Posted by: Preserving the past for the future
Saving precious pieces of history is a passion for many people, especially the staff and members of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County who make the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum possible.
Where else can you find collections of curated photos and documents that show us who was here before us? Plus, this rich repository also reveals what life was like in the early 1900s, when South Florida pioneers saw their first automobile or when Henry Flagler started to build the railroad.
- Did you know that the area now called Boca Raton was at one time predominately fields of tomatoes that were farmed by Japanese settlers in the 19th century?
- Did you know that the history of Florida can be traced back some 12,000 years, long before the Tequesta tribe lived here?
History is a river of wisdom that continues to flow.
Some of the exhibits at the Museum have focused on photo arrays of the earliest hospitals, the Women's Suffrage movement, and more recently, the impact of Black communities and their leaders, plus the progression of the Gay Pride movement, just to mention a few.
Admission to the Museum is FREE. All donations are appreciated ($5 suggested). It is housed on the 2nd floor of the restored 1916 Courthouse, 300 N. Dixie Highway, in downtown West Palm Beach. Call 561-832-4164.
Hours:
- Monday-Saturday: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Photo credit: WWI Soldiers in 1916 on the steps of the Courthouse in Downtown West Palm Beach / PBhistory.org
The public-facing part of what the Museum's mission entails is hosting exhibits, both permanent and short-term, to attract and educate visitors on our local history. Secondly, it houses archived documents that are cataloged for research purposes. Public searches can also be performed online at the Collections Database.
Public parking near the Museum is available in metered spaces on 3rd Street and in the 4th Street parking lot. Additionally, there are several public parking garages in the surrounding area. A handicap-accessible entrance is located on the east side of the building on the 1st floor with elevators to the 2nd floor (museum level). Parking in metered spaces is free for handicapped decal holders.
A wheelchair is available for use by museum visitors. Ask at the greeter desk on 2nd floor or call ahead to inquire at 561-832-4164, ext. 2.
You can view the online program guide for 2023 here.
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