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Museum
Get Involved
Programs & Events
Research
- Archives
- Research Room
Education
Historical Society
- About Us
- Awards
  - Judge James R. Knott Historical Contribution Award
  - Fannie James Pioneer Achievement Award

Special Sunshine Cinema Tour: Presented by Rick Rose

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Date

May 16 2026

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Time

11:30 am - 1:00 pm

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Contact Us

Phone: 561.832.4164

Mail:
P.O. Box 4364
West Palm Beach, FL 33402

Visit:
300 N. Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

MUSEUM HOURS

Mon – Sat 10 am – 4 pm
Sunday Closed

HSPBC ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE HOURS

Mon – Friday 9 am – 5 pm

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🇺🇸 As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, st

🇺🇸 As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, step back in time and meet the man who helped shape a nation.

Opening July 6, Benjamin Franklin: Creating an American Icon explores the life, legacy, and enduring influence of one of America’s most remarkable Founding Fathers. Printer, inventor, diplomat, and statesman, Franklin became more than a historical figure. He became a symbol of the American spirit itself.

Discover rare books printed by Franklin, portraits and busts created during his lifetime, and historic iconography from the collection of Zachary and Benjamin Jacobson. Together, these extraordinary objects reveal how Franklin’s image helped define a young nation and continues to influence American identity 250 years later.

📅 On View July 6 – August 31, 2026
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum
🎟️ Complimentary Admission

Presented as part of the nationwide commemoration of America's 250th anniversary.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Gunster and Forman Capital, for making this exhibition possible.

#PBCHistory #BenjaminFranklin #America250 #Semiquincentennial #WestPalmBeach #PalmBeachCounty #HistoryMuseum #FoundingFathers #MuseumExhibit #SouthFloridaEvents #AmericanHistory

🏄‍♂️ Before there was The Endless Summer, there wa

🏄‍♂️ Before there was The Endless Summer, there was the real-life adventure that started it all.
And it all connects right here in Palm Beach County.

This Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 PM, we’re kicking off the opening of Surfing Florida: A Photographic History at the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum inside the historic 1916 Courthouse. This new exhibition dives into Florida’s surf culture through rare photography, local stories, and the waves that shaped a lifestyle.

Then the wave keeps rolling.
On June 30, join us for a special screening of Birth of the Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis, presented in conjunction with the exhibition.

Directed by Richard Yelland, this award-winning documentary follows surf pioneer Dick Metz as he retraces the wild, globe-spanning journey that helped inspire one of surfing’s most iconic films. Think hitchhiking, steamship-hopping, and the discovery of Cape St. Francis in South Africa, where surf history was quietly being made.

Together, the exhibition and the film pull you deeper into the roots of surf culture, from Florida’s shoreline to the waves that changed everything.

Set inside the historic courthouse, this is more than a screening. It is a front-row seat to the adventure, history, and spirit that still rides every wave.

📅 Exhibit Opening: June 24, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum

📅 Film Screening: June 30, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum

Catch the opening wave this Wednesday, then ride the story all the way through June 30.

Register now at the link in bio.

#SurfingFlorida #BirthOfTheEndlessSummer #TheEndlessSummer #SurfHistory #PBCHistory #WestPalmBeach #PalmBeachCounty #SurfCulture #FloridaSurfing

A swell is building. Join us on Wednesday, June

A swell is building.

Join us on Wednesday, June 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for the opening reception of Surfing Florida: A Photographic History at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.

It is our privilege to work alongside Tom Warnke and his team at the Surfing Florida Museum to share portions of this remarkable collection with our community. Featuring photographs, artifacts, and stories from across the Sunshine State, this exhibition explores more than a century of surfing culture and the people who helped shape it.

This is what community curation looks like. Museums, collectors, photographers, surfers, and local historians working together to preserve and share the stories that define our communities.

register today at: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/pbchistory/items/726583/?full-items=yes&back=https://pbchistory.org/events/&g4=yes

We hope to see you there.

Today, we honor Juneteenth and the generations of

Today, we honor Juneteenth and the generations of Black Americans whose resilience, achievements, and stories have shaped our nation and our community.

Please note that the Historical Society of Palm Beach County will be closed today, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of emancipation finally reached the last enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, it stands as a celebration of freedom, perseverance, and Black culture.

As part of that remembrance, we are highlighting the story of Dr. Alice Moore and her family. Through our Oral History Project, the Historical Society preserves the firsthand experiences of Palm Beach County residents, ensuring that their memories and perspectives remain part of our shared history.

In her oral history interview, Dr. Moore reflects on growing up as a young Black woman in Palm Beach County during the Jim Crow era. She shares memories of education, faith at Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church, the vibrant social scene of the Sunset Lounge, debutante traditions, and the lasting influence of Bethune-Cookman College on her family and community.

This Juneteenth, we invite you to watch a brief excerpt from Dr. Moore’s interview, in which she recounts a family story about her mother meeting Mary McLeod Bethune on a train.

Stories like these remind us that history lives not only in documents and photographs, but also in the voices and memories passed from one generation to the next.

