Local Review: Sandoway Discovery Center

The Sandoway Discovery Center, also known locally as Sandoway House, is a historical building tucked away in Delray Beach. Built in 1936, the facility has transformed from a sleepy depression era home meant for retirement, to an amazing nature center that provides a variety of programs ranging from tales of history to addressing modern environmental issues. The facility has been open to the public for 20 years, and yet remains like so many other places in South Florida, practically undiscovered.

Whether looking for a low-cost way to spend time with small children, or interested in delving into the history of the area, Sandoway Discovery Center is a fantastic place to visit each year. The exhibits and programs are always rotating, meaning that while history may not change, the things to do on site most certainly evolve. This was the location of my son’s first beach cleanup, and taking him to the facility afterwards was a reward for both of us.

I have watched Sandoway grow and face challenges ranging from someone literally driving a vehicle through the wall and into the historic structure, to severe power outages during and after Hurricane Irma. The staff is dedicated to what they do and above all else – the volunteers and staff there seem genuinely happy; this is a key component to the long-term success for a small non-profit. For anyone who likes to visit smaller facilities that ‘the locals know’ and support grass roots organizations with boots on the ground, then this is a great place.

Visiting a facility that expands and grows is great, and watching your local nature center sprout new wings to accommodate programs is no small feat. However, Sandoway has a unique situation – being a historical building found officially on the lists for Delray, the state of Florida, and the National Historical Registries, they are incapable of physically altering the building for expansion and must work within the given walls.  This challenge means the staff and facility are particularly creative with the exhibits and programming.

So, let’s chat about those awesome exhibits. The unassuming entrance to the home is a screened in deck called the Discovery Porch where they house some cool locals and my personal favorites – the turtles. A box turtle, gopher tortoise and freshwater turtles are flanked by Mr. Crystal, the blue and gold macaw. Parrots, and macaws in particular, remain my personal adversaries dating back to my days as a zookeeper and this bird is no different. Do me a favor and never reach over and try to pet an animal on display anywhere you go, ok? Consider that my public service announcement for the day.

Once inside, for a paltry fee, kids and adults alike can enjoy a variety of live animal and interactive exhibits. After giving Mr. Crystal his respectful space, guests are rewarded with opportunities to touch a variety of invertebrates with the guidance of staff or volunteers. Saltwater fish tanks and reptilian displays abound before venturing toward the back of the facility. The Microscope Room is a great space for those kids who get bored with coloring but aren’t big enough to fully appreciate the historical exhibits. My 8-yr old found this a space of great discovery while looking at – SAND. Yes, this place got my Minecraft-loving, Lego building, taekwondo kicking kid intrigued with sand.

 

Currently, the rotating display area is showing off some unique images and items from the Florida Surfing Museum’s collection. In the past I have seen this space used for showing off one of the largest shark jaw exhibits and other traveling displays as well, making return visits particularly rewarding because you can actually see something new and different every time. Coming up this summer, from June - August, the main exhibit room will be transformed by an array of spectacular shark jaws on display.

Inspired by the photos!

Before heading outside to catch the live stingray touch tank, be sure to run upstairs (or ask for assistance using the antique elevator) and check out the Templeton Shell Gallery. A staple of the facility for many years, this is a great way to satisfy the inner shell nerd that always wondered which strange seashells are buried in the shoebox collection back home. Also, upstairs is a great area for smaller kids to enjoy fun books, coloring and activity station. While on the second level be sure to venture outside, yes OUTSIDE, onto the observation deck. Binoculars are provided, but feel free to enjoy the salty breeze and a spectacular view of the ocean from across Ocean Blvd. I cannot skip the Nocturnal Room either, but it is easy to pass by as the animals in this room are, well, nocturnal. The screech owl might be camouflaged or the opossum taking a nap, but it is still a great use of space and see some cool native animals. I still do not know how staff keeps the small room from smelling a bit ‘off’ considering the inhabitants, but kudos to them!

