WALTER JONES STORE AND MUSEUM

By  Mike Miller May 18, 2025

The Walter Jones Store and Museum is a historic site in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville, Florida. It’s also called the Mandarin Store and Post Office Museum.

The building served as a general store and post office from 1911 to 1964. Now, it’s a museum run by the Mandarin Museum & Historical Society.

Water Jones Store and Museum

It preserves the history of Mandarin’s early 20th-century life. The site sits near the St. Johns River. 

Walter Jones, the store’s namesake, moved his family to Mandarin in the early 1900s. He ran the store and served as postmaster.

The store was a community hub for locals buying goods and mail. It operated until 1964. The Jones family lived on the property until 1992.

In 1994, Jacksonville acquired the land for the Walter Jones Historical Park. The store was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

It reflects Mandarin’s past as a citrus-growing and river port area. 

The museum is at 12471 Mandarin Road, Jacksonville, Florida. It’s open the first Saturday of each month from 10 am to 2 pm. Admission is free. Check the website for schedule changes.

The Walter Jones Historical Park, at 11964 Mandarin Road, is nearby and open daily from sunrise to sunset. Take I-295 to San Jose Boulevard, then turn right on Mandarin Road.

The store is 0.8 miles past the park entrance. Parking is limited. Bring water and comfortable shoes for walking. The museum is wheelchair accessible. 

• The store still has original shelves and counters from 1911.  
  
  
• Walter Jones delivered mail by boat to riverfront homes.  
  
  
• The building was a polling place for local elections.  
  
  
• It sold everything from canned goods to farm tools.  
  
  
• A 1917 fire nearly destroyed it, but the community rebuilt it.
   
• The museum displays period items like old bottles and postcards. 
  
  
• Volunteers share stories of Mandarin’s citrus trade.
   
• The store’s oak tree is over 100 years old.  
  
  
• Nearby, the park’s boardwalk offers river views where manatees sometimes appear. 

WALTER JONES STORE AND MUSEUM WEBSITE