Part II of my sightseeing adventures in Stuart, Florida includes, as promised, with a second unusual museum. After a 15-minute drive from the Courtyard Hotel on Lost River Road to Hutchinson Island visitors will find the Elliott Museum. The nice thing about the combination ticket for the House of Refuge Museum and the Elliot Museum is that there is no expiration date. When you visit the first location, you receive a voucher to the second location that never expires. For example, if you are in town for a week-long beach vacation, you can visit one at the beginning of your stay and visit the other one any time that week.
The Elliott Museum is a little hard to explain. It is best summarized as a museum of “Americana.” You see, Sterling Elliott, the museum’s namesake, was an inventor. He invented an automated addressing machine for mail, a knot-tying machine, a quadricycle with a patented steering system (which still influences vehicle steering systems today), and other machines too. The museum honors ingenuity and the intrepid American spirit.
While Sterling lived in the Boston area most of his life, his son, Harmon, lived in Stuart for many years. He donated many items that belonged to his father to the Historical Society of Martin County. Harmon Elliott financed the original museum building in 1961. Eventually, the museum gathered a larger collection of Americana items and needed a bigger space. In 2013, it moved into the 48,000 square foot building it has today.
Visitors will find prototypes of Elliott’s inventions, an antique car collection, art exhibits, rotating history exhibits, a hands-on, walkthrough General Store from the 1800’s, the second largest exhibit of signed baseball memorabilia outside of Cooperstown, New York and much more. It is a quirky goulash of exhibits!
During the two and a half hours I spent there, I was able to satisfy all my interests. I took pictures of the electric cars from the 1930’s for my Dad, I studied the stunning miniature paintings by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist, and watched staff in an open gallery mount a new exhibition on local Native American tribes. There is truly something for everyone.
This museum also has one very specific claim to fame. While some of the antique cars and buses are on the display floor for viewing, some are stored in a multi-level glass garage. The Elliott Museum is the only museum in America that has a specific type of automated vehicle racking system. When a museum guest wishes to see a particular vehicle up close, they only need to request that a docent retrieve that vehicle for them. The docent programs the computer, and a robotic sled moves the vehicle down onto the turntable in front of the visitor viewing window. I am not even a gearhead and I have to admit that it was quite a sight!
In 1935, an actress named Frances Langford became America’s sweetheart when she sang the song, “I’m in the Mood for Love” in her film debut. During much of her life, she lived with he second husband in Jensen Beach, which is next door to Stuart, Florida. The two of them opened a Polynesian themed restaurant called The Outrigger. She was also very active in charity work locally and many worthy causes are still associated with her name all these years later. The museum honors her with an exhibit of many of her personal items and a second-floor café with a Polynesian theme.
Visiting the Elliott Museum takes a minimum of 90-minutes. I spent a little more than 2 hours there. As I said, there is something for everyone because of the variety of items in the collection and the rotating exhibits. Next time you are in the Stuart area for a beach or camping vacation, consider visiting the Elliott. It also makes a great rainy-day activity.
What exhibit at the Elliott do you think would be your favorite? Share it in the comments.
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