Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum
Uses Pandemic Slowdown for Dynamic $3.9-Million
Reimagination, Redesign & Renovation
Before Officially Reopening in 2021
‘History Alive!’ Concept Promises Immersive Engagement
(Boca Raton, FL – December 14, 2020) Like everyone else, Mary Csar, Executive Director of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum (BRHS&M) is ready for this challenging year to be over and for a bigger, brighter 2021 to arrive. Bigger and brighter applies not only to the new year, but to the brand new museum that BRHS&M has become over the last few months during a total, top-to-bottom, $3.9-million reimagination, redesign and renovation. The official reopening date will be announced in early 2021.
‘The historic Town Hall has been our home since the mid-1980s,” says Csar. “But, due to space limitations, our exhibitions have been temporary and largely two-dimensional. Not any longer. The dynamic redesign of the new Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum will allow for both permanent and changing exhibitions that will appeal to families, students and research buffs of all ages—all under the concept of History Alive!”
“Expert exhibit designers Creative Art Unlimited of Pinellas Park, Florida, was engaged to design the space layout and create new interactive exhibits for the museum,” she adds. “The new exhibits will be immersive experiences that document the growth and development of Boca Raton from a small farming town to the sophisticated internationally known city it is today, and will incorporate many more artifacts and memorabilia, plus other valuable information.”
The new permanent galleries include:
+ Historic Timeline starting with the earliest Pre-Columbian inhabitants up to the 21st Century.
+ Pioneer Days focused on the local heritage of a small farming community.
+ Addison Mizner, featuring the museum’s important collection of Mizner Industries and architectural drawings and images of the great architect’s plans, which put the tiny town of Boca Raton on the map in the 1920s.
+ World War II, when the Boca Raton Army Airfield served as the Air Corps’ top secret radar training facility.
+ IBM, featuring an extraordinary collection of functioning vintage IBM PCs.
In addition, the Council Chamber will feature display areas and cabinetry for changing exhibits and will also function as the museum’s lecture hall. The redesigned Research Library will house the Society’s extensive archival collections and provide workstations for research patrons.
The Boca Historical Society & Museum is still raising funds for this ambitious renovation, and naming opportunities are still available. Anyone interested in helping to preserve and promote Boca Raton’s amazing history can do so by contacting Mary Csar directly at 561.395.6766 or director@bocahistory.org.
About the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum:
The mission and the purpose of the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum is to collect, preserve, and present information and artifacts relevant to the past and evolving history of Boca Raton and to maintain a visible role in the education and the advocacy of historic preservation in the community, particularly through its ongoing project, History Alive! Although currently closed due to the COVID pandemic, BRHS is using this time to completely reimagine and renovate the museum, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2022.
Appealing to local historians, tourists and residents, the museum’s Fire Bay Gift Shop will, when it reopens, feature unique and educational gifts for all ages, including crafts by local artisans, historic photographs, unusual Boca-based gifts and souvenirs, books by local authors, and The History of Boca Raton DVD—as well as the annual holiday ornaments.
BRHS is located in Historic Town Hall at 71 N. Federal Highway in downtown Boca Raton (33432). For more information, please call 561.395.6766 or visit www.BocaHistory.org.