Silver Springs State Park in Silver Springs, Florida, close by Ocala, has the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center. The Silver River, which cuts through the park, inspired the museum’s name.

Marion County Public Schools run the museum and center in collaboration with the Florida Park Service, and both conduct educational activities.

The center’s concept dates back to 1987, and the center’s first financing came from a Christa McAullife Fellowship. Guy Marwick, a science teacher at the time, received the grant to investigate the creation of a museum and environmental teaching center inside the public school system.

Residents, companies, the Marion County School Board, civic organizations, the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Florida Legislature, and several state agencies all endorsed the idea. The Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center first opened its doors to Marion County schoolchildren in 1991.

The museum and classroom buildings made up the first phase of the complex. The following are the additions throughout the years: a second wing of the museum, a research library, a lunch pavilion, a late 1800s Pioneer “Cracker” Settlement, and a circa 1930 one-room schoolhouse used by African-American pupils during segregation. A wood-fired pottery kiln and two log houses are a recent addition to the museum grounds.

Silver River Museum provides special hands-on learning opportunities for Marion County Public Schools students, the general public, and staff. You will learn about Florida’s cultural and ecological heritage and the necessity of natural resources and cultural conservation and protection.

Its main goal is to teach Marion County Public School children about Florida history and science while also assisting them in attaining the greatest attainable academic standards.

Furthermore, the museum works to encourage environmental stewardship to ensure a better tomorrow.

The museum serves the school system throughout the school year, and the grounds are closed to the public. Park employees and volunteers run the museum, and it provides educational activities throughout the year, and visitors can utilize the research library with advance notice.

On weekdays, the museum is only open to school groups and is closed to the general public. The Museum, on the other hand, welcomes and encourages visitors to visit on Saturdays and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and invites you to attend one of its unique educational activities throughout the year.

Take a tour of the Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center. If you have kids, take them here, and they will learn a lot from its library collections.