News Release

Cumberland Island National Seashore Mainland Museum temporarily closed for curatorial renovations

Date: September 8, 2022
Contact: Michael Seibert, 912 882 4336 x262

(St. Marys, GA)–  Big changes are happening at the Cumberland Island Mainland Museum! After several years of planning, the curatorial storage space is receiving a makeover. Compact, mobile storage is being installed to make better use of the space and allow for future growth of the museum collection. Due to construction, the museum will be closed from September 12^th until the work is complete. Gary Ingram, Cumberland Island and Fort Frederica Superintendent said, “We apologize for any inconvenience but hope you understand that these improvements will help care and preserve our park treasures for future generations.”

The park mainland visitor center is still open to visitors. Several exhibits will be moved over to the visitor center and will be displayed to the public. These exhibits will showcase a variety of artifacts from the collection and will be available between 8 am and 4 pm every day.

The park collections are housed in the upstairs section of the mainland museum. Collection items are circulated throughout the museum exhibits to allow visitors the opportunity to view the various objects in the collections. Current storage facilities in the collections area do not allow for an efficient use of space or allow for additions to the collections in the future. The new storage facilities will modernize the curatorial area and allow for space to expand the collections. During the renovation, the main museum rooms will be utilized as a staging area for the storage facilities and artifacts and will be closed to the public.

Are you passionate about local history and your national parks? Join the Volunteers-in-Parks team at Cumberland Island National Seashore. Apply to serve as a Museum Docent at the park’s mainland museum at www.volunteer.gov, keyword search “Cumberland”.

Cumberland Island is the largest barrier island off the coast of Georgia, encompassing more than 36,000 acres of maritime forests, salt marsh and beaches. The island is also home to over 9,800 acres of congressionally designated wilderness. The island’s natural and cultural resources provide a rich and diverse habitat for wildlife and offer a glimpse into the long history of coastal Georgia. The seashore is accessible by pedestrian-only passenger ferry from the historic community of St. Marys.

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