Special Exhibit: Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story

The Carrabelle History Museum is proud to present a featured exhibit, “Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story” made possible by a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation. This exhibit will be on display from Saturday, July 4 through Wednesday, September 30. This unique exhibit, in honor of America’s 250th birthday, tells the story of Carrabelle’s history, independence, democratic participation, and civic identity through artifacts, photographs, and stories. Visitors can explore this exhibit on Wednesdays from 12 to 5 pm ET, Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm ET, and Sundays from 12 to 5 pm ET. Admission is free, with donations warmly welcomed.

The exhibit is supported in part through the Duke Energy Foundation’s America250 grant initiative, which helps communities commemorate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Through this initiative, the Duke Energy Foundation is investing in projects that inspire civic pride, strengthen communities, and celebrate the nation’s history.

Through stories of Carrabelle’s mayors through time along with original artifacts, large-scale historic photographs and interpretive panels, the exhibit highlights how democracy functioned at the grassroots level and showcases civic leadership across generations. This project preserves and displays civic artifacts, provides free access to historical education for residents and visitors, and strengthens civic pride in Carrabelle’s role in America’s democratic journey.

Other highlights of the exhibit include original ballot boxes, 1913 paper ballots, 1940s municipal court log books, city clerk journals, and founding documents. These artifacts reveal how citizens voted, resolved disputes, and organized local government, demonstrating how engaged citizens and elected officials helped shape the history of Carrabelle and Florida’s Forgotten Coast.

Housed inside the historic Carrabelle City Hall and using the very room where the justice of the peace, municipal court, city commission, and mayors once governed, the exhibit uses the building itself as both artifact and backdrop. The exhibit brings Carrabelle’s founding story and civic heritage to life inside the room where local democracy unfolded for decades.