Visit the link in our bio to watch the oral history excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXREnSCfrH4&t=1378s

#Juneteenth #PalmBeachHistory #BlackHistory #OralHistory #HistoryMatters #HSPBC #PalmBeachCounty #CommunityHistory #PreservingHistory

🇺🇸 This summer, meet the man behind the legend. O

🇺🇸 This summer, meet the man behind the legend.

Opening July 6, Benjamin Franklin: Creating an American Icon explores the life, legacy, and lasting influence of one of America's most fascinating Founding Fathers. More than a printer, inventor, and diplomat, Franklin became a symbol of the American spirit whose image helped shape a nation.

Featuring rare books printed by Franklin, portraits and busts from his lifetime, and historic iconography from the collection of Zachary and Benjamin Jacobson, this special exhibition offers a unique look at how an American icon was made.

📅 On View July 6 – August 31, 2026
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum
🎟️ Complimentary Admission

Presented in honor of America's 250th anniversary.
Special thanks to our sponsors, Gunster and Forman Capital, for their support.

#PBCHistory #BenjaminFranklin #America250 #WestPalmBeach #PalmBeachCounty #HistoryMuseum #FoundingFathers #MuseumExhibit #SouthFloridaEvents

What an incredible evening. Thank you to everyone

What an incredible evening.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Opening Reception of Lost and Found: LGBTQIA+ Identity and Space in South Florida. The turnout was truly amazing, and the energy in the room said everything. Conversations were thoughtful, connections were real, and the community showed up in a powerful way.

This exhibition, guest curated by Palm Beach Post Notables editor Krystian von Speidel, explores how LGBTQIA+ identity was publicly shaped throughout the twentieth century through headlines, advice columns, and media portrayals that often framed queer life through controversy and debate. The organizations featured continue that story today, creating spaces for advocacy, care, expression, and connection while ensuring LGBTQIA+ individuals are recognized on their own terms.

We are so grateful to our partners and community organizations who helped make this night possible:

Thank you to our partners:
@thebunkerartspace @compasscenter @gaypololeague @hgroosters @lwplayhouse , @mccpalmbeaches , @outsfl , Palm Beach Human Rights Council, @prism.fl @queerhikeclub_sfl , Queer Market @nicshpshftr , @stonewallarchive @billbone_racing_team @transpirehelp @nightrunnerswpb

If you missed the reception, there is still time to experience the exhibition. Lost and Found: LGBTQIA+ Identity and Space in South Florida will be on display through June 27.

#Pride #PalmBeachCounty #LGBTQIA #CommunityMatters #MuseumEvents #LoveIsLove #SouthFlorida #PrideMonth

🏄‍♂️ Before there was The Endless Summer, there wa

🏄‍♂️ Before there was The Endless Summer, there was the adventure that inspired it.

Join us on June 30 for a special screening of Birth of the Endless Summer: Discovery of Cape St. Francis, presented in conjunction with our newest exhibition, Surfing Florida: A Photographic History.

Directed by Richard Yelland, this award-winning documentary follows surf pioneer Dick Metz as he retraces the incredible journey that helped shape modern surf culture. From hitchhiking and steamship-hopping across the globe to discovering the legendary waves of Cape St. Francis, South Africa, Metz's story reveals the untold origins of one of surfing's most iconic films.

Set inside the historic 1916 Courthouse, this one-night-only screening is a chance to dive deeper into the adventure, history, and enduring spirit of surfing while exploring the stories behind the sport's most legendary moments.

📅 June 30, 2026
🕠 5:30 PM
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum

Catch the wave and discover the story behind the story.

Register today at the link in bio!

#SurfingFlorida #BirthOfTheEndlessSummer #TheEndlessSummer #SurfHistory #PBCHistory #WestPalmBeach #PalmBeachCounty #SurfCulture #FloridaSurfing

🏄‍♂️ Surfing Florida: A Photographic History Openi

🏄‍♂️ Surfing Florida: A Photographic History Opening Reception

📅 June 24 | 🕠 5:30 PM

Catch the wave and be among the first to experience Surfing Florida: A Photographic History.
This exciting new exhibition dives into Palm Beach County's unique surf culture through stunning photography, historic surfboards, and firsthand stories from the people who helped shape it. In a place where the waves are anything but predictable, local surfers built a community defined by grit, creativity, and adaptability, leaving a lasting mark on Florida's surfing legacy.

Join us for an evening of history, live music, small bites, and coastal vibes as we celebrate the opening of this unforgettable exhibition.

Ride the tide through decades of surf history and discover the stories behind the boards, the beaches, and the culture that continues to inspire generations.

Register today at the link in bio.

@surfingfloridamuseum

#SurfingFlorida #PalmBeachCountyHistory #SurfCulture #FloridaSurfing #SurfHistory #PalmBeachCounty #WestPalmBeach #SouthFloridaEvents #MuseumExhibit #PhotographyExhibit #HistoricPalmBeachCounty #LiveMusic #FloridaHistory #SupportLocalMuseums #ThePalmBeaches

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The Historical Society of Palm Beach County is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the rich history of Palm Beach County. Through stewardship of archives, exhibitions, and educational programs, we connect our community to its past to inspire understanding and appreciation for generations to come.

©2025 Historical Society of Palm Beach County, All Rights Reserved. | Site By Immersive Spaces, LLC

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