There is no way one can visit Sandoway, though, and not see the sharks. Everyday, staff hosts an informative yet informally comfortable talk about sharks and stingrays, and conducts a public feeding demonstration with each. The large saltwater swimming pool is one of my favorite features that embodies both the history and the future of the Discovery Center. Back when the house was first built, getting enough freshwater at once to fill a swimming pool was impractical and many historic places upgraded their pools to freshwater systems later but this one remained – which is why you see steps at one end of the pool. No, this is not an invitation to go in, and the public do not feed the large nurse sharks living alongside a variety of other fish in the retrofitted tank. Be sure to ask which one is “Mr. Bubbles” before you leave!

Living in south Florida leaves one quite spoiled on outdoor activities year-round, but I have found this lovely little place to always be welcoming regardless of the beach conditions. Whether at the fossil dig, touching stingrays, or simply enjoying the sea stars stuck to the tank walls, Sandoway Discovery Center is truly a local treasure for all ages. Be sure to add it to your “Fun Things to Do” list!

and, remember to just keep swimming-

Callie

For more information on visiting Sandoway Discovery Center, check out their website: https://sandoway.org/

And to learn more about the Florida Surfing Museum, visit: www.surfhistoryproject.org/

Protecting History: The Rough Road and Resolve of the Palm Beach Maritime Museum

Since 1996, the Palm Beach Maritime Museum has provided ambassadors to our nation’s past with truly one of a kind exhibits and content.  The PBMM is – well, was – located on Peanut Island in Palm Beach County. This location proves to be both urban and remote simultaneously as thousands cruise by on ships, small boats, kayaks, bridges and roadways. The Island is not accessible by land; one must take a personal vessel or one of the local ferries on a 15-20-minute ride across the waterway. This seemingly trivial matter was perhaps one of the greatest obstacles for the Museum to deal with on a regular basis – it is most certainly something that kept me off the Island for over 15 years.

The Palm Beach Maritime Museum consisted of three different buildings: the Museum proper (gift shop, lobby, and beginning of the tour), a retired United States Coast Guard Station, and a fallout shelter created specifically for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. To join a tour, all one had to do was walk up during operating hours and pay a modest fee to the non-profit.

US Coast Guard Station, active from 1936-1996

So, what prompted me after so long to take my 8-yr old son and also invite my history loving in-laws to join us? Closure. The chance at catching a glimpse of something truly special before it changed forever. I learned through my network of friends and colleagues that the PBMM was going to shut its doors, potentially forever. The partnership with the local county government had dissolved and the Museum would have to move. The buildings would remain, but be closed up for an unknown length of time and all of the artifacts would be gone regardless. I am embarrassed to say it was the inevitable closing that truly lit the fire under my backside to finally get over to the Island on one of the weekends before it closed on October 22, 2017. I hate visiting busy places on the weekends, and worked during the week, but I was not disciplined enough to make the time before – now I had to do it. My in-laws had lived in South Florida for over 30 years and had never been. They were surprised to hear of the Museum’s existence (WHAT??!) and wanted to join me one Sunday morning before the facility shut down.

Then, nature kicked in and I realized I may not get the chance after all. Hurricane Irma visited our shores during the second week of September with what could have been a much greater force than realized. Schools were shut down for over a week. Streets were flooded. The docks in front of the Museum were wrecked and boats strewn along Peanut Island’s shoreline. With the contract ending, would the Museum even bother to open? What beautiful opportunity had I squandered?!

The staff at the Palm Beach Maritime Museum, passionate about what they do, decided to stay open until the last possible moment. They led tours on the weekends and during off hours packed up exhibits. They had no dock, but chose to run the ferry despite the now lengthy walk each way that visitors would need to take because they knew there must be procrastinating munches like myself who would jump at the last chance to see history frozen in situ. Stalling was no longer an option and we were going on a backyard trip through time. 

Broken docks that won't be repaired.

Upon arrival to Peanut Island on a typical hot Florida day in October, we began our walk to the Museum. This was very hard on my mother-in-law, who has difficulty walking for any length of time, and we were quite moved when the staff immediately offered her a wheelchair for the walk to and through the USCG Station and to the shelter. The fallout shelter itself is not wheelchair accessible, but she was still able to walk inside and enjoy the underground portal back in time.

