(Boca Raton, FL – September 29, 2021) The Board of Trustees of the Boca Raton Historical Society today publicly thanks the City Council of Boca Raton for voting to cover $590,000 in reconstruction costs of the city-owned building that houses The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum (SBRHM), formerly known as the Boca Raton History Museum.
This recent financial support is in addition to the City’s original grant of $650,000 and will cover critical reconstruction costs not anticipated at that time, including extensive plumbing, foundation and electrical work at Old Town Hall, which dates back to 1927.
“The City is our landlord paying to bring their structure back up to safe and current standards, while we are the tenant, now raising additional funds to support this effort and create and install all of our exciting new exhibits,” explains Executive Director Mary Csar. “Many people mistakenly believe that we are a city-funded institution, but the Historical Society is actually an independent nonprofit organization that raises its own operating expenses though memberships, grants, donations, and fundraisers.”
Scheduled to reopen to the public on Wednesday, November 3, 2021, the dynamic redesign of the new Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum will allow for both permanent and changing exhibitions that will appeal to families, students, and research buffs of all ages—under the banner of History Alive!
The new exhibits will bring to life the growth and development of Boca Raton from a small farming town to the dynamic internationally known city it is today. They incorporate artifacts and images from the museum’s extensive local history collections.
The new permanent galleries include:
+ Boca Raton Timeline, starting with the earliest Pre-Columbian inhabitants up to the 21st Century.
+ Pioneer, 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 Air Field served as the Air Corps’ top secret radar training facility.
+ IBM, celebrating Boca Raton as the home of the IBM PC personal computer.
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.
After re-opening on November 3, the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum will be open to the public 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesday through Saturday.
The Boca Raton Historical Society is still raising funds for this ambitious renovation, and naming opportunities are still available, from the gift shop, research library and council chambers to individual decades within the captivating historical timeline that runs the full length of the museum. 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 [email protected].
About The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum:
The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum is the home of the Boca Raton Historical Society, whose mission 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. Although closed to the public for more than a year due to the COVID pandemic, the Historical Society used this time to complete the History Alive! project.
The museum 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.
Available for Interview:
Mary Csar, Executive Director
Schmidt Boca Raton Historical Museum
561.395.6766 / [email protected]
Media Contact:
Gary Schweikhart
PR-BS
561.756.4298 / [email protected]