Charlotte County Historical Center (CCHC)
22959 Bayshore Road, Charlotte Harbor, FL 33980
941.629.PAST (7278)
Upcoming Programs & Events
Florida's Age of Discovery - April 26, 2013
"We Got History" Historical Center 10th Anniversary - May 3, 2013
Petticoat Soldiers - May 24, 2013
Camp Adventure 2013 Summer Camps - July 9-12, July 16-19 and July 23-26, 2013
Spanish Pathways - February 7 through August 24, 2013
Interested in ‘bringing history to life’? Then join the CCHC Docents in their Living History programs. Meetings are held monthly. Contact CCHC at 941.629.PAST (7278) for more information!
Heritage Crafts
Beginning January 2012
Pine Needle Weaving: 1st Wednesday & 1st Saturday of every month
$18 per class/$10 supplies fee, pre-registration/pre-payment required.
Learn the ancient craft of pine needle weaving from an expert artisan, Kathy Erickson.
Changing Exhibits
Changing Exhibits focus for a few months on particular people, places, events and fascinating subjects.
Admission: $2 adults; $1 children under 12; includes all current changing & permanent exhibits.
Open to the Public: Tuesday-Friday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Spanish Pathways
February 7 - August 24, 2013
This history exhibit from the Museum of Florida History marks 500 years since Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon sailed into Charlotte Harbor waters in 1513, after landing on the east coast and naming the peninsula "La Florida." Beginning with early Spanish exploration of Florida in 1492, discover the influence of Hispanic culture on Florida through many dramatic events -- such as the Narvaez expedition, DeSoto's epic march, St. Augustine, Catholic mission sites, the early cattle industry, Fort Morse, Count Galvez, the American Revolution, the Second Spanish era, Pauline Pedosa and Las Patriotas, the cigar industry and the 1959 Cuban revolution.
Beaches, Creatures & Cowboys: Florida Movie Posters
September 19, 2013 – January 25, 2014
Movie producers have been making films in Florida almost since the dawn of the industry. For a short time in the early twentieth century, Florida even rivaled California as a place for movie making. The posters and lobby cards in this exhibit from the Museum of Florida History depict some of Florida's most famous films from the early 1920s to the present. Movie and TV productions in Charlotte County are featured as well.
Permanent Exhibits
Permanent Exhibits are curated displays featuring original artifacts and archives from Charlotte County's history. These long term exhibits are refreshed with new items and information on an ongoing basis.
Admission: $2 adults; $1 children under 12; includes all current changing & permanent exhibits.
Open to the Public: Tuesday-Friday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Charlotte County: Telling Our Story
This
is the permanent exhibit which explores the full spectrum of Charlotte County and Florida history in several galleries, telling the rich stories of people living here from ancient times through the post-WWII development boom. Explore our natural history, our early inhabitants, fishing and boating, early explorers, pioneers and settlers, and more. After the hurricanes of 2004, we remodeled these galleries, and we continue to refresh the exhibit with additional historical artifacts every year.
Heritage Oil Paintings by Betty Reese
Fascinating oil paintings of historical buildings county-wide are now a part of our permanent exhibit at the CCHC. Some of the structures depicted still exist, and others are gone forever. Port Charlotte artist Betty Reese researches each one, then makes it come alive again. She has generously donated all of these original paintings to the County collections.
Bicentennial Time Capsule
During the nation’s bicentennial in 1976, a time capsule was set in place at the old Memorial Auditorium in Punta Gorda, to be re-opened after 100 years. The Auditorium building was damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Charley, but before it was demolished in 2005 we removed the capsule’s two large cylinders from their sand-filled vault for safe keeping. The Bicentennial Time Capsule is on exhibit at the CCHC, and a special place will be provided for it in a future exhibit being planned for the historic Charlotte County Courthouse.
Shopping in Charlotte County
From trading posts and peddlers, to neighborhood general stores and 20th century shopping plazas, local retail business has changed greatly over the years. Alongside the CCHC’s Live Oak Emporium (museum gift shop) is the Shopping in Charlotte County permanent exhibit, with dozens of artifacts on display from the County historical collections. Did you live here when ladies had to travel all the way to Fort Myers to buy a fancy dress? Historical photographs from the late U. S. Cleveland and the former Charlotte Harbor Area Historical Society complete the picture.
