Ma Barker’s famed hideout was moved by barge Thursday across Lake Weir.
The Ma Barker house will settle on its final resting place in the next few weeks. Restoration efforts will continue prior to opening the scene of the Baker gang’s last act as a public museum under the supervision of Marion County Parks and Recreation.
The hideout’s move was sparked by the sale of the lakefront property that did not include the house. Relocation of the donated building is the first major step in the county’s plans to restore and preserve the house as a museum.
Opening the house to the public will showcase the 1935 triumph of good versus evil deemed the “Battle of Ocklawaha.” Visitors will walk through the life-sized time capsule and see firsthand the bullet holes still peppering the furniture and walls after a four-hour stand-off with the FBI and local law enforcement.
