Florida is home to a rich variety of cultural resources, and many significant archaeological sites, including the Fort Walton Temple Mound, are publicly owned. Preservation of the temple mound was secured in 1959 when Thomas and Louise Brooks and William and Sarah Frances Brooks Pryor donated it to the City of Fort Walton. The community's commitment to protecting the mound was further demonstrated in 1964, when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark. After the mound land was acquired, the goal of a permanent museum moved closer to reality, and in 1971 the Indian Temple Mound Museum opened to the public. In 1976 the Florida Bicentennial Trail began at the Fort Walton Temple Mound. Considered a sacred area by today's Native Americans and often used for ceremonial activities, the mound is now in danger and needs protection. It is safeguarded by the national government, the State of Florida, and the City of Fort Walton Beach, while much of the surrounding living area now lies beneath downtown Fort Walton Beach and remains unexamined. For now, the Fort Walton Temple Mound remains a time capsule of information for future archaeologists and historians to study.