Palm Beach Maritime Museum

The Palm Beach Maritime Museum has been open since 1999 and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. It underwent a massive restoration and features four separate facilities. These facilities include the marine science field office and dock on the Intracoastal Waterway, the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Boathouse and President John F. Kennedy command post and bomb shelter, an educational center, preview building and ferry dock in Currie Park and the Palm Beach Maritime Academy K-8 Charter School. The goal of the museum is to educate the public about the maritime history of the area. Their collection includes artifacts from the Battleship Maine, John F. Kennedy's Bunker constructed by the SeaBees and the bugle that blew taps for the Army contingent on board the Battleship Maine. Kennedy's bunker is located near the Kennedy Compound in Palm Beach and would have been used in case of a nuclear emergency during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The museum acknowledges the importance of the living reef system in the area and offers a major park with campgrounds near the Peanut Island facility. The museum plans to expand its educational programs. The Palm Beach Maritime Academy is considered an A-rated school and it is in its eleventh year of teaching.