Florida Senate - 2025 SB 1754
By Senator Smith
17-01731B-25 20251754__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Museum of History at
3 the Town of Eatonville; creating s. 265.0065, F.S.;
4 authorizing specified entities to enter into a
5 partnership to design, construct, and operate and
6 manage the Florida Museum of History at the Town of
7 Eatonville; specifying museum requirements; specifying
8 duties of an advisory board; specifying membership of
9 the advisory board; specifying the duties of the
10 partnership and the governing board of the Florida
11 Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville related to
12 the museum; requiring the governing board to make
13 certain recommendations regarding educational
14 materials for the museum; specifying duties of an
15 operating board of directors; requiring the governing
16 board, in conjunction with the Florida Tourism
17 Marketing Corporation and others, to develop and
18 execute a marketing plan to promote the museum;
19 specifying funding for construction operations of the
20 museum; providing legislative appropriations;
21 requiring the creation of an endowment; requiring the
22 museum to receive program support from an operating
23 board of directors appointed by the governing board;
24 providing an effective date.
25
26 WHEREAS, the Town of Eatonville is located in Orange County
27 and is the oldest Black incorporated municipality in the United
28 States, and
29 WHEREAS, the municipality of Orlando, which is located in
30 Orange County, is the number one tourist destination in the
31 United States with more than 70 million tourists and visitors
32 traveling there annually, and
33 WHEREAS, Orange County is the ideal location for a newly
34 designed and constructed Florida Museum of History, and the
35 historic Town of Eatonville is the ideal location for such a
36 museum, NOW, THEREFORE,
37
38 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
39
40 Section 1. Section 265.0065, Florida Statutes, is created
41 to read:
42 265.0065 The Florida Museum of History at the Town of
43 Eatonville.—
44 (1) PARTNERSHIP.—The Department of State, the Orange County
45 Commission, the Orange County public school system, and the
46 University of Central Florida may enter into a partnership to
47 design, construct, and operate and manage the Florida Museum of
48 History at the Town of Eatonville. The Florida Museum of History
49 at the Town of Eatonville, once constructed, shall be owned,
50 managed, and operated by the Orange County Commission or an
51 entity created by the Orange County Commission and the
52 Department of State.
53 (2) MUSEUM REQUIREMENTS.—The Florida Museum of History at
54 the Town of Eatonville is intended to be a multipurpose cultural
55 arts and history museum and must consist of:
56 (a) At least 100,000 square feet of museum-quality
57 exhibition space capable of supporting all the functions of a
58 leading museum institution, including collections care and
59 storage, exhibits, programs, large public events, large rental
60 events, and a repository for genealogical and archival materials
61 with appropriate space for public research.
62 (b) A parking garage or parking lot.
63 (c) A 250-500 seat performing arts center capable of
64 hosting musical productions or theatrical performances, such as
65 plays and concerts.
66 (d) A 250-500 seat banquet facility, including a banquet
67 capable kitchen, capable of hosting weddings, retirement events,
68 dinners, galas, awards events, lectures, and community meetings.
69 (e) An archival and storage facility for items donated to
70 the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, as well
71 as historical documents, historical items, and educational
72 materials.
73 (f) An outside portioned area displaying military weapons,
74 life-sized statues, and other military items of significance,
75 including cannons, planes, jets, and helicopters.
76
77 The Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville may
78 include a 5,000-7,500 seat outdoor amphitheater, as well as a
79 full-sized replica of a slave ship and the holds where its cargo
80 was stored.
81 (3) ADVISORY BOARD.—
82 (a) An advisory board consisting of members who are experts
83 in history, curation, architecture, and museum design shall be
84 appointed by the partnership and the governing board of the
85 Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville.
86 (b) The advisory board shall develop design specifications
87 so that the space in the museum is partitioned and divided to
88 host different exhibitions.
