Welcome to the Jekyll Island Museum, your Gateway to the Gilded Era since 1954. As a department of the Jekyll Island Authority, the mission of the Jekyll Island Museum is to protect all of the cultural resources of Jekyll Island and to preserve them to the highest standards possible allowing for an engaging and enriching experience for the citizens of Georgia and beyond.
Throughout its history, Jekyll Island is a place where people have imagined an alternative. People have come here to be different, and they still do. From Native Americans, to English colonists, to French privateers, to the members of the Jekyll Island Club - people have imagined Jekyll Island as a place where dreams can be built.
The Island's present day prominence as a beloved vacation destination was prefaced by an era of unrivaled status and prestige. Beginning in 1886 and continuing for over four gilded decades, the Island was the exclusive domain of the renowned Jekyll Island Club - the winter retreat for some of America's most elite families.
We invite you to explore this rich, varied history at the Jekyll Island Museum and its Historic Sites - the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District, the Horton House, and the Wanderer Memorial.
Exhibitions feature objects and photographs from our extensive collections and introduce you to the rich heritage of Jekyll Island, whose social and architectural legacy is reflected in the Jekyll Island Club National Historic Landmark District - a 240-acre, riverfront compound and one of the largest, ongoing restoration projects in the southeastern United States.
At the Jekyll Island Museum you can embark on a journey of discovery, through exhibits, tours and programs that are adventures into a bygone era...
The Jekyll Island Museum is open daily, 9-5 pm, except for Christmas Eve and Day and New Year’s Day.
Passport to the Century 90 minute tours depart everyday at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm.
Rates are: $16 for adults, $7 for children 6-12 years of age, and free under 6 years of age.
Contact Shirley Martin with any questions. 912-635-4036
Historic cottages are accessible on a variety of tours, which vary seasonally. Tours depart from the Jekyll Island Museum.
Multi-Media Self Guided Tour : Utilizing the best of our extensive archive of photos, oral histories, diaries, and rare home-movie footage, the story of the Jekyll Island Club comes alive in the voices of members, staff, visitors, and the experts who have worked to preserve the island’s history. COMING SUMMER 2010
Seasonal Passport to the Century Travel into the past. Hear the remarkable story of the Jekyll Island Club in the American Gilded Era and enter two restored cottages filled with rich tales and elegant furnishings.
Folklore, Rumor & Myth: Pass through the old Landmark District at twilight and enter one of the cottages for spine-tingling tales that will draw you back through the centuries.
Horton House Living History: Hear tales of the 1742 Spanish attack on Horton House. Sample Major William Horton's ginger "ale" or root "beer" in honor of Georgia's first brewery. Enjoy colonial games and toys on the front lawn, and drill with the British soldiers to ward off further Spanish threats.
The Holidays in History: The cottages of the historic district are decorated for the season! Imagine Christmas through the ages as you venture inside the cottages of Jekyll Island's National Historic Landmark District and experience the holidays from the Victorian Era to the Jazz Age.
Contact Shirley Martin with any group rate questions