Welaka, Florida -
Welaka Maritime Museum

Incredible handcrafted wooden steamboats and launches by a man with an artistic talent and extreme knowledge of boat building. Lots of antique boats as well as old outboards, marine engines, steam whistles, marine artifacts, a gift shop and a mounted glassed-cased alligator.

Museum is in a small, quaint town in NE Florida on the St John's River. The town also has an aquarium, an Indian mound at Mount Royalm as well as the oldest car ferry across the river to Salt Springs. [Minnie, 08/13/2010]

Welaka Maritime Museum displays its collection of handcrafted wooden steamboats, launches, classic wood boats, antique outboards and marine engines, steam whistles, working steam engines, marine artifacts, figureheads. The gift shop is home to a 11'4" mounted alligator. [Minnie, 07/18/2010]

[RA: It displays the woodwork creations of Richard Speas -- full-size boats built with wood and glue. The museum's logo is a grinning gator piloting a motorboat.]

A wonderful stop in a town along the banks of the St John's River in NE Florida. This museum was started by a man with a God-given talent for woodworking. He built handcrafted wooden boats which are on display as well as steam engines, whistles, old outboards, antique classic boats, a mounted alligator and a gift shop. If you love boats and motors, put this on your to-do list. [Minnie, 06/22/2009]