The Elliott Museum sits on Hutchinson Island at 825 NE Ocean Boulevard, a short drive over the bridges from downtown Stuart and just inland from the Atlantic. Run by the Historical Society of Martin County, it pairs Treasure Coast history with art, Americana, and one of Florida’s more distinctive collections of classic vehicles.
The museum honors Sterling Elliott, an inventor whose work included an early addressing machine and a steering design for vehicles. His son Harmon founded the museum in 1961, and a modern building replaced the original in 2013. Nearly 100 vintage cars, boats, and bicycles fill the galleries, and many cars sit in an automated, multi-level storage display. Other galleries hold baseball memorabilia, local history exhibits, and artwork, and a Changing Exhibitions Gallery hosts rotating shows. The current show, the optical-illusion exhibit “3D Doubt Your Eyes,” appeals to kids (source: [HSMC](https://hsmc-fl.com/exhibits/)).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Arrive on a weekday morning to beat the winter crowds, which peak from January through March. Admission is free for military personnel, and Martin County residents should look for locals-only deals (source: [Discover Martin](https://discovermartin.com/special-offers/locals-only-deal-elliott-museum/)). O’s Cafe on site serves brunch and lunch (source: [Yelp](https://www.yelp.ca/biz/elliott-museum-stuart)). The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is nearby, and so is Stuart Beach. The Historical Society also runs the House of Refuge a few miles south, so you can pair the two sites for a full island history day.
