The Florida Pioneer Museum, located at 826 N. Krome Ave. in Florida City, reopened its doors for the season on Nov. 4 and will be open every Wednesday and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m.
When you think of the Pioneer Museum think of life in South Dade from about 1910 until the 1940s. It is like your great-grandmother’s house or an antique store on steroids.
The museum has two official government 1853 maps — one of the eastern United States in 1853 and one of Florida in the same year.
Jefferson Davis who was Secretary of War at the time commissioned the maps. He also was a West Point graduate.
In the parlor you will find an Edison Phonograph, 1920s console radio, spinning wheel, Grandma and Grandpa Mannequins, and the family Bible.
The hallway highlights local community leaders and paintings of two of the 20 young local men who gave their lives in WWII.
Books from Homestead’s first lending library (established by the Woman’s Club in 1914) are catalogued for easy reading. An early sewing machine, pre-electric crock pot, 1920s refrigerator and electric stove are household items that attract attention. Tools and agricultural implements of types highlight the tool room.
The current exhibit focusing on Everglades National Park and its predecessor, Royal Palm State Park, tells the story of one of our major attractions. So do the many tourist-related souvenirs on display alongside the spectacular Native American exhibit.
Pay a visit to the Florida Pioneer Museum soon. Admission is free and the museum attendants will be happy to share our rich history with you.