89 (c) The advisory board, in conjunction with the partnership
90 and the governing board of the Florida Museum of History at the
91 Town of Eatonville, shall make recommendations for:
92 1. Plans for the location, design, and construction of the
93 museum.
94 2. The operation and administration of the museum.
95 3. A marketing plan to promote the museum.
96 4. A transition plan for the museum to become financially
97 self-sufficient.
98 5. Recommendations for archival and artifact acquisition,
99 preservation, and research; exhibits; installations; and
100 educational materials that complement and support required
101 instruction provided in public schools in accordance with s.
102 1003.42(2)(h).
103 (4) PARTNERSHIP AND GOVERNING BOARD.—The partnership and
104 the governing board of the Florida Museum of History at the Town
105 of Eatonville, in conjunction with the advisory board, shall
106 choose the architects, museum designers, curators, and other
107 contractors to design, create, construct, operate, and manage
108 the Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville. To that
109 end, the partnership and the governing board must:
110 (a) Procure architectural design.
111 (b) Procure construction management services based on the
112 final architectural design and construction budget.
113 (c) Provide recommendations for the operation and
114 administration of the museum.
115 (d) Ensure that the museum is operated as a hybrid model by
116 a nonprofit entity in combination with the Orange County
117 Commission, which may include either a state agency, a local
118 government entity, or a college or university.
119 (e) Consider relevant operational models, including the:
120 1. Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum in Boca Raton.
121 2. Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in
122 Detroit, Michigan.
123 3. Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.
124 4. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts and
125 Culture in Charlotte, North Carolina.
126 5. John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
127 6. Meek-Eaton Black Archives, Research Center and Museum in
128 Tallahassee.
129 7. Museum of Florida History in Tallahassee.
130 8. National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee.
131 9. Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum in Miami.
132 (f) Make recommendations for archival and artifact
133 acquisition, preservation, and research; exhibits;
134 installations; and educational materials that complement and
135 support required instruction provided in public schools in
136 accordance with s. 1003.42(2)(h).
137 (g) Develop a collections management policy to care for,
138 preserve, and curate the museum’s collections, as well as
139 collections that may be loaned to the museum.
140 (5) EXHIBITION SPACES.—
141 (a) The governing board must ensure that 33 percent of the
142 museum’s exhibition space is dedicated to the display and
143 presentation of information specific to the history of the state
144 from its beginning to the present, including:
145 1. The history and impact of tourism on the State of
146 Florida and its economy, and Florida’s attractions, historical
147 sites, and tourist destinations, such as Disney World, Silver
148 Springs, Universal Studios, and Florida’s beaches.
149 2. The history of the United States military in Florida,
150 and its presence, and military bases and installations in
151 Florida.
152 3. The history and impact of agriculture in Florida and its
153 impact on the state’s economy.
154 4. The history of the National Aeronautics and Space
155 Administration, space exploration from Florida and the impact of
156 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and space
157 exploration’s impact on the state.
158 (b) In creating exhibition halls and spaces in the Florida
159 Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, the governing board
160 must consider exhibition halls or exhibition spaces for all of
161 the following:
162 1. Florida’s Black museums.
163 2. Florida’s Hispanic museums.
164 3. Florida’s Jewish Holocaust museums.
165 4. Blacks in the military.
166 5. Blacks and women in aviation.
167 6. Blacks and women in space.
168 7. The history of slavery in this state and the United
169 States.
170 8. The history of the civil rights movement in this state
171 and the United States.
172 9. An exhibit hall of life-sized statues or a statue garden
173 of significant individuals in the history of this state and the
174 United States.
175 10. A library and archives of Florida’s Governors to
176 include 3D-printed life-sized statues of Florida’s Governors.
177 11. A Presidential Hall of Statues.
178 12. The history of the Civil War in this state.
179 13. The history of reconstruction in this state.
180 14. The impact of Henry Morrison Flagler in this state.
181 15. A portrait gallery featuring portraits of historical
182 and significant individuals who have impacted Florida.
