Join us at the Museum of Arts & Sciences for an all-day celebration of Florida history. Enjoy various Florida history reenactors, historical displays, costumes, local history clubs, and more!

Free for members or with paid museum admission.

Schedule:

10:00am Holes: Stop Digging Up Our City with Nicole Diehm, Digital Collections Librarian St. Augustine Historical Society Research Library

In 1980, publisher Byron Preiss collaborated with artists to create a book in the genre called Armchair Treasure hunts. He buried treasure casques in twelve cities across North America. One of the casques is buried in St. Augustine, but illegal digging is disrupting archaeological discovery. After forty years, only three of the casques have been found. Unfortunately, Byron Preiss died in 2005 without telling anyone where the official burial locations are. This talk describes how a guy with a big imagination, and a shovel, created a decades long mystery known as The Secret.

11:00am Presidents in Florida: Dr. James Clarke UCF Professor of History

From George Washington to Donald Trump, presidents have come to Florida to fight, get votes, or even deal with pirates. Join Jim Clark as he takes you through nearly 250 years of Florida's presidential history. Learn why George Washington hated Florida, why Abraham Lincoln wanted it back in the Union, and Herbert Hoover went after Al Capone.

12:00pm Audubon's Epic Travels in Florida-1831-32 with Local Historian Joseph Vetter

The quintessential artist, woodsman and naturalist explored our shores to complete his monumental "Birds of America", which features many of the avian wonders of the South.  From St. Augustine to Bulow's Plantation, to the Halifax and Tomoka Rivers, Audubon continued to DeLeon Springs, St. John's and the Keys.  Come celebrate his illustrated masterpieces and legendary life. (Mr. Vetter will be in character.

1:00pm The Tiger Almost Home with Volusia County Historian Dan Friend

In 2011, Local Historian Dan Friend became active in the preservation of local history and veterans’ projects inclusive of the extraordinary history related to the DeLand War boats…the US Army tugboats built on Lake Beresford in World War II. Dan has been a long and arduous journey to bring home The Tiger built in Deland the only known World War II tugboat which was at D-Day back to Volusia County as a memorial. Learn about the history of the war tugs crossing the ocean to D-Day and the monumental efforts to bring the Tiger home. 

2:00pm “MISS LOUISA’S BOARDINGHOUSE “with St. Augustine Historian and Reenactor Diane Jacoby

In 1812 Louisa Fatio, just 15 years old, barely escaped the Seminole Indians when they destroyed her family's beautiful New Switzerland plantation on the St. Johns River. Frantically searching for safety throughout the wilderness of Florida the family first endures the bloody Patriots’ War only to see their new house destroyed by a hurricane. Next, they sought haven in Fernandina until their home burned to the ground and invading Pirates captured the town. Fleeing once more the Fatios returned and rebuilt New Switzerland Plantation where Louisa becomes its charming hostess. When the plantation was threatened once again by the Seminoles, Louisa flees to St. Augustine using her business skills and hospitality to create her career as an innkeeper - one of the few respectable occupations available to a woman of her standing.

Soon Miss Louisa’s lovely and famous Boarding House began to offer the best lodging and the finest table in tropical Florida.