Living History

About the Program

Category: Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

While often recognized as a beach tourist destination, Palm Beach County is rich in arts, culture, historic and archaeological significance. The Parks and Recreation Department is custodian of Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park, the location of two Second Seminole War battles and a working pioneer family farmstead. The department also operates DuBois Pioneer Home in DuBois Park, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and preserving an example of life in a self-sufficient pioneer homestead built on top of an indigenous shell rock midden. The department has long been committed to being good stewards, sharing these resources at no cost to residents and visitors well outside the boundaries of our park properties. Our Living History program takes participants on a journey back in time through self-guided tours and unique immersive educational opportunities to better understand and develop an appreciation for the land entrusted to the department and its past and present inhabitants, preserving more than 5,000 years of human habitation. Through our Living History program, the department fosters a sense of community by creating a connection to the past helping all to understand our present day, while instilling hope for a more enriching future for this and coming generations.