The Liberty Bell Memorial Museum is located at 1601 Oak Street,

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

in Wells Park and is located adjacent to Melbourne Military Memorial Park. The museum is free to enter, and is divided into two main components: The Rotunda of American History and Freedom Hall.

History

Honor America Inc., a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to American history and heritage, founded the

Liberty Bell The Liberty Bell, previously called the State House Bell or Old State House Bell, is an iconic symbol of American independence, located in Philadelphia. Originally placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence ...

Memorial Museum. It is housed in a former concrete ground water storage tank and the pump house of the original Melbourne Water Works Honor America Inc. "Liberty Bell Memorial Museum" brochure, circa 1990. Architect Joe Vislay designed the water storage tank and pump house and contractor Robert Stitzel built it. The organization. expanded the museum in 2005, adding the Freedom Hall annex . In 2013, the museum won the Colonel John H. Magruder III Award given by the Marine Corps Historical Foundation for excellence in depicting

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

history.

Exhibits

The Rotunda houses exhibits relating to American history, including a timeline of the history of the American nation, patriotic and historic artifacts and

ephemera Ephemera are transitory creations which are not meant to be retained or preserved. Its etymological origins extends to Ancient Greece, with the common definition of the word being: "the minor transient documents of everyday life". Ambiguous in ...

, Florida-specific history, and a full size replica of the

Florida Today ''Florida Today'' is the major daily newspaper serving Brevard County, Florida. Al Neuharth of the Gannett corporation started the paper in 1966, and some of the things he did with this newspaper presaged what he would later do at USA Today. I ...

. ''The Fact Book: Your Guide to Brevard County'' (Melbourne, Florida: Florida Today, February 28, 2004), p. 119. The replica bell was cast by

Whitechapel Bell Foundry The Whitechapel Bell Foundry was a business in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. At the time of the closure of its Whitechapel premises, it was the oldest manufacturing company in Great Britain. The bell foundry primarily made church bells a ...

, the casters of the original bell for the Pennsylvania State House (what is now called

Independence Hall Independence Hall is a historic civic building in Philadelphia, where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted by America's Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Fa ...

). It was purchased with funds raised by local schoolchildren during the

U.S. Bicentennial The United States Bicentennial was a series of celebrations and observances during the mid-1970s that paid tribute to historical events leading up to the creation of the United States of America as an independent republic. It was a central event ...

Celebration. Freedom Hall houses

militaria Militaria, also known as military memorabilia, are military equipment which are collected for their historical significance. Such items include firearms, swords, sabres, knives, bayonets, helmets and other equipment such as uniforms, military ord ...

relating to each branch of the

U.S. Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

and educational exhibits regarding major conflicts in which the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

has been a

belligerent A belligerent is an individual, group, country, or other entity that acts in a hostile manner, such as engaging in combat. The term comes from the Latin ''bellum gerere'' ("to wage war"). Unlike the use of ''belligerent'' as an adjective meaning ...

Notes

Gallery

File:Liberty Bell Memorial Museum Front 2.jpg, Front view of museum File:Liberty Bell Memorial Museum Front 3.jpg, Front view of museum File:Melbourne Military Memorial Park 1.jpg, Melbourne Military Memorial Park

External links

Liberty Bell Memorial Museum
(official website) {{Bells, state=collapsed Buildings and structures in Melbourne, Florida History museums in Florida Military and war museums in Florida Museums in Brevard County, Florida Museums established in 1985 1985 establishments in Florida

History

Exhibits

See also

Notes

Gallery

External links