Last week, the Historic Peninsula Inn joined GHS as a lifetime business member, also called a “Square Mullet Sympathizer.” The Inn’s owner, Veronica Champion, said the partnership was one she wanted to cement because of the Inn’s rich local history.

“The Historic Peninsula Inn has a strong history,” Champion said “and, as an innkeeper, we want let our guests in on Gulfport’s unusual history. Partnering with the historical society simply makes sense.”

The Gulfport Merchants Chamber agreed.

“When I first heard that the Gulfport Historical Society was going to offer a business level membership I was thrilled and thought to myself, ‘it just makes sense’,” GMC President Barbara Banno said. “Not only are the people, the homes and the streets we walk a part of Gulfport’s history, but so are the businesses throughout the city.  Whether it be the oldest business in Gulfport or the old building where new businesses exist today, they all have a historic story to share with our community and visitors.“

“Every small town in Florida has its own attributes,” Cathy Salustri, GHS president added, “and there are lots of wonderful artsy, quirky towns out there, especially in Florida. So of course we get people who want to visit for those reasons. But ‘heritage tourism’ is a growing trend, and by helping local businesses showcase their history, GHS is helping our local businesses cater to those types of tourists. According to a 2010 US Department of Commerce report, 68% of all travelers in the US seek out cultural heritage experiences (staying at an historic inn, visiting a museum or eating in an historic building), second only to shopping and eating out. This means not only that more than two-thirds of all visitors to Gulfport want to know about our town’s history, they’re more likely to patronize a business with publicized ties to our town’s history.”

The Historic Peninsula Inn and the Gulfport Historical Society will celebrate this partnership with a new exhibit, highlighting the Inn’s history, on the first floor. The exhibit will officially open June 21 with a  porch party on the back deck of the Historic Peninsula Inn, marking another first: A porch party (a monthly tradition at the Gulfport History Museum) not at the Museum. The exhibit will remain on display to the public — and, of course, to Historic Peninsula Inn guests — indefinitely. 

“We’re thrilled Veronica made this decision, to celebrate the Historic Peninsula Inn’s ties to Gulfport history, and that we can do it in a way that brings history out of the museum and into the community. It’s part of our ‘city as museum’ initiative,” Salustri added. “We want visitors — and our community — to realize they’re walking around a town steeped in history. History isn’t something you have to go to a museum to see; it’s something you can experience as part of your everyday life. Especially in Gulfport.”