Since June 1st, the Florida Keys has been welcoming visitors. That includes the History of Diving Museum, which is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. displaying over 4,000 years of “man’s quest to explore under the sea” along with the new featured exhibit, “In-Depth: 15 years of the Diving Museum,” currently on display through December.
While the museum, at MM83 in Islamorada, was closed, staff worked to have the exhibit ready for reopening. Items on display include never-before-seen artifacts, recently acquired diving gear, fun facts from years past and more. There is a new interactive component, in which visitors can use their phones to scan QR codes to access even more information digitally, including how founders Joe and Sally Bauer began their collection and about the early days of constructing the exhibits.
The museum has a weekend of Dive into History activities planned for Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21. Saturday, there will be an ongoing recorded presentation available and a program booklet to guide attendees through a scavenger hunt focusing on aspects of the featured exhibit. On Sunday, Father’s Day, there will be an I-spy/scavenger hunt with a “Pioneering Fathers in Diving” theme. Learn about local legend Art McKee, known as the “Father of Modern Treasure Diving” for his work on the 1733 Spanish fleet and opening the first maritime museum in the world. Also hear why Jules Verne is considered the “Father of Science Fiction” through his incorporation of diving in his book “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” Stroll through the corresponding exhibit and see a working dive helmet modeled after the 1954 Disney movie.
The programs will last about an hour. Both days’ events will have participants rotating through in limited group sizes to incorporate the social distancing rules set by the CDC, Florida, and Monroe County. Attendees will be provided a unique, personalized viewing of the museum. After the tour, participants will get a chance to choose a museum gift to take home, and can shop in the museum store.
Each day, tickets are $15 per person, or $108 per eight-person group (10% off). Members are admitted free. No other discount will be available over the June 20-21 weekend. Walk-ins are welcome based on capacity, or you can schedule a time slot. Tickets and more information are available from community outreach coordinator Emily Kovacs at programs@divingmuseum.org. More information is at DivingMuseum.org.
