Small Museums Are Great Places To Visit In Retirement

Small museums are great places to visit in retirement.  Some are very specialized, and many have high quality exhibits that you won’t see anywhere else.  We have our favorite retirement locations that we visit quite regularly and, whenever possible, we have a couple of museums, galleries or gardens that we go to on a regular basis.  When we’re in Florida and specifically in the Stuart/Jensen Beach area, one of our favorites is the Elliott Museum. Founded by the inventor and bicycle enthusiast, Sterling Elliott, the museum has two floors of interesting exhibits that are constantly changing.  It has a café and many places to sit down and rest.  Museums this size are perfect for a short visit.  They’re not overwhelming and they’re great for stimulating your interests.  It’s why we say that small museums are great places to visit in retirement and the Elliott Museum is definitely one of them.

We travel to some very lovely places and there is no shortage of things to see.  Our first two winter journeys were a little rushed as we look back on it.  Our first year we went down the east coast of Florida to Key West, up through Florida on the west coast side, through New Orleans and then out to Galveston, Texas before heading back.  We covered it by driving all the way, stopping for a week in all the locations that we wanted to see.  We had an absolutely wonderful time over the twelve weeks we were on the road.  We did some research and made the most of our time in every location we stopped in.  This is the trip that taught us that small museums are great places to visit. Although travel books had pointed us in the right direction with a list of the smaller museums and galleries, conversations with the locals provided even more insight into some of the hidden gems that you encounter when you take the time.

This was the first time we visited the Elliott Museum.  The Auto Gallery was stunning.  I am not a car enthusiast but even I was impressed with the display of beautiful antique cars.  The three level car racking system which houses over fifty vehicles is, I believe, the only one of its kind in the United States.  The system allows you to choose a car and then it is brought down to a turntable that revolves so that you can see it from every angle.  It was an extremely well-done display, and you could drive past this museum a hundred times without guessing what’s inside.  Small museums are great places to visit in retirement.  Needless to say, we have been back to the Elliott Museum many times and have always been rewarded with exhibitions that keep changing.  Last year was an exhibit on King Tut and this year was an exhibition on UFO’s.

Small Museums Are Great Places To Visit Because of their Unique Exhibitions

Small museums can create a new interest or revive an old one.  My daughter and I call these areas of interest “rabbit holes” because you can enter into one and get lost forever.  We share a number of these common interests and enjoy talking about our latest finds over an afternoon cocktail.  Our conversations cover such varies topics as the Titanic, Sherlock Holmes, murder mysteries, the Mafia, Walt Disney and restaurants with great food and a theme to name just a few.  We each have our own private areas of interest, but we enjoy sharing stories about the ones we have in common.  By the way, she enjoyed the exhibit at the Elliott Museum on the notorious Ashley Gang when she came to visit us last year.  Small museums are great places to visit in retirement and, for that matter, any road trip by anyone at any age.

Small museums offer exhibitions on a variety of topics that can motivate you to begin a new hobby or explore a new or forgotten interest.  One of the things that you’ll notice is the number of volunteers that are present to offer information and guide you through the exhibits.  If you talk to any of them, you’ll notice that they’re usually quite enthusiastic about what they’re doing.  They truly want to be there.  If you’re one of those people who seem to have too much time on their hands, why not consider volunteering at a museum or historic site?  While you won’t get paid, there are usually other benefits associated with volunteering.  You never know, it might lead to employment in the future if that’s what you have in mind.  In any event, don’t write off these places as boring or uninteresting until you go inside to look at what’s on display.  I think you’ll come away with a different point of view because small museums are great places to visit in retirement.  It’s time to expand your horizons and get out and explore the world.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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