Tour Amelia Island’s Historic District
The Post Office and Customs House in Fernandina Historic District
Just off the Florida coast, Amelia Island offers lovely secluded beaches, Southern charm and wildlife that includes sea turtles, dolphins and manatees. This 13-mile island paradise also supplies a chance to view the remnants of its fascinating history. The Fernandina Historic District consists of 50 blocks of late Victorian architecture, including the depot for Florida’s first cross state railroad, a saloon with the interior built by the founder of Anheuser Busch and Florida’s oldest operating hotel, which hosted President Ulysses S. Grant ans Cuban poet Jose Marti.
Featuring cobble stone streets lined with pineapple palm trees, Fernandina Historic District beckons with old world allure. The Amelia Island Museum of History presents several one-hour tours of the district, giving visitors thrilling accounts of Amelia Island history. Families can also grab a tour map at the tourist development council located in the train depot and go on a self-guided tour. Highlights include the Florida House Inn, a rambling two-story structure built in 1857, the Post Office and Customs House built to resemble the Medici Palace in 1910 and the Palace Saloon, built in 1878 , it is Florida’s oldest operating saloon. After strolling the streets of Fernandina, grab dinner at the family-run and family-friendly, Crap Trap restaurant, located in the historic Seydel building. Fishnets and tables outfitted with holes for shrimp buckets provide a fun atmosphere but the seafood is the real draw. The Crab Trap offers a huge array of fresh seafood including shrimp, crab, oysters and scallops but don’t pass up the smoked fish dip or the fresh fish of the day.
Photo by Rosalind Cummings-Yeates