Governor’s House Library curates physical and digital exhibits to make our collections more accessible to the public. Find links and more information about past and present projects below:
Upcoming Exhibits
Temporary Exhibit | Opening December 7, 2024
Sweet Beginnings: Unwrapped St. Augustine's Chocolate Legacy
Did you know that chocolate first appeared in St. Augustine in 1641? “Sweet Beginnings” at Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum will explore chocolate's role in St. Augustine's history, from the Spanish Colonial period to present day. UF Historic Preservation Program, in partnership with UF Historic St. Augustine, Inc. and the University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries, was awarded one of six Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Grants during the annual Heritage Chocolate Society Meeting hosted by Mars, Incorporated and American Heritage Chocolate. These awards were established in 2013 to further the study of chocolate's diverse history and its impact on society.
Digital Exhibits
Exhibits at the University of Florida Libraries
Zora Neale Hurston's St. Augustine
Author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston spent a great part of her life in Florida collecting folklore and telling stories. The pull of her adopted home-state brought her back again and again – including to the historic streets of St. Augustine.
Exhibits at the University of Florida Libraries
Presence / Erasure : Black History in St. Augustine
"Presence / Erasure: Black History in St. Augustine" traces the city’s 450+ years of Black experiences and stories. It examines the critical role Black St. Augustinians played in the development of St. Augustine, Florida, and the United States.
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The Making of Historic St. Augustine
An introduction to the Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board and their four decades of work in the city's historic downtown district with an interactive map feature.
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Champions of St. Augustine: The Women Behind the History
A celebration of St. Augustine women who made history, wrote history, and preserved history in the 20th century. This project was created in collaboration with the St. Augustine Historical Society.
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Post from the Past
An examination of St. Augustine's development in the 20th century and the sense of place that connects us to the past and present.
Past Exhibits
Temporary Exhibit | May – November 2024
Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor's House Library
Please join us for our newest exhibit “Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor’s House Library” at Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum! Staff members volunteered to select from our collection of nearly 28,000 print photographs, negatives, and slides. Each accompanying their picks with a written statement explaining their connections to ideas and places in the images. “Pics” opens in conjunction with the St. Augustine History Festival (May 8-12, 2024).
Temporary Exhibit | May 2023 – April 2024
On The Map: Florida’s Territorial Period
Navigate your way to our exhibit “On The Map: Florida’s Territorial Period” at Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum! “On The Map” explores the transformation of Florida’s cartography from Spanish colony to statehood. Each map reveals the social, political, and geographical changes that characterized Florida’s territorial period (1822-1845).
Temporary Exhibit | September – December 2023
The Making of Historic St. Augustine
The Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board was established in 1959 and worked to restore and reconstruct historic structures in the city before its 400th anniversary in 1965. This exhibit at UF's Architecture & Fine Arts Library illustrates the transformation of St. Augustine’s downtown district through historic preservation efforts.
Temporary Exhibit | May 2022 – January 2023
First Day of Issue: St. Augustine Quadricentennial Stamp
"First Day of Issue" features historic first day covers released in commemoration of St. Augustine’s 400th anniversary. A first day cover is a collectible envelope with a commemorative stamp, a postmark showing the location of issue, and often elaborate illustrations. For the first time since 1965, the featured first day covers will return to their post office of origin, now Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum. This exhibition is curated by Governor’s House Library and made possible by the donation of Martin Severe, a philatelist from Rockville, Maryland.