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    House of Refuge

    4.6 (19 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Alexi Y.

    Ok, history buffs, this is one to visit! It's so cool to be standing on this property on Hutchinson Island and be able to see the ocean so close on each side of the island. There is also cool limestone reaching out to the ocean next to this property. Makes for great ocean pictures. This and other houses like it were built in 1875 to aid shipwrecked survivors on this once desolated barrier island. It is amazing to see this wooden house still standing after all of Florida's storms. We made the trek out here during the week. It was a clear day so the drive over the bridge was magnificent. You can visit this and the Elliott Museum on one visit. You will be shown a short history video before a guide takes you over to the house. This is one of the freebies for our NARM card. What an excellent, educational visit!

    Michelle J.

    So much history and interesting facts can be found at House of Refuge! I'm glad we made the stop. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the historical events and structure of the home. There are also beautiful views of the beach. Tip: Buy the combo tickets that include admission to the Elliot Museum.

    Ariel W.

    Ever since I discovered a historical marker in Delray Beach that marked the place a House of Refuge once stood I have wanted to visit one. The Houses of Refuge were federally operated life saving stations that were built on the beach so that the keeper could rescue ship wreck victims during a time period when the main form of travel and hauling goods was by ship. The houses were spread along Florida's coast and were often very isolated. The house that was near me, the Orange Grove House of Refuge was the last place barefoot mailman Ed Hamilton spent the night before he disappeared forever into the Hillsboro inlet. What exactly happened to him is a mystery that has never been solved. The House at Gilbert's Bar was one of ten built on the coast of Florida and the only one to remain in existence. Built in 1876 it is the oldest structure in Martin County. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The building was constructed of Florida Pine and designed to withstand hurricanes. With the amount of hurricanes in Florida it is a miracle that this building survived. Today the structure is owned by the Martin County Historical Society. In addition to the house they operate a small gift shop on the premises. I was finally able to pay a visit on December 9th at the annual holiday open house. Admission was free from 1 to 3:30 PM. The house is located on a part of the beach called St. Lucie Rocks which is an outcropping of Anastasia limestone. The house is between the ocean on one side and the Indian River Lagoon on the other. For the event the house was decorated with old fashioned Christmas decorations and the volunteers served homemade cookie and cider. You can tour the kitchen, dining room, parlor, and bedroom. Underneath the living quarters was a boathouse where the rescue boats were stored. It is now a small museum. The interior of the house is preserved to look like it did when the keeper lived there in 1904 which was the year that keeper Captain William E. Rea was able to rescue seven survivors from the shipwreck the Georges Valentine. During the same storm Rea also rescued 15 survivors from the Spanish wreck of the Cosme Calzado. In later years the house became a Coast Guard Station. During WWII a lookout tower was constructed as a place to scout for German submarines. I had a great time visiting this important part of Florida history. In addition to serving as a museum the house also hosts weddings. Throughout the year the Historical Society holds lectures and art exhibits. A complete listing can be found on the website dedicated to the house. If you are in the area I highly recommend a stop to learn about Florida's pioneers and pirates.

    Beach in front of House of Refuge
    Jim H.

    The House of Refuge is a very interesting little museum. Our tour guide was very nice and pleasant although he wasn't the most knowledgeable of guides. Overall, his tour was pretty good despite the fact that he seemed a little light on details and couldn't answer some of our questions. This is a well preserved site and is the last remaining House of Refuge. There were originally 10 of them built between 1874 and 1884 by the U. S. Lifesaving Service. The Lifesaving Service and the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service merged in the early 1900's to form the U. S. Coast Guard.

    Beachview
    Christopher G.

    Along a relatively sparse stretch of beach is the House of Refuge museum, definitely a must see if you are in the Stuart area. The house was built in the 1870s, back when the area had virtually no settlers and Florida was the frontier, and served shipwrecked sailors. The house shows you a way of life unimaginable in today's society of convenience. Many original household items from the scores of caretakers and sailors over the years are on display. I highly recommend the tour, as the staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about this Florida treasure. Pack a picnic and sit along the rocky bluffs, watching the waves roll in.

    Michelle W.

    This is an awesome place for history buffs! We absolutely enjoyed our visit here and learned a great deal from Tom about the house and the events and people that were involved in this amazing House of Refuge. The location is just beautiful and I would definitely love to come back for one of their meetings to learn more!

    Peg D.

    The House of Refuge had so much history to learn about.The location is absolutely beautiful! Great day.

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    7 years ago

    Great place with a great story. Worth a visit for sure. Lots of local history. Enjoyed the shipwreck features.

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    Review Highlights - House of Refuge

    The House at Gilbert's Bar was one of ten built on the coast of Florida and the only one to remain in existence.

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    Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - We noticed you noticing us...

    Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center

    4.7(49 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    I remember the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center fondly from my childhood, and it's good to see…read morethat they've expanded on their property for a nice little afternoon outing. Admission is $20 for adults, with child and military discounting. There's a lot of outdoor walking space around the main lake/lagoon where you can see the nurse sharks and sea turtles amongst the many other fish there. The weather was really nice the day we went, so we took a stroll through the nature trails. They are mostly boardwalk trails with a few covered stops with benches. The main trail is a 1 mile loop but there is also a 1/3 mile loop that is good for kids. The main trail will take you to the Indian River Lagoon for some nice storefront views! The main building has some cool artwork made of reclaimed beach litter that makes you really think about proper waste disposal. There's also a few tanks with cool fish and such to see. The entire center has a few different spaces for bathrooms that are easy to access. I'd recommend coming here for a nice day in the fresh air and sunshine to enjoy the flora and fauna of Florida!

