Lucy Tobias writes about Cedar Key Museum State Park for our 53 Parks in 53 Days Campaign.

For 50 years Bill Anderson of Blairsville, Georgia wanted to visit Cedar Key.  He finally arrived Friday, Feb. 11, 2011 with his wife Norma.

Cedar Key Museum State Park is their first stop. $2 per person covers the museum and a self-guided tour of the St. Clair Whitman house next door.

Norma and Bill are intent, moving from one glassed exhibit to the next.

"You walk in the museum and it tells our history so quickly, it shows how vibrant we were and why we cherish our history," said Andrea Dennison, a Cedar Key Chamber of Commerce board member.

A faint smell of cedar drifts on the air. Pencil factories in Cedar Key were a sharp item in the late 1800s. A table with cedar pieces sits close to the exhibits.

"The museum displays are done in a way kids can understand, it I accessible to children of all ages," said Kellie Rae Parkin, business development director for the Cedar Key Chamber.

No gimmicks, no flashing lights, just history unfolding in bite size chunks.

Bill said "You can learn a lot about America by visiting small museums like this, they really go to the heart of what people were doing."

DEP suggested 53 parks for closure, including this museum, but Gov. Rick Scott has announced no parks will close. Still, locals hold their breath.

"If you knock one park out of the loop, it has an adverse affect on all the rest, " said Ada Lang, staff writer for the Cedar Key Beacon. "People go on pilgrimages, like the history museums, if they close this museum they may not visit this area."

Ted and Georgia Simon came from Carrollton, Georgia to the museum and Cedar Key. "This is our first time," Georgia said. "Friends said this was a place to see Old Florida that hasn't changed."

Indeed. Come on down. The doors are still open. Oh, did we mention admission to the museum is $2?

This just in:  2/11/2011 - Cedar Key one of the Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America, named in a contest by Budget Travel Magazine. Cedar Key came in at No. 8 with 14,304 votes. Congratulations!