Our Museum
Established in 1976, the Museum was created by a group of enthusiastic volunteers with the support of local governments. A local resident, John Coyle, spearheaded the project and was elected its first president.
The Long Beach Island Historical Association (LBIHA) is committed to safeguarding the history of LBI and ensuring that it continues to make an impact. As a non-profit organization, our aim is to educate and inform future generations about the region's heritage and the individuals who have lived here. We strive to create a shared sense of community through our programs, exhibits, and resources, and foster a deep understanding of the past and its impact on the present.
Our Vision
Our vision is to take people back to a unique place at the ocean’s edge and the people who came to know and love it, to be an inviting, educational and innovative community resource, recognized and respected as a place for exploring and celebrating the rich heritage of Long Beach Island.
Mission Statement
The mission of the LBIHA, established by its bylaws, is to research, gather, collect and perpetuate the history of Long Beach Island, maintain a collection of historic interest pertaining to Long Beach Island and to own and operate a museum to advance the purposes of the Association
The continuing mission is to take people back to a unique place at the ocean's edge and the people who came to know and love it. Modern day shore lovers will find their long ago counterparts here at the museum.
Long Beach Island today is strikingly different from the island of a century ago. After decades of growth, there is astonishingly little physical evidence of the island's early history. One can drive up and down the island and point out where everything once was.
What remains are artifacts, photographs and the memories of those people who were here and who lived through these changing times. The LBIHA mission is to gather this information from old letters, diaries, memorabilia, interviews, artifacts and especially photographs so that we can tell the complete story of this island and the eighteen miles of remarkable social history. Simply stated, the goal is to bring the past of LBI to life for all who visit.