West Palm Beach was incorporated Nov. 5, 1894, and has 30 National Register entries, from the Seaboard train station to El Cid. Museums, cemeteries, hours.
Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Facts come from the City of West Palm Beach’s history page, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places listed-properties file (dated May 22, 2026), the Historical Society of Palm Beach County and the City Clerk. Dates on every claim come from those sources.
West Palm Beach was incorporated on Nov. 5, 1894, two years before Miami, and had about 1,000 residents a year later, according to the city’s history page. It is the county seat of Palm Beach County. Palm Beach Junior College, which the city calls Florida’s first junior college, opened here in 1933. Today the city has 30 entries on the National Register of Historic Places: 11 historic districts, 16 buildings, one site and two entries for the Ann Norton House and Sculpture Gardens.
Visit and ask
- Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum: 300 N. Dixie Highway, 561-832-4164, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Saturday, free general admission
- Historical Society research archives: by appointment, 561-832-4164, ext. 112
- City historic preservation: Planning Division, Historic Preservation
The 1916 courthouse and the history museum
The Historical Society of Palm Beach County runs the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum on the second floor of the restored 1916 Historic Courthouse, 300 N. Dixie Highway. The modern courthouse is across the street. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and general admission is free, the society says. There is metered street parking and the 4th Street lot, which uses the ParkMobile app; the accessible entrance is on the east side of the building. The society also runs a research archive by appointment.
National Register of Historic Places
These are the West Palm Beach entries in the National Park Service’s listed-properties file, with the date each was listed:
Historic districts
| District | Area (as the listing describes it) | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Historic District | Roughly Tamarind Avenue, 11th Street, Rosemary Avenue and Third Street | Jan. 22, 1992 |
| Old Northwood Historic District | Roughly Broadway, North Dixie Highway and 26th to 35th streets | April 14, 1994 |
| El Cid Historic District | Roughly Flamingo Drive, South Flagler Drive, Dyer Road and South Dixie Highway | Aug. 31, 1995 |
| Clematis Street Historic Commercial District | 500 block of Clematis Street | Oct. 8, 1998 |
| Grandview Heights Historic District | Roughly Park Place, Alabama Avenue, M Street and South Lake Avenue | July 8, 1999 |
| Mango Promenade Historic District | Roughly South Dixie Highway, Austin Lane, Coconut Lane and Cranesnest Way | July 8, 1999 |
| Central Park Historic District | Along South Dixie Highway and South Olive Avenue from Monroe Drive to Southern Boulevard | July 28, 1999 |
| Flamingo Park Historic Residential District | Roughly Park Place, Parker Avenue, Belvedere Road and Florida Avenue | July 14, 2000 |
| Northboro Park Historic District | 40th Street, Flagler Drive, 36th Street and Broadway | Feb. 20, 2007 |
| Vedado Historic District | Roughly Merril Avenue, Southern Boulevard, Parker Avenue and Paseo Morella | Oct. 15, 2010 |
| Prospect Park-Southland Park Historic District | Lake Worth, South Dixie Highway, Monceaux Road and Monroe Drive | April 8, 2011 |
Buildings and sites
| Property | Address | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Seaboard Coastline Railroad Passenger Station | Tamarind Avenue at Datura Street | June 19, 1973 |
| Mickens House | 801 Fourth St. | April 11, 1985 |
| Old Palm Beach Junior College Building | 813 Gardenia Ave. | May 30, 1991 |
| Old West Palm Beach National Guard Armory | 1703 S. Lake Ave. | June 11, 1992 |
| Palm Beach Mercantile Company | 206 Clematis St. | Jan. 28, 1994 |
| Hatch’s Department Store | 301-307 Clematis St. | April 14, 1994 |
| Clifton Rice House | 714 Claremore Drive | April 26, 1996 |
| Comeau Building | 319 Clematis St. | Sept. 6, 1996 |
| Professional Building | 310 S. Dixie Highway | Oct. 24, 1996 |
| American National Bank Building | 114 S. Olive Ave. | Oct. 8, 1997 |
| Guaranty Building | 120 S. Olive Ave. | Dec. 10, 1998 |
| Ferndix Building | 401 Fern St. | July 22, 1999 |
| Grant Van Valkenburg House | 213 Rosemary Ave. | Aug. 2, 1999 |
| Alfred J. Comeau House | 701 Flamingo Drive | March 24, 2000 |
| Pine Ridge Hospital | 1401 Division Ave. | Jan. 26, 2001 |
| Hurricane of 1928 African American Mass Burial Site | 25th Street and Tamarind Avenue | Sept. 12, 2002 |
| West Palm Beach Fishing Club | 201 Fifth St. | June 13, 2016 |
Most of these are private homes and businesses; view them from the street. Changes to buildings in the city’s own historic districts go through the Historic Preservation Board; see our permits guide.
Places open to visitors
- Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, 253 Barcelona Road: Ann Norton’s home and sculpture gardens. The National Register file lists additional documentation dated July 26, 1990, and a boundary increase listed April 11, 2025. Open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, October through June, with paid admission, according to the gardens. Phone 561-832-5328. The gardens are marking their 50th anniversary season in 2026-27.
- Woodlawn Cemetery, 1301 S. Dixie Highway: Henry Flagler created the cemetery on 17 acres of pineapple fields in 1904, and its association deeded it to the city on Dec. 14, 1914. The original iron gate came down in 1925 when Dixie Highway was widened; the concrete arch that replaced it carries the old inscription. The gate is open 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every day, the City Clerk says. Burial records: 561-822-1210.
- Hurricane of 1928 African American Mass Burial Site, 25th Street and Tamarind Avenue: listed on the National Register in 2002. The city’s 25th Street project page notes that road work there is designed to protect the Storm of ‘28 Memorial Park.
- Grassy Waters Preserve, once part of the greater Everglades, is now the city’s water supply and a free nature preserve; see our parks guide.
The GreenMarket’s place in city history
The city’s own GreenMarket history records that the first market opened in November 1995 in the parking lot of the old City Hall, and that the city opened its 125th anniversary celebrations at the market on Oct. 5, 2019.
What this means for you
- Start at the free history museum in the 1916 courthouse.
- Walk Clematis Street’s 300 and 500 blocks to see several National Register buildings at once.
- Own a home in a historic district? Check with the city before changing the exterior.
Related: parks and trails, moving to West Palm Beach and getting around.
Frequently asked questions
When was West Palm Beach founded?
The city was incorporated on Nov. 5, 1894, two years before Miami, according to the city. It had about 1,000 residents in 1895.
What historic districts are in West Palm Beach?
The National Register of Historic Places lists 11 historic districts in the city, among them the Northwest, Old Northwood, El Cid, Flamingo Park, Grandview Heights and Clematis Street Historic Commercial districts.
Where is the history museum in West Palm Beach?
The Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum is on the second floor of the restored 1916 courthouse at 300 N. Dixie Highway. It is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and general admission is free.
Who founded Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach?
Henry Flagler created Woodlawn Cemetery on 17 acres of pineapple fields in 1904, and the cemetery association deeded it to the city on Dec. 14, 1914, according to the City Clerk.
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