Discover Delmarva: Beebe Ranch
CHINCOTEAGUE, VA- The Beebe Ranch was the home to the famed “Misty of Chincoteague” and the Beebe family. The ranch has now become a capsule for the famed story with a newly curated museum. Assistant Director Cindy Faith tells us none of this would be possible without the passion of the community. “From the bottom of my heart- grateful. For the thousands of people who came together to make the funds happen for the purchase. And we didn’t know if that would happen, but it ended up being exactly what we needed.”
The Museum of Chincoteague Island acquired the property in June of 2023 and worked to preserve this important piece of the island’s history for future generations. After acquiring the ranch, the questions only grew about how they would achieve this. Faith told us, “There were some questions on how we were going to provide all the exhibits. We had big dreams, ideas, and all that. Most of it, to be honest, came from within. Because Jeanette Beebe had saved so many things in the attic, we were able to repurpose a lot of that.
The entire museum was a result of the community and the passion behind this story. As soon as you walk in the door, a one-of-a-kind interactive map helps “light up” the history of the island
The displays tell the tale of the Beebe family and a glimpse into their everyday life past to present. From personal letters to everyday items like Maureen Beebe’s saddle, who was one of the inspirations for the children’s novel. Faith tells us there are “So many things on display here that people have never seen before. Some did come out of the attic here in the home or from family members, which we’re grateful for. But also, people from around the country said I have a thing that I’ve been saving for the last 50 years, but I’d love to see it in this museum.”
The community’s contributions played a big part in telling the story of author Marguerite Henry and illustrator Wesley Dennis. Mock illustrations and a typical writing area helped bring the story to life. The Kitchen of the house is an important space here in the museum- When Misty came inside the house and rode out the Ash Wednesday Storm with the Beebe family. Faith says this physical place really helps set the scene, “You feel like you’re here with Misty in 1962. It is somewhat untouched from that time period, so it was easy to kind of envision what it would have been like.”
The ranch is currently home to Drizzle and Angel, direct descendants of Misty. The history of the Beebe Ranch and Misty is alive as ever to this day.
Faith says they have a lot of work to do over the coming months. With even more unseen items, they hope to display them on the ranch in the coming months. The museum is open 11 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Saturday until the end of the season on October 25th. To show your support and to plan your visit, check out their website.
