Historical Society of Palm Beach County

Historical Society of Palm Beach County The Historical Society and the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum present exhib HSPBC offices are open M-F 9-5.
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The museum is open M-Sat 10-4. For holiday closures go to PBChistory.org.

✨ COCKTAILS IN PARADISE: A STROLL THROUGH THE ROYAL ✨History, cocktails, culture, and a little Palm Beach glamour? Count...
09/15/2026

✨ 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 (), Glazer Hall (), The Royal Poinciana Plaza (), Busch Wildlife (), Christopher Adeleke of Douglas Elliman (), Marker Construction (), Wellington Florist (), and Munyon’s Paw Paw ().

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

📖 It’s here! Our 2026–2027 Season Guide has arrived.Think of it as your one-stop shop for everything happening at the Hi...
09/14/2026

📖 It’s here! Our 2026–2027 Season Guide has arrived.

Think of it as your one-stop shop for everything happening at the Historical Society of Palm Beach County this season.

From exhibitions and programs to events, membership, volunteering, and more, it’s all in one place so you can start planning your year in history.

Whether you’re looking to discover something new, get more involved, or simply find your next favorite event, we’ve got you covered.

✨ Explore the 2026–2027 Season Guide on our website and start planning your season.

History is happening all year long. We’ll see you there. To learn more visit: https://ow.ly/cM0L50ZMC2G

✨ Next week, we celebrate the stories that help shape our community.Join us on September 15 for Escribiendo Nuestra Hist...
09/09/2026

✨ Next week, we celebrate the stories that help shape our community.

Join us on September 15 for Escribiendo Nuestra Historia, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s 2026 Hispanic Heritage Month exhibition, presented in partnership with Latin Quarter.

Meet the remarkable individuals whose work in entrepreneurship, education, public service, cultural preservation, healthcare, journalism, and community engagement has helped shape the story of Palm Beach County. This exhibition recognizes their contributions and preserves their experiences as an essential part of our shared history.

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

Meet the 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 González, 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-Datena, Director, Latin Quarter West Palm Beach
Virginia Savietto, District 2 School Board Member, School District of Palm Beach County

Come celebrate their stories, their contributions, and the history they are helping write.

RSVP today at pbchistory.org

🧑‍⚖️ Mock Trials are BACK!The courtroom is officially back in session on October 1! Step inside the Historic Courtroom a...
09/08/2026

🧑‍⚖️ Mock Trials are BACK!

The courtroom is officially back in session on October 1! Step inside the Historic Courtroom at the Palm Beach County History Museum for an evening of history, drama, debate, and a little friendly courtroom flair.

Watch history come to life as participants take on the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and jurors in this engaging and interactive experience. Whether you love history, law, or just a good argument, you’ll want to be in the courtroom when the gavel drops!

📅 October 1
🕠 5:30–8:00 PM
🎟️ 21+
📍 Historic Courtroom
⚖️ Court is back in session. Will you be there?

Register at the link in bio!

Today, we’d like to honor the construction workers and hotel staff members of the Flagler era. While Henry Flagler undou...
09/07/2026

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, which first opened in Winter Haven on September 6th, 1930!After years o...
09/06/2026

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?​


Meet the individuals featured in Escribiendo Nuestra Historia, the Historical Society of Palm Beach County’s 2026 Hispan...
09/02/2026

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

Yesterday marked the 45th anniversary of Body Heat (1981), a neo-noir crime thriller that was partly filmed in Palm Beac...
08/29/2026

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.

✨ COCKTAILS IN PARADISE: A STROLL THROUGH THE ROYAL ✨History, cocktails, culture, and a little Palm Beach glamour? Count...
08/28/2026

✨ 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 (), Glazer Hall (), The Royal Poinciana Plaza (), Busch Wildlife (), Christopher Adeleke of Douglas Elliman (), Marker Construction (), Wellington Florist (), and Munyon’s Paw Paw ().

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

08/27/2026

History meets happy hour as the Young Friends of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County gathered for a night of summer fun and connection.
Full gallery in the comments. ⬇️

Address

300 N Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, FL
33401

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

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