    Really nice place to understand marine life and see some. Kids would love the place. Starts off…read morewith stingray petting tank cool even if you have done it before. Then the starfish area. Each leg has something different to see and handle. Then we went inside the building and checked out the tanks and all interactive things. Walked up to 3rd for nice view of the place and back down to watch the feedings. There is talk about stingrays but no food. Next they feed the fish in the huge open air aquarium. Nurse sharks, rays, jacks, and lots more. The feeding was interesting as was the talk after about pollution and algae. Next off the green sea turtles feeding. They were having romaine lettuce. They put colored pole with a shape that each knows. They swim over bump the Pole and get fed. These had boat injuries so they would never be in the wild. Again another talk about them while they are being feed. Good for adults and great for kids. Highly recommended.

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    Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Trail through the mangroves

    Trail through the mangroves

    Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Learn about sea turtle biology and ways we can protect these majestic creatures

    Learn about sea turtle biology and ways we can protect these majestic creatures

    Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Scale replica of a manatee.

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    Scale replica of a manatee.

    Stuart Heritage Museum - Stuart heritage museum! Is open and ready to show the history of our beautiful town!

    Stuart Heritage Museum

    4.5(11 reviews)
    5.5 mi

    A fun and informative look back on the history of Stuart and Jenson Beach. I particularly loved…read morethe photos and books on Trapper Nelson. Enthusiastic tour guides greet you and lead you through the exhibits. There are photos, maps, and realia that explore local history. There is a free coffee every week for seniors.

    This is a very interesting free museum all about the city and the area. Although it is free to…read morevisit, donations are greatly appreciated, and we made sure to contribute. There is parking right out front. Housed in a historic building -- one of the oldest in town -- there are several rooms filled to the brim with artifacts, articles, books, pictures, and antiques. It's a self-guided visit, but they are happy to answer any questions should you have them. Frankly, there was so much "stuff" that it was a bit overwhelming. We definitely didn't see everything. Nor at times did we know where to look first. The items are organized by age and by category. You'll see some of the info regarding the area receiving telephones and actual time cards of the gals who worked for the telephone exchange. A typical kitchen of the age. A room with all the government employees. Lists of mayors and other politicians along with their pictures from the time of the city's/county's founding. There's a grouping about the Sherriff's and the local police force with lists of all the police chiefs, a group about the school, and the businesses in the area, etc. etc... All have photos and memorabilia. There's a brief video in one corner that I recommend seeing. It's on a loop so it's easy and short to watch. If you have time, do stop by. This is the kind of place that locals should definitely see, but that visitors would enjoy as well. And a place you could return to over and over again and not absorb all of the details. My only wish is that we'd had a tour guide to give us a bit more context and information.

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    Stuart Heritage Museum - Stuart Heritage Museum! Downtown stuart! Follow @kveditme on Instagram for more photos!

    Stuart Heritage Museum! Downtown stuart! Follow @kveditme on Instagram for more photos!

    Stuart Heritage Museum - Stuart Heritage museum! Located in downtown stuart! Follow @kveditme for more pictures! And updates on Martin county

    Stuart Heritage museum! Located in downtown stuart! Follow @kveditme for more pictures! And updates on Martin county

    Stuart Heritage Museum - Kitchen... we recognized it some things our family has/had

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    Kitchen... we recognized it some things our family has/had

    Treasure Coast Model Railroad

    Treasure Coast Model Railroad

    4.8(6 reviews)
    11.8 mi

    Model Trains Who…read moredoesn't love model trains? Once upon a time every kid had a set of trains hanging around the house that got dusted off for endless trips around the Christmas tree. As we got older the real diehards had rooms in their house dedicated to creating tiny worlds full of trains and this is exactly what you will find at the Treasure Coast Model Railroad in PSL. The TCMR is located in what used to be an old fire station on Becker Road and opens to the public for a few hours on Saturdays- but check their website for hours etc. I took my two littles over for a look as I always wanted to indulge in this hobby but never had the time or space for it. Upon entering you are faced with multiple landscapes with all types of trains - each section of the layout seems to be managed by one or more of the member of this club and on open house days they are all there proudly showing off their creations. The amount of detail that goes into the landscapes is sort of a lost art and I'm sure many hours are spent creating and maintaining the layouts. Trains are running, factories are making things and there are lots of little villages and vehicles to look at as you move from one section to the next. The physical layouts are roughly chest level for adults - but there provided some folding stepstools so the kids can get high enough to actually see what is going on. Definitely a great way to kill an hour for anyone who loves trains - there are a lot of details packed into those landscapes. Give it a visit when they have their open house - you will surely appreciate all the craftsmanship that goes into these types of places. Fair amount of parking behind and to the side of the building.

    Awesome little set up. The scale of all the models was on the money. It was fun. I took my mother…read moreand my wife and we all enjoyed it. However, they did have a lot of staff members in a small space. I think there was 10 and it was hard to maneuver through the display.

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    Treasure Coast Model Railroad
    Treasure Coast Model Railroad
    Treasure Coast Model Railroad

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    House of Refuge - museums - Updated May 2026

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