Florida Guide > Other Activities
Florida Pioneer Museum.
If you are interested in the history of Florida, then the Florida Pioneer museum is well worth a visit.
The inception of this museum was in 1961 when the Country Fair association was given 37 old vehicles and tools. This encouraged 37 interested locals to form a charter to create this museum.
They have saved several old buildings from being demolished and had them lovingly restored.
The Overstreet House is presented and furnished in the style of the period. Here you can see how the pioneer wife would spend her day at cooking, spinning, weaving, washing and churning butter.
All the while the men would be building dwellings, raising crops, making leather goods and doing the work of a black smith.
The old Lacoochee School was saved from demolition in 1976. This school was built in the 1930s but styled in the earlier way of the single room school.
The packing house that is here was abandoned in 1989 which was a very harsh winter that decimated the orange crops. As I write they are busy restoring this building and raising funds so to do.
C C Smiths general store was donated to the museum by the owners niece and moved to its present home in 2000. Today you can see the goods, scales and butchers block that were redolent of those times.
The Mabel Jordan barn was built in 1987 and inside you can feast your eyes on old carriages, farm equipment and a Chevy fire engine donated by Dade County Fire Service.
There is a church here that was originally constructed in 1878 and then re built in 1903. It was moved to the museum in 1977 and has been a valuable addition to the museum. You can still get wed here!
In the main museum are Native American artefacts such as toys, tetiles, dolls and pottery. This really gives you a feeling of going back into the past. There is also a medical room and a rustic front porch.
Mrs Pearl Bromley gave them her shoe repair shop and it has been moved from its original home in Dade City. This happened in 1990. Many locals still remember the last owner who ran the shop for 42 years.
This museum stand in 16 acres of woodland that was donated by one of the members. The opening times are 10. a. m. to 5 p. m from tuesday to saturday and the entrance fee is $6 per adult with concessions.
Pioneer Florida Museum
P. O. Box 335
Dade City
33526 0335
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