Preserving the History and Culture of Carrabelle, Florida

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Director, Tamara Bibb Allen.

Tamara was so much more than the Director of the Carrabelle History Museum. She was a friend, a trusted advisor, a steady presence, a quiet source of strength, and one of the most caring and dedicated people our community has ever known. She loved her family, treasured her friends, and truly loved Carrabelle.

For more than 20 years, Tamara gave her heart to preserving our local history and helping make Carrabelle a better place. She shared her time freely, worked tirelessly behind the scenes, and was always willing to listen or lend a hand. Her kindness, quiet determination, compassion, resilience, and gentle humor made a lasting impression on everyone who knew her. Whether you knew her through the museum, one of the many community organizations she served, or simply as the lady in the scooter with the big hat and her little white dog, you knew someone special.
It's hard to imagine our community without Tamara. Her legacy cannot be measured in hours volunteered or projects completed, but in the lives she changed, the difference she made, and the love she shared, which will be felt for years to come. She was truly one of a kind, and she will be deeply missed.

Please keep Tamara's family and loved ones in your thoughts as we mourn this loss and remember a remarkable woman who gave so much of herself to Carrabelle and Franklin County and to everyone blessed enough to know her. 

For those who have asked how they can honor Tamara's memory, memorial donations may be made to the Carrabelle History Museum/Carrabelle CARES. Your gift will help continue the work and community she cared so deeply about. A donation link is provided here. 👒 Donate in Tamara's honor to the Carrabelle History Museum   👒

We opened in April of 2009, and since then, residents of the community have generously shared their pictures, genealogy, memories, household and work items to build our collection. Our first artifact was the medical bag of beloved midwife Tillie Miller, donated by Rita Brown Millender and John Brown. From then Carrabelle History Museum has grown to house thousands of items in its collections. Gratefully, we still receive wonderful local artifacts.

The museum is located in the Old Carrabelle City Hall, built by local mason Marvin Justiss in 1938 during the Depression as a work program to employ locals. The museum has two floors of exhibit rooms and areas to show collections with a large foyer for special displays. We have several exhibits that highlight the Shipwrecks of Dog Island; Carrabelle’s Heroes & Notables; the story of Tate’s Hell Swamp; the Steamship Tarpon, which was key to building our community in the early 1900's; and Carrabelle's "First People", Indigenous people who lived here thousands of years ago.

In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, the Carrabelle History Museum presents “Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story,” a special exhibit exploring the city’s history, civic leadership, and democratic traditions through artifacts, photographs, and stories. Made possible by a grant from the Duke Energy Foundation, the exhibit highlights Carrabelle’s role in shaping local government and community life, featuring historic ballot boxes, election materials, municipal records, founding documents, and the stories of Carrabelle’s mayors through time. Housed in the city’s historic former City Hall, where local government once met and served the community, the exhibit offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience history in the very place it unfolded. The exhibit opens July 4 and runs through September 30, with sneak previews available July 2–3. Admission is free. Learn more details on this exhibit here: Special Exhibit: Foundations of Freedom – Carrabelle’s Role in America’s Story – Carrabelle History Museum