Hawaii may be famous for its magnificent beaches, but so is Destin, insists Aloha State transplant Vivienne Williams, who moved from the Pacific paradise to the stunning Gulf Coast when she was 3 years old.
Since October 2021, Vivienne has worked at Destin History and Fishing Museum. The hidden tourist gem is on Stahlman Avenue, east of the William T. Marler Bridge off Highway 98.
The museum’s interim executive director, Vivienne grew up across the bay in Fort Walton Beach and possesses a wealth of local knowledge.
“Destin beaches have the whitest sand composed of 98% quartz,” Vivienne says. “During the ice age, a river ran through the Appalachian Mountains, picked up all that quartz, ground it up and dropped it here—in the middle of a 200-mile-wide stretch of beautiful blinding-white sand.”
These are just some of the facts Vivienne and her staff of volunteers are happy to share with visitors who explore the 5,500-square-foot museum covered wall-to-wall with thousands of photographs, artifacts and displays.
“Everything was donated, and we’re lucky that some of Destin’s founding families still live here because they have been very big supporters of the museum,” Vivienne says.
With its long connection to recreational and commercial fishing, much of the museum space is devoted to the region’s fishing history, including an extensive wall display featuring more than 100 fish mounts, all caught in the waters off Destin.
“Another reason the fishing is so good here is because our underwater topography has a sharp drop-off relatively close to the beach so you can get into 600-feet-deep water quickly,” Vivienne explains. “Destin has access to every depth of fishable water on the Gulf of Mexico, plus we get the migratory fish because the Gulf Stream literally comes up, clips Destin, then goes back out. That’s why we call ourselves the world’s luckiest fishing village.”
In addition to the now restored 1936 original Destin Post Office next to the museum, two early fishing boats—the Primrose and Lil Jimmy—are on display. There also is a huge shark jawbone hanging near the museum entrance, enticing visitors for a photo opportunity.
Speaking of fierce denizens of the deep, several scenes from the 1977 movie “Jaws 2” were filmed in Destin and Navarre.
“That was a bit before my time,” says Vivienne, who was born in the 1990s. “But we have an exhibit on that, too. We also have a fishing rod that belonged to Ernest Hemmingway.”
Pressed to identify her favorite exhibit, she points to an old square dark bottle in a glass display case.
“Back in the days of prohibition, Florida was a popular spot for Caribbean rumrunners because of the long coastline where they could fairly easily slip past the Coast Guard,” Vivienne says. “But here in Destin, the Coast Guard could get close to shore, and if the rumrunners got spooked, they would throw their bottles of alcohol overboard. They would wash up on shore and, of course, magically disappear.
“We have a rum bottle from the era that’s been turned into a lamp. I find that display particularly interesting and kind of cheeky in its own way.”
Another exhibit features the famous Destin Fishing Rodeo—one of the longest-running annual fishing tournaments in the United States. It attracts anglers from around the world.
“We have a whole gallery dedicated to it,” Vivienne says. “It started in 1948, so it is the 75th anniversary. It runs the entire month of October, when there is a big decline in tourists, so it’s great for the local economy going into winter.”
Visitors to the area in the cooler months—or on dreary wet summer days—often find their way to the museum, which always makes Vivienne and the volunteers smile.
“We’re open all year, but rainy or cold days are perfect for a museum visit, so we always joke when we’re ‘cursed’ with good weather,” she says.
With a master’s degree in public history from the University of West Florida, Vivienne has found the museum role a perfect fit for her talents and interests.
“My training and experience enable me to take historical information and make it relatable to the public,” she says. “I did a few internships in Connecticut, too, so I’ve kind of gallivanted across several museums in my time before landing here. I love my job, and I love this museum.”