Photo by Joy Katzen-Guthrie
Palm Harbor Museum
Where local history comes alive!
2043 Curlew Rd | Palm Harbor, FL 34683 | (727) 724-3054 | palmharbormuseum@outlook.com
Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays | 10 AM to 2 PM | Free Admission (We welcome donations!)
Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays | 10 AM to 2 PM | Free Admission (We welcome donations!)
Photo ©Pinellas County Government
And the Ribbon Was Cut!
View Pinellas County Government's video feature of our native Living Landscape (funded by a Pinellas County Municipal Services Taxing Units (MSTU) Special Projects Grant) Ribbon Cutting on December 9, 2022—when our new landscape was officially opened to the community.
Pictured are Palm Harbor Historical Society and Museum President Bob Fortner and museum volunteer and Spearhead of our Living Landscape project, Terry Fortner, join Pinellas County Commissioners Charlie Justice (center left) and Dave Eggers (center right).
Pictured are Palm Harbor Historical Society and Museum President Bob Fortner and museum volunteer and Spearhead of our Living Landscape project, Terry Fortner, join Pinellas County Commissioners Charlie Justice (center left) and Dave Eggers (center right).
PALM HARBOR MUSEUM PRESENTS! Bob & Terry Fortner with CARING FOR CALADESI on April 5th
On Wednesday, April 5th at 6:30 PM at the Palm Harbor Library Community Room (2330 Nebraska Ave. Palm Harbor), Terry Fortner—granddaughter of Myrtle Scharrer Betz, and Rev. Bob Fortner, Vice President of the Friends of the Island Parks, will share, through photographs and stories, some of the history of the island, its beautiful and essential natural habitat, and the work of environmentalists, rangers, supporters, and caretakers in giving this special landscape the care it so rightly deserves in Caring For Caladesi.
Caladesi Island’s homesteader, Henry Scharrer, was a self-taught naturalist whose daughter, Myrtle, grew up with her father’s passion to protect this precious island off the coast of Clearwater/Dunedin Florida that today is Caladesi Island State Park. Today, Friends of the Island Parks shares the same mission of preserving and protecting both Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands.
There is no charge to attend this event. Donations are gratefully accepted to support future programming. Walk-ins are welcome—but your RSVP help us plan. Click for more details.
Caladesi Island’s homesteader, Henry Scharrer, was a self-taught naturalist whose daughter, Myrtle, grew up with her father’s passion to protect this precious island off the coast of Clearwater/Dunedin Florida that today is Caladesi Island State Park. Today, Friends of the Island Parks shares the same mission of preserving and protecting both Honeymoon and Caladesi Islands.
There is no charge to attend this event. Donations are gratefully accepted to support future programming. Walk-ins are welcome—but your RSVP help us plan. Click for more details.
MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM: CHARLES VAN VALKENBURG BOOK SIGNING Saturday, March 25th
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Beginning March 25th from 1-3 PM, Palm Harbor Museum begins hosting a series of Meet Me At The Museum Book Signings that will give you an opportunity to meet and schmooze with featured authors.
For our first book signing on March 25th, Charlie VanValkenburg will visit with you and sign copies of his newly edited and published My Family in Palm Harbor: The Memories of Jim Van Valkenburg. Books will be available for $7.50 cash or check. Come out for this event, tour our museum, and meet the author to personally discover more of the vibrant history of our Palm Harbor region. WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 1 TO 3 PM WHERE: Palm Harbor Museum CHARGE: There is no charge for this event or to tour our museum. Donations are always gratefully accepted to sustain our exhibits and our programs. We are so appreciative of your support. |
OUR GROWING NATIVE LANDSCAPE MUSEUM
Since spring 2022, our Palm Harbor Museum grounds have experienced improvements funded by Pinellas County's MSTU Grant to reintroduce Florida native plant species to complement and enhance existing historic specimen plants on our grands, adding Florida nature to our history. Earlier in the year, we trimmed trees, removed non-native palms and shrubs, cleared our property and bordering fences of invasive vines and vegetation, trimmed trees and removed weak tree limbs, and took delivery of new plants. In the last several months, we have added informational signage to appeal to all ages, backgrounds, and cultures to convey stories about our local history and explain how early humans and and subsequent settlers to North Pinellas grew and used these plants for food, resources, inspiration and beauty. Visit our pocket park at the corner of Belcher and Curlew Roads and view our new gardens. We want your senses to come alive with community pride — and we hope to inspire you to bring native plants to your own landscape.
With dedicated volunteers from Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Florida Master Gardeners, Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, GFWC North Pinellas Women's Club, and museum members, neighbors, and community, our 2022 Landscape Workdays transformed our museum and grounds. We've heard from so many visitors who say they love our new landscape and signage. Keeping our beds weeded and mulched and our plants watered and loved takes time and dedication and we appreciate every one of you who does it—and our visitors certainly acknowledge it.
Our first landscape workday of 2023 was February 4th as we worked to maintain and improve our landscape with weeding and mulching the native plant garden areas and cleaning up the vines and plants along the entrance area and west fence line. These workdays are a productive and fun time of working together and seeing our accomplishments in action. We hope you can join our efforts to help the living landscape grow! If you'd like to participate in our landscape workdays, please email us at palmharbormuseum@outlook.com
As our new shrubs and flowering trees evolve, improve, and mature, they are producing a native Bird Thicket, Florida Butterfly Garden, Heritage Rose Garden, Muhly Meadow, Wildflower Garden, and Pollinator Overlook to enhance our museum. Garden areas benefit from continued attention. Won't you assist in any way you would enjoy? Email or call 727-724-3054 to let us know how you would like to help. You are welcome to adopt and care for a specific area with native plants. Please feel free to water, weed, or simply love on your native plants.
Palm Harbor Museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10 AM-2 PM at no charge. (Donations are welcomed)
With dedicated volunteers from Keep Pinellas Beautiful, Florida Master Gardeners, Pinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, GFWC North Pinellas Women's Club, and museum members, neighbors, and community, our 2022 Landscape Workdays transformed our museum and grounds. We've heard from so many visitors who say they love our new landscape and signage. Keeping our beds weeded and mulched and our plants watered and loved takes time and dedication and we appreciate every one of you who does it—and our visitors certainly acknowledge it.
Our first landscape workday of 2023 was February 4th as we worked to maintain and improve our landscape with weeding and mulching the native plant garden areas and cleaning up the vines and plants along the entrance area and west fence line. These workdays are a productive and fun time of working together and seeing our accomplishments in action. We hope you can join our efforts to help the living landscape grow! If you'd like to participate in our landscape workdays, please email us at palmharbormuseum@outlook.com
As our new shrubs and flowering trees evolve, improve, and mature, they are producing a native Bird Thicket, Florida Butterfly Garden, Heritage Rose Garden, Muhly Meadow, Wildflower Garden, and Pollinator Overlook to enhance our museum. Garden areas benefit from continued attention. Won't you assist in any way you would enjoy? Email or call 727-724-3054 to let us know how you would like to help. You are welcome to adopt and care for a specific area with native plants. Please feel free to water, weed, or simply love on your native plants.
Palm Harbor Museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10 AM-2 PM at no charge. (Donations are welcomed)
