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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

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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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Today, we’d like to honor the construction workers

Today, we’d like to honor the construction workers and hotel staff members of the Flagler era. While Henry Flagler undoubtedly ranks as one of the most important figures in South Florida’s history, Palm Beach County wouldn’t have become what it is today without the extensive labor that went into both building and maintaining his luxurious resorts.

The Royal Poinciana was the first of Flagler’s Palm Beach hotels. Railroad engineers extended the Florida East Coast Railway, allowing workers and construction materials to reach Palm Beach, and construction on the hotel began in 1893. Within a year, a crew of one thousand men brought Flagler’s dream to life. Before West Palm Beach was incorporated, white laborers lived in makeshift tents on what is now Seaview Avenue and in areas along the Lake Trail, while Black workmen were segregated in a Palm Beach neighborhood known as “the Styx.” In 1894, West Palm Beach was incorporated to accommodate the extensive labor force needed to build and staff Flagler’s hotels. The Styx remained home to many Black laborers who worked in the hotels until the community was dissolved in 1912.

At its peak, 1,400 employees operated the Royal Poinciana, which could accommodate nearly 2,000 guests, demanding a large team of porters, bellhops, maids, and cooks. There were also employees who ran an on-site bakery, ice cream shop, post office, incinerator, and electric power plant. Meanwhile, Black wheelchairmen transported guests around the resort and throughout Palm Beach in wicker wheelchairs, providing a distinctive form of transportation during the Flagler era.

These workers were foundational to the development of both Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. They toiled to make Flagler’s vision a reality, and in doing so, brought new life, meaning, character, and purpose to Palm Beach County.

As we recognize the generations of workers whose labor helped shape our community, the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.

Join us today in celebrating 96 years of Publix, w

Join us today in celebrating 96 years of Publix, which first opened in Winter Haven on September 6th, 1930!

After years of steady growth, Publix came to Palm Beach County in 1959. Their first location was on Osborne (now Lantana) Road, with a second soon opening up in West Palm Beach, on Southern Boulevard. Palm Beach even got its own location in 1971. All three stores are still there, and nearly a century later, Florida has become home to hundreds of Publixes.

These photos from our Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News collections offer a charming glimpse into pre-21st century Publix. What’s your favorite thing about the iconic grocery chain?

@publix
#PalmBeachCountyHistory #PalmBeachHistory #SouthFloridaHistory #FloridaHistory #LocalHistory #HistoricPalmBeach #History #MuseumHistory #HistoricalSociety #PalmBeachCounty #WestPalmBeach #SouthFlorida #PalmBeachCountyHistoryMuseum

Meet the individuals featured in Escribiendo Nuest

Meet the individuals featured in Escribiendo Nuestra Historia, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s 2026 Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition. Through entrepreneurship, education, public service, cultural preservation, and community engagement, these honorees represent the many ways Hispanic residents have shaped Palm Beach County. Presented in partnership with Latin Quarter, the exhibition recognizes their contributions and preserves their experiences as an essential part of our shared history.

📅 September 15, 2026
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum
🎟️ Free Admission

RSVP today at pbchistory.org

2026 Honorees:
Alma Gallego, Poet, Publisher & Cultural Advocate
Antonio S. Batallan, CEO & Co-Founder, The Batallan Group
Armando Fana, Director of Housing and Community Development, City of West Palm Beach
Carlos Manuel Gonzalez, General Contractor, Real Estate Developer & Mortgage Broker
Carlos Mahecha, Journalist & Founder, Mahecha News
Christopher F. Irizarry, CEO, FoundCare Community Health Centers
Dr. Eugenio Rodríguez, General and Trauma Surgeon, Florida Surgical Foundation
Dr. Patricia Ordóñez-Feliciano, Executive Director, School Transformation and Multicultural Education, School District of Palm Beach County
Ezra Dilbert, Police Captain, School District of Palm Beach County
Jaene Miranda, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County
Juan J. Pagán, President, Florida Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce
Karina I. De La Cruz, President, Horizon Legal Solutions
Mabel da Silva Alfonsín- Datena, Director, Latin Quarter West Palm Beach
Virginia Savietto, District 2 School Board Member, School District of Palm Beach County

#EscribiendoNuestraHistoria #HispanicHeritageMonth #PalmBeachCounty #CommunityStories #HistoryMatters #LocalHistory #CulturalHeritage #OralHistory #HistoricalSociety #PBCEvents #MuseumExhibit #LoveFL #SouthFloridaCulture #DiscoverThePalmBeaches

Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of Body Heat

Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of Body Heat (1981), a neo-noir crime thriller that was partly filmed in Palm Beach County.
Starring William Hurt and Kathleen Turner, the film was primarily shot in Lake Worth Beach, with other filming locations in Delray Beach, Manalapan, and Hypoluxo. Director Lawrence Kasdan originally planned to set the story in New Jersey, but brought production down to sunny South Florida after an actors' strike and snowy weather convinced him that the plot and subject matter might be better suited to a warmer climate.

