The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum is located at 300 North Dixie Highway West Palm Beach. The historical museum is within the walls of the historic 1916 Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach.  Learn about the rich and diverse history of Palm Beach County which has been preserved by the Historical Society of Palm Beach County. 

The Historical Society was formed in 1937, West Palm Beach lawyer A. Stanley Bussey donated a vintage black-and-white photograph of an island street scene to the newly established Society. This was the first gift to what would become a significant collection of artifacts and documents representing the highs and lows experienced by people in Palm Beach County.

The Historical Society of Palm Beach County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect, preserve, and share the history of Palm Beach County. The Society maintains a large library on the history of Palm Beach County, Florida, and the Caribbean. Through its archives, which includes nearly two million photographic images, maps, newspapers, journals, periodicals, architectural drawings, and research files, the Society maintains an active research facility and documents the people and events that have shaped Palm Beach County. In addition, the multiple education programs, and initiatives of the Historical Society in schools and communities are of primary importance to our vision of building an understanding and appreciation of local history in our children.

The creation of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in 2008 finally allowed the collection to fully serve its critical purpose “to share and showcase the rich history of Palm Beach County and the larger context of Florida’s heritage dating back at least 12,000 years.”