The Indian Temple Mound Museum will celebrate its grand reopening at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, the City of Fort Walton Beach announced Wednesday.
- The reopening follows a years-long expansion and renovation project at the Heritage Park & Cultural Center. Construction of a new 4,800-square-foot addition was completed late last year, adding a classroom, offices, exhibit storage and a larger museum store. The store opened to the public in November 2025.
Since then, staff and volunteers have been renovating the original museum building, improving existing exhibits and installing new ones, according to the city’s press release. The museum documents thousands of years of settlement in the area by a variety of Native American cultures.
The grand reopening will feature presentations and a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., with free admission offered throughout the day.
Regular admission prices will resume after the reopening event: $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and military, and $3 for children ages 4–17. Children aged 3 and younger are admitted at no charge. Admission covers all museums at the Heritage Park & Cultural Center, including the Indian Temple Mound Museum, the Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum and other historic buildings surrounding the ancient Fort Walton Temple Mound.
The city expressed gratitude to former Fort Walton Beach Councilwoman Chris Gibson and her family, whose donation made the museum addition possible. The city described Gibson as a tireless supporter of the museum and its mission to preserve and share thousands of years of local history.
Funding for the building came from the Fort Walton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, Okaloosa County’s Tourist Development Tax and the Okaloosa County Infrastructure Surtax.
The Heritage Park & Cultural Center is located at 139 Miracle Strip Parkway SE in Fort Walton Beach. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 850-833-9595.