Since those of you reading this will never have the same experience we did, I chose to smatter you with photos in a pathetic effort to show what we enjoyed that morning. The history of the Island came first, with a special treat since the Curator, Ruth Pelletier was our guide on that busy day (she told me later that the last two weekends of the Museum were perhaps the busiest they had every witnessed with hundreds and hundreds of people coming through; and if in fact, there had been that type of support from the public beforehand, the Museum might have gone down a different path). The groups were kept small to allow for everyone to see and hear without crowding in some of the tighter areas of the tour.

With about 20 people ranging in age from small children to those who lived in Florida long before the Island was accessible to the public at all, we set out on our adventure to the US Coast Guard Station. The station was fully operational from 1936 to 1996 and was also the home to three very cool cats – literally. “Jack”, “Jackie” and “Marilyn” lived on the island and were quite friendly to visitors and staff alike. The old photographs, nautical artifacts and depth of history living in the walls was fascinating.

The wooden floors did not creak as expected, and the group was respectfully quiet as our guide gave more information than I could ever keep in short-term memory. I wish I had brought a notebook and not just a camera, but with an 8-yr old that can be a little tricky to juggle without incident. The smell of the Station was salty and old but comforting. The displays commanded respect while remaining welcoming, and throughout the building were signs bearing information that again, far surpassed my ability to process in only one short visit.

Yes, that is a real cannonball!

After leaving the Station house, we took a lovely and rather short walk to the Kennedy Bunker. This fallout shelter was nothing like I had ever experienced, nor might ever again. Designed as a shelter post-bomb drop for use by the President and staff whenever he was at his winter home, the Bunker begins with a rather imposing door. Once opened, the group walked down a dark declining ramp into the pit. The air was different – thicker and warm. I had no idea that going back in time would be so foreboding.

The shelter itself is precisely that – a sparsely furnished, reinforced hole in the ground. Perhaps the most intense feature is the giant presidential seal in the middle of the space. It is the only official Presidential Seal in the State of Florida. The bunker was also kept true to its originality, save for the emergency exit added into the main room – this is the only way the Museum could gain authorization to have public tours (visible in the background).

The original exit from the bunker was an old ladder going straight up. The cubby leading to this exit was at least 15 degrees hotter than the rest of the shelter, and looking up the shaft is daunting. The walls of the entire were corrugated metal and gave a distinct military feel to a non-service civilian like myself. Voices echoed in the chamber. Walking through a giant metal time capsule, wondering if the world would look the same upon exiting, I could not help but be consumed by self-reflection. One feels small in a place of such astounding preparation. Knowing technology must have affected any modern-day fallout shelters I can only speculate on what they may look like now.

But you may never know, never experience it for yourself. After the fact, I began thinking about other iconic buildings and places and activities available that may some day be lost. Will we always be able to walk to the crown of the Statue of Liberty? Will the Mona Lisa always be on display at the Louvre in Paris? How many animals will go extinct or ecosystems change until they are unrecognizable? Will the rocky edges of the Grand Canyon someday become unstable and the public no longer able to raft that section of the Colorado River or stand on the edge and shout – waiting for an echo that will not come? (Seriously, the Canyon is waaayyyy too vast to hear your echo, sorry for the spoiler. For what is it worth, I still yelled while on the cliff’s edge anyway)

Fortunately, those dedicated to the history protected by the Palm Beach Maritime Museum found another way to share the stories. They found a new partner in the City of West Palm Beach and are currently working on new exhibits – a new museum essentially – located in Currie Park. The Museum may not have the same structure, but the artifacts and passionate staff will be there to guide visitors back in time. No longer locked by a barrier of saltwater, I cannot wait to experience the new Maritime Museum when it opens – expectedly in 2018.

Here are some great places to learn a bit more and watch for progress on the Palm Beach Maritime Museum:

Website: http://pbmm.info/about-us

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBMM.info/

I challenge everyone, myself included, to take the time and enjoy the local treasures. Don’t wait for family or friends to visit from out of town. Don’t assume these wonderful places will always be there, idly waiting for you to drop by when convenient. Anything worth keeping requires education and support. Whether it be protecting history or waterways, reefs or forests, honey bees or family bonds – do not allow the self-disappointment found only by a lack of participation.

Who knows when, if ever, the bunker will re-open to the public

Swim often.

Laugh more.

Hug your family and fur-babies too.

-Callie