Venice Museum & Archives, a Venice, Florida history museum featuring collections and special exhibits, walking tours, archives for research, and a gift shop. Photo Courtesy of Larry Evans

The mission of the Venice Museum & Archives (VMA) is to collect, preserve, and interpret historical and prehistorical material relating to the city of Venice and its neighboring communities.

VMA has a collection of 30,000+ photographs, archives, objects, and publications pertaining to area history and is housed in the historic 1927 Triangle Inn building. The museum engages the public in local history through changing and permanent exhibits, tours of the Triangle Inn, walking tours of downtown historic and architectural sites, special events, newsletters, social media, as well as onsite and offsite educational outreach programs to youth and adults. Additional services offered also include assisting the public with research requests and assisting with image request orders. The museum’s gift shop offers books, DVDs and other merchandise pertaining to local history available for purchase.

 SPECIAL EXHIBIT 
2/5/24 – 1/15/25

Florida Modern: The Sarasota School of Architecture in Venice
Using many images found in the Venice Historical Resource’s collection, visitors will be surprised to learn how many buildings in Venice were designed by such prominent architects as Victor Lundy, Paul Rudolph, and Ralph Twitchell. This exhibit shows off some of the more well-known places, such as the Herron House. But did you know that one architect designed a dentist’s office, while another designed a popular watering hole? Learn about what we have and what we have no more.

COLLECTIONS NEWS 
Now in the Archives

22 WWII-era letters from soldier John O. McCarty written from the Venice Army Air Base (V.A.A.B.) between March 1944 – August 1944.

We are happy to announce another important addition to its permanent collection: 22 WWII-era letters from soldier John O. McCarty written from the Venice Army Air Base (V.A.A.B.) between March 1944 – August 1944.

Speaking of the V.A.A.B., McCarty writes:
“Food is good – we eat from the regular plates, using our own silverware. Barracks are comfortable, if rough – and the men all seem to be pretty good fellows, also if rough. Very sandy terrain and flat and windy, but we’re situated right on the Gulf of Mexico and there’s a nice beach nearby where I’m told it’s good swimming if you watch out for the sharks!”

His letters will be preserved at the Julia Cousin Laning and Dale Laning Archives & Research Center for future generations of those who want a first-person account of life in Venice during the WWII era.

A big thank you to our friend’s group, Venice Heritage Inc., for acquiring these letters and adding to the preservation of the City’s history.


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 SEASONAL EXHIBIT 
10/7/24 – 7/30/25

The Venice Museum is proud to announce the opening of Financing a City: The History of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. This seasonal exhibit features the story of the creation and growth of the labor union – Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE).  As labor unions in the country grew in numbers, the BLE sought to invest in the Florida Land Boom with a new development in the sparsely settled community of Venice.  This story details how and why a railroad union got involved with creating a “city on the gulf” and its continued impact on the Venice community today. 

The exhibit is the first in a series of free educational history exhibits at the Venice Museum that will showcase Venice’s origins as we enter the city’s centennial celebration in 2025-2027.  

Available in our gift shop! The fabric is 100% cotton and custom designed by a California artist, and depicts 8 lost buildings, shark teeth, hibiscus flowers and the Nolen plan.  Mens sizes M-3x and Womens S-2x. Unsure of sizing? Just bring in a shirt that fits and compare, or see size chart. Venice Museum Gift Shop is open MTW from 10am-4pm, or buy online at https://www.veniceheritage.org/shop/.


ALSO AVAILABLE TO MATCH YOUR SHIRT

ABOUT VMA

The City of Venice (COV) is the parent organization of the VMA. Museum staff are COV employees under the Division of Historical Resources. The Venice City Council is the governing authority for the VMA with legal and fiduciary responsibility for the museum and for approving museum policy and its annual budget.

Institutional History
Organized through the Friends of the Venice Library, on May 10, 1974, the first Historical Committee meeting in Venice, Florida was held. The Historical Collection was established in 1975 by the committee and was originally stored in a closet at the downtown Venice Library branch. In 1976 the name Venice Area Historical Collection was adopted for the collection. The City of Venice established the Venice Historical Committee in 1982. By ordinance in 1987, the City of Venice created the Venice Historical Commission and the position of Director of Historical Resources, a volunteer position at that time. The city’s Planning Department provided technical and clerical support for both the commission and the director. The jurisdiction of the commission for the “Venice area” was defined as being from Blackburn Road in Osprey South to Manasota Key.

A Custody Agreement was signed in 1988 between the Friends of the Library and the City of Venice for the COV to “maintain custody of all pieces forming a part of the historical collection owned by the Friends of the Library pertaining to the City of Venice and its history.” In July 1991 the Venice Area Historical Collection was moved to a storage space on the first floor of the newly renovated City Hall in downtown Venice. That same year, the name of the collection was officially changed to the Venice Archives and Area Historical Collection (VAAHC).

The collection was moved in September 1996 to the restored and renovated historic 1927 building known as the Triangle Inn. The name of the Venice Archives and Area Historical Collection was changed to the Venice Museum & Archives in 2012. The 30,000+ items within the collection are housed at the Julia Cousins Laning and Dale Laning Archives & Research Center and are available upon request to view.


Contact the Julia Cousins Laning and Dale Laning Archives & Research Center for appointment. (941) 882-7229 or archives@venicefl.gov