Beaches Museum & History Center

the beaches museum & history center is located on a two-acre property along beach boulevard in jacksonville beach. it serves the communities of mayport, atlantic beach, neptune beach, jacksonville beach, ponte vedra beach, and palm valley (florida). the museum occupies a 12,100 square feet building with several galleries, archives, a museum store and offices. across from the museum is pablo historical park, where various c. 1900 buildings are open for guided tours. the museum's collections include approximately 25,000 items, among them: the virgil deane collection of c. 15,000 historic photographs of the beaches; c. 5,000 early photographs including a collection of steoroscopic photographs; archaeological pieces from northeast florida; artworks, including a 5 by 11 foot oil painting "florida landscape with imaginary birds" by a.e. "beanie" backus painted in 1949; a 1911 woodburning 28-ton steam locomotive, displayed in an enclosure in pablo historical park; a specialized library of 1,5