Jacksonville's history is an important part of the daily lives of its residents and preservation of this past is on display at a number of local museums throughout the city. Also on display is an array of diverse art from world-renowned and local artists at large museums and unique galleries.

Since water plays such an important role in the city, it is only fitting that there is a museum dedicated to preserving its rich maritime history. The Jacksonville Maritime Museum sits along the Southbank Riverwalk of Downtown Jacksonville and is a free museum housing naval artifacts, manuscripts and ship models which have a place in Jacksonville history including the USS Saratoga and former Florida Governor and Jacksonville resident Napoleon Bonaparte Broward's gunrunning tug boat, Three Friends.

Also on the Southbank, kids and adults will love the interactive Museum of Science & History. The museum, known as MOSH to locals, features the area's only planetarium and an extensive exhibit on the colorful past of Northeast Florida. Experience the Holozone, MOSH's virtual reality experience which allows participants to pretend they are playing in a major sport event or, even more dangerous, pretend they are prey escaping sharks in a virtual underwater environment.

The neighborhood of Mandarin is a former farming village bordered by Julington Creek and the St. Johns River and the gorgeous canopy of live oaks with hanging Spanish moss welcome visitors to experience the history of the area at the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society, located at Walter Jones Historical Park. On the museum's grounds, visitors will find the garden of author Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wintered in Mandarin, a barn dating to 1876, U.S. Army Major William Webb's homestead and the Mandarin Store and Post Office.

History and music share the stage at The Ritz Theatre and LaVilla Museum which celebrates the rich legacy of the African-American community in Jacksonville. Located in the LaVilla neighborhood, or the "Harlem of the South" as it was once called, the museum features traveling shows from notable institutions and collections depicting the city's African-American heritage.

Two of the city's best art museums have the term "largest" attached to them. The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville encompasses the largest collection of modern and contemporary art in the Southeast. The permanent collection consists of more than 700 works in a wide range of media, representing prominent national and international artists of the 20th and 21st century.

Located in Riverside along the St. Johns River, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is the largest fine art museum in Northeast Florida. The museum houses over 5,000 works of art spanning over 8,000 years. It is well-known for its significant European and American paintings, beautiful formal gardens and a renowned collection of Meissen porcelain.

Local artist, Tony Ryals serves as an inspiration with his art on display at his Jacksonville Landing gallery, Art of Hope. Born with a disability that locks up his joints, Tony creates his paintings by using his mouth. Art is on display and available for purchase, but he also provides live demonstrations of how his masterpieces come to life.

As one of the longest operating privately-owned galleries in Northeast Florida, the Stellars Gallery showcases many genres of art from traditional to abstract exhibiting the works of artists from around the world with a strong support for local Jacksonville artists. The gallery has three locations, San Marco, Ponte Vedra Beach and Julington Creek.

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