"Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum" Opens on Georgia Coast

JEKYLL ISLAND, Ga., April 29, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Jekyll Island has a new showcase for telling its long, storied history.

More than a thousand visitors attended grand opening festivities this past Saturday for Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum.  The celebration marked the culmination of a massive renovation project that was at least five years in the making, replacing an antiquated, air condition-less Jekyll museum that long had stood on the same spot on this blissful barrier island.

With fascinating artifacts and engaging interactive exhibits, the reimagined and modernized facility provides educational experiences for all ages, walking visitors through five distinct eras in Jekyll Island's history: the Native American Era, the Colonial Era, the Plantation Era, the Club Era, and the present-day State Era, which began after World War II.

Those disparate periods and the intriguing stories behind them help separate Jekyll Island from other family destinations, explained Bruce Piatek, Director of Historical Resources of the Jekyll Island Authority, which operates the state-owned park.

"Visitors to Jekyll Island are often surprised by how much history there is to discover here and how far back the island's story goes," said Piatek.  "We're thrilled to be able to highlight Jekyll's different eras in a much-more cohesive and entertaining fashion now.  Historical preservation is a priority for the Jekyll Island Authority and we've been looking forward to giving the island's significant and extensive past the spotlight it deserves through this beautiful new facility."

Inside Mosaic, captivating exhibits and illuminating artifacts depict slices of life on Jekyll Island during each major period along a timeline that stretches back thousands of years.  Thanks to new climate controls in the building, a variety of artifacts can now be displayed at once, and hundreds more are waiting to be put into the rotation.

Among the displays are a Native American dugout canoe made of Jekyll pine, plus a re-creation of a Native American midden – a multilayered refuse pile composed largely of oyster shells.

From the Colonial Era, guests can inspect a replica of the uniform of high rank worn by Maj. William Horton, a top military aide who was dispatched to the island by Gen. James Oglethorpe (founder of the colony of Georgia) and who grew crops on his 500 acres of Jekyll property.

Other eye-catching relics include a flecked-stone-and-gold heirloom signet ring from the DuBignon family, which owned the island during the Plantation Era, and vintage, leather-wrapped Louis Vuitton luggage belonging to a family from the turn-of-the-century Club Era.

Visitors can even transport themselves back to the beginnings of the State Era by hopping into an immaculately restored 1947 Studebaker, its radio playing some of the popular music and advertisements of the day.

Like Jekyll Island, the museum building itself has gone through a series of incarnations since its construction 122 years ago as a stable for workhorses.  The latest renovation, a $3.1 million overhaul of dramatic proportions, modernizes the museum in function and flow, while underscoring some of the architectural character of the original structure.

Saturday's grand opening celebration concluded with a ceremonial tree planting that both commemorated National Arbor Day (which fell on April 26 this year) and reaffirmed Jekyll Island's commitment to conservation and environmental stewardship. With help from the Mosaic visitors in attendance, representatives of the Jekyll Island Authority and its fundraising arm, the Jekyll Island Foundation, topped off the planting of a sweet bay magnolia next to the museum's remodeled paddock area.

"Mosaic is not only a fascinating home for Jekyll's cultural history, but also a place to showcase the natural beauty of the island that has been enjoyed for generations," said Piatek.

He added that Jekyll Island recently was named a "Tree City USA" by the National Arbor Day Foundation, in recognition of the Jekyll Island Authority's commitment to effective urban forest management.

Mosaic, the Jekyll Island Museum, is now open every day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Admission is $9 for individuals ages 13 and older and $7 for children ages 4 to 12.  Entry is free for children ages 3 and under.  Ticket packages that include museum admission plus other selected historical experiences on Jekyll Island also are available.

For more information, visit www.jekyllisland.com/mosaic.

SOURCE Jekyll Island Authority

Related Links

http://www.jekyllisland.com