Corey Kerkela knows a thing or two about old treasures. He's an archeologist who specializes in objects found washed up on the beach. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Treasure Coast is rich with history

  • McLarty Treasure Museum helps explore that history

  • More treasure and history can be found in the coast

But where he works, along the Treasure Coast, you won't find your average “junk” that normally washing up on our shores. 

Here there is a long storied history, one that deals with shipwrecks, treasure and pirates. 

The 1715 fleet, a group of 11 Spanish galleon ships, transported gold, silver and riches before meeting an ill-fated demise as all the ships succumbed to a hurricane along the Treasure Coast.

“This is the actual spot where the main survivors camp was for the 1715 fleet and this fleet was very significant in Florida history,” Kerkela said. 

They now lay at the bottom of the ocean, along with their treasures.

“Back in the '60s when they discovered this is where that fleet crashed and the years it happened there starts to get this excitement around it and tourists and that's when someone in Fort Pierce decided to call it the Treasure Coast,” Kerkela said.

And that's the story Kerkela will tell you when you enter the McLarty Treasure Museum.

Inside the quaint museum, visitors get a glimpse at the history and the artifacts that have washed ashore over the years. 

You may even be able to find a piece of Florida's history calling yourself a treasure hunter on the Treasure Coast. 

“Sometimes you can find old rings, you can find old crucifixes and hey maybe if you're really lucky you'll be the next person to find a 14-foot gold chain worth millions. But yeah, there is still a lot out there still to be found,” Kerkela said 

The McLarty Treasure Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.