Franklin County Maritime History Museum Opens in Apalachicola

More than 50 maritime and history enthusiasts gathered at Apalachicola’s former Lombardi Oyster Plant on Tuesday, August 5 to celebrate the grand opening of the Franklin County Maritime Heritage Museum. The museum is part of the Olan “Buddy” Ward Franklin County Seafood Landing Park located west of Apalachicola.

Members of the Franklin County Board of County Commissioners were on-hand for the ribbon-cutting, as well as three generations of the Ward family, for whom the seafood landing park is named. The event was hosted jointly by the Franklin County Commission and Tourist Development Council (TDC). Exhibits, video interviews and artifacts from the county’s many maritime-related industries including cotton, steamboat, timber, sponge and railroad era were unveiled as well as a 12-foot wide timeline of Franklin County’s maritime industries. Outside, two commissioned lighthouse replica lighthouses were unveiled as sentinels overlooking Apalachicola Bay.

During the event, TDC director John Solomon announced that Merrill Livingston will serve as the museum manager. Livingston brings museum management and a teaching background to the museum.

The Maritime History Museum is located within the Franklin County Seafood Park, a 3.4 acre multi-use park which also features a boat and kayak launch, scenic boardwalk and covered picnic areas. In 2019, the Lombardi building was renovated and the park was dedicated to Olan “Buddy” Ward, an Apalachicola seafood business owner and lifelong advocate for the seafood industry. In 2023, Franklin County received funding from the Department of State Division of Historical Resources to create and install a maritime heritage exhibit within the building. The purpose of the exhibit is to preserve the maritime history of Franklin County that has played an important role in the county’s development. According to Solomon, museum management is still seeking additional artifacts that represent the rich maritime heritage of Franklin County.

The museum is located at 441 West Highway 98  will be open Monday-Friday from 10 am – 4:30 pm. You can view the exhibit on the Franklin County Maritime Heritage Museum page.