GEOGRAPHY
Picturesque Cedar Key on Florida's Gulf Coast was a thriving port city after the completion of the cross-state railroad in 1861 which carried cotton, lumber and turpentine to Fernandina on Florida's Atlantic coast.

The need for deep water ports brought shipping to an end, but Cedar Key's importance in Florida history lives on at Cedar Key State Museum.

This center contains exhibits which depict the colorful history of the Cedar Key area before, during, and after the Civil War. It also houses a shell collection assembled by Saint Clair Whitman.

The entrance to the museum, as well as the exhibits, are accessible. Cedar Key State Museum is open 9-5 Thursday-Monday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.