The Indian Temple Mound Museum at the City of Fort Walton Beach’s Heritage Park & Cultural Center has officially reopened following a significant expansion and renovation that enhances the preservation and presentation of the area’s rich Native American history.
The museum celebrated its grand reopening Feb. 28 with presentations, a ribbon cutting and free admission for visitors eager to explore the newly updated facility.
Years in the making, the project included the construction of a new 4,800-square-foot addition completed in late 2025. The expanded space now houses a classroom, administrative offices, exhibit storage and a larger museum store, which first opened to the public in November.
Following completion of the addition, staff and volunteers spent several months renovating the original museum building, updating existing displays and installing new exhibits. The refreshed museum now offers an enhanced experience that documents thousands of years of settlement in the region by various Native American cultures.
The Indian Temple Mound Museum is part of the Heritage Park & Cultural Center campus, which also includes the Camp Walton Schoolhouse Museum and several historic structures surrounding the ancient Fort Walton Temple Mound—one of the most significant archaeological sites along the Gulf Coast.
Admission to the museum is $5 for adults, $4.50 for seniors and military members and $3 for children ages 4–17. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free. Admission includes access to all museums and historic buildings within the Heritage Park & Cultural Center.
City officials expressed gratitude to former Fort Walton Beach City Councilwoman Chris Gibson and her family, whose generous donation helped make the museum addition possible. Gibson was a longtime advocate for preserving and sharing the community’s unique history.
Additional funding for the project was provided by the Fort Walton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, Okaloosa County’s Tourist Development Tax and the Okaloosa County Infrastructure Surtax.
The Heritage Park & Cultural Center, operated by the City of Fort Walton Beach’s Recreation and Cultural Services Department, is located at 139 Miracle Strip Parkway SE in Fort Walton Beach. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, call 850-833-9595.
Pictured are photos of the museum construction and finished exterior, the new museum store, the Fort Walton Temple Mound, and exhibits in the newly renovated Indian Temple Mound Museum.
