobby. Needless to say, the property is closed for the next six to 12 months to rebuild.
For the time being, the Islander staff has set-up their operations center in the first floor of the museum, working on rebuilding efforts and connecting with their guests, past and future. At this point, we do not have a reopening date or expectation, but I am happy to report that we can resume our lecture series and our first signature event, A Night at the Museum, will be held as planned on Friday, Nov. 10! Now more than ever the museum needs your help to continue to preserve and share the history of the Keys.
Our Curator Brad Bertelli has been formulating a future exhibit specific to hurricanes of the Keys and you can be sure Irma will be featured along with Donna and others. We already have two artifacts to be part of a future exhibit…a Red Cross apron signed by many volunteers who helped with the immediate recovery efforts in Islamorada and a six-pack of canned water from Anheuser-Busch.
While we are not sure when the doors will once again open to the public, the Discovery Center will continue to bring our mission to the community through our lecture series, A Night at the Museum, and a series of pop-up exhibits that will help our community discover some of our treasured island chains’ incredible history. If you are interested in hosting one of our pop-up exhibits, please call 305-922-2237.
For more information about the lecture series or Keys History & Discovery Center, call 305-922-2237 or check out our website at www.keysdiscovery.com.
Jill Miranda Baker
Executive Director
Keys History & Discovery Center
Florida Keys History & Discovery Foundation
P.O. Box 1124
Office: 305-922-2237
Cell: 305-304-0052
[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]
No Comment