richard and pat johnson palm beach county museum

If you are a resident or snowbird and want to know more about the history of the palm beaches, this place is for you. Docents Linda and Judy provided an introduction to the major sections of the displays and answered additional questions as well.They usually have special temporary exhibits too, so check out their web page for details.

This is my second visit to the museum over the last several years. During this visit I didn't have time to visit the permanent collection on West Palm Beach history (which I recommend seeing). My goal was to see the touring exhibit "The Courage to Remember, the Holocaust 1933-1945." I was also able to see an excellent temporary exhibit called "Courage Under Fire, 120 years of Fire Rescue" which was a history of the West Palm Beach Fire Department. It was only one room but was well done and worth seeing. It will be on display until June 27, 2015. The museum is located a short walk from the waterfront and is worth a short visit.There is no admission fee but a donation of $5.00 is recommended. There are guided tours which I did not take advantage of this visit.The old courthouse is located directly across from the new courthouse and the contrast is quite interesting.

Just moved to downtown WPB and decided to visit this museum since I am always wanting to know the history of where I live at. I was also interested in seeing the inside of the museum because it is located at the old county courthouse that was beautifully restored. We were met by a wonderful volunteer named Shirley who briefly gave a history on the county courthouse and how it was restored with most salvageable materials that could be saved and restored. Shirley also gave a brief tour on a new exhibit on the firefighting history of the city of WPB (Fact: The Breakers Hotel burned to the ground twice because it was built by wood). The other exhibits were also very educational (Bet your friend that WPB was the first incorporated city in Dade County and you would win because Palm Beach County was carved from Dade County). The museum has a wealth of information that any resident or visitor should explore. The added bonus is that admission is free and there is a wonderful gift shop with a great selection of books and gifts.

Our docent Rick is a local architect and brought the history of the old 1916 court house alive. The bldg. was almost torn down but luckily, thanks to the Historical Society and other concerned folks, it was saved and is back to its almost original, glorious self. The 1.5 hr. walk included Clematis Street, and Rick's knowledge opened our eyes.The tour is usually given the first Friday of every month from approx. Jan through April at 4:00 p.m. We parked at Kravis and took the trolley over to Dixie Hwy and then a short walk to the court house. Arrived at the museum in time to spend about 1 hr. going thru the various exhibits which include a history of settling Palm Beach and presently about the Indians (People of the Water).

6 ladies all enjoyed our 1 1/2 hr tour, with docent Sue, who was excellent. If you are a history buff or just are curious about this area, this gem of a museum is a great choice.