Find Your Park Exhibit

Date: April 20, 2015
Contact: Shauna Allen, Chief of Resource Stewardship and Partnerships, [phone] ext. 115

The Visitor Center and Museum at Fort Caroline National Memorial boasts two new exhibits this week. The exhibits feature Congressman Charles "Charlie" E. Bennett, Florida's longest serving Congressman, and the story behind the creation of Fort Caroline National Memorial and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

  Congressman Bennett represented Northeast Florida from 1949-1993 and is responsible for creating these units within the National Park System. He is also known for his fight against government corruption, nicknamed by his fellow legislators as "Mr. Clean." The exhibits showcase his efforts and highlight key milestones in establishing both Fort Caroline and the Timucuan Preserve. "His conviction and belief that the stories of the Native Americans of Northeast Florida and French colonists should be told and retold as part of the American story is imprinted on generations of school children and visitors from around the world," said Shauna Allen, Chief of Resource Stewardship and Partnerships.

 The National Park Service has recently launched their centennial campaign: Find Your Park. The exhibits tie in with the Find Your Park campaign and urge visitors to find their park much like Congressman Charles Bennett. "This exhibit illustrates the perseverance and determination of Congressman Bennett to establish two national park units," remarked Museum Curator, Anne Lewellen.

The exhibits will be on display until September of this year at the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve's Visitor Center located at Fort Caroline National Memorial, 12713 Fort Caroline Road. The Visitor Center is free and open seven days a week from 9:00am to 5:00pm. 

 The beautiful Timucuan Preserve is located within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida. Come experience salt marshes, wildlife, miles of trails, historic sites, and the great outdoors.