The Maple Leaf: An American Civil War Shipwreck
September 19 – December 7, 2025
Amelia Island Museum of History
Fernandina Beach, FL
www.ameliamuseum.org
This fall, the Amelia Island Museum of History is hosting a traveling exhibit exploring the story of the Maple Leaf. This Civil War–era steamship sank just 30 miles from Amelia Island in the St. Johns River after striking a Confederate mine in April 1864.
The ship remained buried in the river’s muddy bottom until the 1980s, when Dr. Keith Holland developed an interest in finding and retrieving the Maple Leaf. The exhibit showcases a collection of recovered artifacts, offering a unique time capsule of Union soldiers’ personal belongings.
The Museum of Florida History developed this exhibit through its Traveling Exhibit (TREX) program, making Florida’s history accessible to communities across the state.
A companion exhibit invites visitors to explore the mystery and beauty of the underwater world and archaeology as interpreted by local Amelia Island artists.
[Image: Maple Leaf illustration courtesy of the Museum of Florida History, Traveling Exhibit Program (TREX).]