Ironically, however, filming began in Lake Worth during an unusually cold winter, with the city transformed into the fictional town of Miranda Beach. Throughout the film, Hurt and Turner’s characters become caught up in an impassioned but troublesome affair. Lake Worth provided the backdrop for their story, with City Hall transformed into Miranda Beach City Hall and various local buildings and storefronts appearing throughout the film, along with views of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Body Heat was Kasdan’s directorial debut and helped launch Kathleen Turner’s career. Peruse these behind-the-scenes photos from the Historical Society’s collections. Lake Worth natives may recognize the familiar locations that helped bring Palm Beach County to the big screen alongside some of Hollywood’s most notable film figures.

#PalmBeachCountyHistory #PalmBeachHistory #SouthFloridaHistory #FloridaHistory #PalmBeachPioneers #LocalHistory #HistoricPalmBeach #History #MuseumHistory #HistoricalSociety #PalmBeachCounty #WestPalmBeach #SouthFlorida #PalmBeachCountyHistoryMuseum

✨ COCKTAILS IN PARADISE: A STROLL THROUGH THE ROYA

✨ COCKTAILS IN PARADISE: A STROLL THROUGH THE ROYAL ✨

History, cocktails, culture, and a little Palm Beach glamour? Count us in. 🍸
Join the Young Friends of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County for an unforgettable evening at The Royal Poinciana Plaza on October 8.

Enjoy cocktails, shopping, private tours of Paul Labrecque and Glazer Hall, and special performances by Ballet Palm Beach as we explore one of Palm Beach’s most iconic destinations.

📅 October 8, 2026
⏰ 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Paul Labrecque, Glazer Hall & The Royal Poinciana Plaza
🎟️ $75 non-members | $50 members

Come sip, stroll, and experience the history and culture that make Palm Beach so distinctive.

Don’t miss the second event of the season! Join us December 10 at Busch Wildlife for A Stroll on the Wildside. 🐾

A huge thank you to our Cocktails in Paradise 2026–2027 Sponsors for helping make this series possible: Paul Labrecque (@paullabrecquesalon), Glazer Hall (@glazerhall), The Royal Poinciana Plaza (@theroyalpoincianaplaza), Busch Wildlife (@buschwildlife), Christopher Adeleke of Douglas Elliman (@freshprincechris), Marker Construction (@markerconstruction), Wellington Florist (@wellingtonflorist), and Munyon’s Paw Paw (@munyonspawpaw).

Tickets are limited, so grab yours at pbchistory.org and join us in paradise!

#CocktailsInParadise #YoungFriendsHSPBC #PalmBeach #PalmBeachEvents #PalmBeachHistory #HistoricalSociety

🇺🇸 LAST WEEK TO LEARN ABOUT THE MAN BEHIND THE LEG

🇺🇸 LAST WEEK TO LEARN ABOUT THE MAN BEHIND THE LEGEND.

There’s still time to discover the life, legacy, and lasting influence of one of America’s most fascinating Founding Fathers.

Benjamin Franklin: Creating an American Icon explores how a printer, inventor, diplomat, and statesman became a symbol of the American spirit. Featuring rare books printed by Franklin, portraits and busts from his lifetime, and historic iconography from the collection of Zachary and Benjamin Jacobson, the exhibition offers a fascinating look at how an American icon was made.

📅 Last chance to visit through 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

If you were to travel back in time to what is now

If you were to travel back in time to what is now Palm Beach County during the late nineteenth century, medical care would be more difficult, but not impossible, to come by—especially if you lived close to the beach. In 1898, a dentist named Frank Houghton devised a unique solution for reaching the tourists and pioneers who lived along the remote stretch of coast from Titusville to West Palm Beach. He treated patients aboard the “Dentos,” a houseboat that served as his dental office.

Another dentist, Edwin Urdich, took over the route in 1906, but only operated the Dentos for another few years. By 1910, Palm Beach County had separated from Dade County, and the construction of roads quickly rendered the dental houseboat obsolete. During its heyday, however, the boat featured a fully furnished reception and operating room.

From the beginning, West Palm Beach has been shaped by its intrepid medical practitioners. Swipe left to see a photo of Dr. Thomas Leroy Jefferson, one of the first black doctors of the Palm Beaches. After moving to the area in 1902, Jefferson was known for riding a bicycle to reach his patients. The last photo depicts Dr. Alice Evans Miller, who in the 1910s became one of West Palm Beach’s first female doctors. She practiced medicine here for 51 years.

#PalmBeachCountyHistory #PalmBeachHistory #SouthFloridaHistory #FloridaHistory #FloridaPioneers #PalmBeachPioneers #LocalHistory #HistoricPalmBeach #History #MuseumHistory #ArtHistory #HistoricalSociety #PalmBeachCounty #WestPalmBeach #SouthFlorida #PalmBeachCountyHistoryMuseum

History needs a voice. Yours. Do you love local h

History needs a voice. Yours.

Do you love local history? Enjoy meeting new people? Become a docent at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and help bring our community's stories to life!

Our upcoming four-week Docent Training Program is the perfect opportunity to explore Palm Beach County's rich history while learning how to lead engaging tours for visitors of all ages.

Training Schedule:
Mondays & Fridays
September 28 through October 9

Whether you're a lifelong history enthusiast or simply looking for a meaningful way to give back, we'd love to have you join our team.

Interested or have questions? Visit pbchistory.org

#PalmBeachCounty #Volunteer #MuseumDocent #LocalHistory #VolunteerOpportunity #Community #HistoryMatters #LoveWhereYouLive #HSPBC #PalmBeach #WestPalmBeach #MuseumLife

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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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