183 16. The history of Black towns, cities, and settlements in
184 this state.
185 17. The history of the migration of the citizens of the
186 Caribbean to this state, including Cubans, Haitians, and
187 Jamaicans.
188 18. A portrait gallery and archives of Black and Hispanic
189 elected officials in this state.
190 19. The history of Historically Black Colleges and
191 Universities in this state, including the life of Mary McLeod
192 Bethune and Bethune-Cookman University, and in the United
193 States.
194 20. A gallery of Black art that includes paintings,
195 posters, prints, glass works, quilts, and figurines.
196 21. The history of Orange County.
197 22. The history of the Town of Eatonville and author Zora
198 Neale Hurston.
199 23. Historically significant and influential persons,
200 including artists, musicians, poets, and athletes, and
201 historical events, including Black History events, in this state
202 and the United States.
203 24. The history of Black entrepreneurs in this state and
204 the United States.
205 25. The history of the Tuskegee Airmen, and the history of
206 the Tuskegee Airmen in Florida.
207 26. The history of baseball in Florida, including the major
208 leagues, the Negro Baseball League, the minor leagues, and
209 spring training.
210 27. The impact of Cuban migrants in Florida.
211 28. Blacks in science, Black inventions, Black inventors,
212 and Black scientists.
213 (6) EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.—The governing board shall make
214 recommendations that include educational materials relating to
215 the role of African American participation in defending and
216 preserving Florida and the United States, including the
217 contributions of the residents of Fort Mose, the Tuskegee
218 Airmen, and African American veterans.
219 (7) OPERATING BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—
220 (a) The operating board of directors, in consultation with
221 appropriate museum staff and with the approval of the governing
222 board, shall develop a plan for the museum to acquire archival
223 materials and artifacts.
224 (b) The operating board of directors, in consultation with
225 appropriate museum staff, colleagues from other institutions,
226 and other external content experts, shall develop plans for
227 permanent and temporary exhibitions.
228 (c) The operating board of directors, in consultation with
229 appropriate museum staff, colleagues from the Department of
230 Education, and other external stakeholders, shall develop
231 programs and educational materials, including topics that
232 support the mission of the Florida Museum of History at the Town
233 of Eatonville.
234 (8) MUSEUM MARKETING PLAN.—The governing board of the
235 Florida Museum of History at the Town of Eatonville, in
236 conjunction with the Florida Tourism Marketing Corporation and
237 the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc.,
238 shall develop and execute a marketing plan to promote the
239 museum. The governing board may also collaborate with the local
240 destination marketing organization or convention and visitors
241 bureau.
242 (9) CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND FUNDING.—
243 (a) Construction of the museum shall be funded by a
244 combination of local funding and funding appropriate from the
245 state over a period of 5 years, with no more than $75 million in
246 state legislative appropriations, to be matched by local
247 government and state funds and philanthropic funds on a 2:1
248 ratio.
249 (b) Estimates for recurring operational costs shall be
250 developed during the building design, site development, and
251 construction process.
252 (c) In addition to receiving funds as set forth in
253 paragraph (a), the governing board shall seek to raise private
254 funds, gifts, and donations and solicit grants, through its
255 partnership, advisory board, and board of directors, to augment
256 any recurring funding received.
257 (d) The museum shall earn revenue from general admission
258 fees, ticketed programming and events, retail partnerships, and
259 facility rentals.
260 (e) An endowment shall be created to support the
261 acquisition, research, and care of collections obtained from
262 across the network of museums that exist in this state.
263 (10) ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THE MUSEUM.—
264 (a) The museum shall receive program support from an
265 operating board of directors, appointed by the governing board,
266 consisting of scholarly experts and other key stakeholders
267 representing community organizations.
268 (b) The governing board for the Florida Museum of History
269 at the Town of Eatonville shall create and execute a transition
270 plan for the museum to become financially self-sufficient.
271 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.