Historical Village Reopening Oct. 19; Seeking Volunteers

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Sanibel Historical Village re-opens Oct. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Among this season’s highlights are two Twilight Talks and the village’s annual gala fundraiser, which this year will be a movie premiere that will be held on Feb. 22, 2022 at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way. The full-length movie, “Secrets and Stories of the Sanibel Lighthouse” contains not only many interesting stories about the history of the lighthouse but also the history of Sanibel.

The museum will be reaching out to current members and seeking new members.

“We are again offering a reciprocal museum membership, but this time at the reduced rate of $100 per year,” explained Executive Director Emilie Alfino. “We are members of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) family, and a membership at the $100 level or above offers members free admission to more than 1,000 participating arts, cultural, and historical institutions along with botanical gardens, children’s museums, science and technology centers, and more. Many institutions include a discount at their gift shops.”

Visit http://narmassociation.org for a complete list.

In addition, members at the $150 level or above are invited to attend the museum’s “Volunteer Updates.” These are casual, relaxed talks by a wide variety of island icons and held for the benefit of our volunteer docents. Previous speakers have included Porter Goss, Ralph Woodring, Gene Gavin, and former museum President Alex Werner. These talks are held at noon on the first Mondays of January through March.

New volunteers are always needed at the village. Training begins Nov. 8 and Nov. 15. Interested people are encouraged to call Emilie at (239) 472-4648 or email info@sanibelmuseum.org. There are many different things for volunteers to do, so anyone can find something they like and are comfortable with, doing what they enjoy.

In accordance with the city of Sanibel’s regulations, masks are required inside the buildings. Full guided tours are available only if reserved in advance for groups of no more than six, depending on docent availability. This precautionary measure is due to COVID-19. “We hope to be able to resume our regular tours, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., as soon as possible and within safety guidelines,” Alfino said.

The Sanibel Historical Village is located at 950 Dunlop Road (next to BIG ARTS) and there is handicap access. Admission is $10 for adults over 18. Members and children are free. The village has handicap access to all but one building, the tiny Post Office. For more information, call (239) 472-4648 during museum hours or visit www.sanibelmuseum.org.

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