Exhibits
Our exhibits provide an interactive glimpse of life for early Florida Pioneers - before the days of computers, cell phones, televisions or even cars.
In today's world of instant gratification and digital convenience, children seldom experience the hands-on effort that went into building their surroundings.
To build, create and ultimately survive, early Florida settlers had to take advantage of the physical resources around them. At the Schoolhouse, Children will be surrounded by child-sized replicas of those resources, which through touch, play and interaction will provide them with a historically based, sensory learning experience.
First Floor
Time Travels
Train
Ring the bell, yell “All Aboard,” grab the passengers, and hop onboard the Orange Blossom Express for a ride back in time to the days of the early South Florida railway industry. This child-sized version of Henry Flagler’s railroad steam engine will help children better understand the importance of the Florida East Coast Railway.
Train Depot
Gather the passengers, count the tickets and board the train at the Florida East Coast Railway Train Depot replica. Through play, children will understand the importance of using trains as transportation during the early 1900s
Boynton Hotel
Set the table, arrange food on a tray, don an apron and have a tea party at the original Boynton Beach Hotel established by Nathan Smith Boynton in 1900.
Family Farms
Dairy Days
Grab a bucket, toss on some overalls and prepare to experience the farm life! Children can feed and milk a life-sized cow replica and then process the milk for delivery.
Pepper Patch Farm
Surrounded by a myriad of reds, greens and yellows, follow the production process of this native Florida vegetable from start to finish. Children can peddle a tractor to see how their own hard work can rush the peppers through the washing, sorting, and packing process.
Old Farmhouse
Forget buttons and switches that control modern-day appliances, experience home life from the early 1900s by cooking on a wood-burning stove, pumping water into the sink with a hand pump and washing clothes in a bin with a washboard.
Second Floor
Main Street
General Store
Stock the shelves, track merchandise and run the cash register at the old-time general store. Children will grasp the concept of shopping before the days of vast supercenters and commercial department stores. Our new Service Station provides some of the typical tools that a mechanic would need to repair the family car, right down to the spare tires. The delivery truck parked out front is just waiting for a "fill up" at the gas pump.
Doctor’s Office
Help Doc Weems, a former local physician for the Boynton Beach area, to check for a heartbeat and even care for newborn babies. A mixture of props both new and old will allow children to connect doctor’s office environments from past and present. We are thrilled to have added Operation Challenge, providing an interactive opportunity for children to learn about the human body and exercise their fine motor skills in an exciting and challenging way.
Post Office
Weigh it, sort it and send it on its way. Children will learn the mail delivery process from start to finish in this child-sized mail hub. Incorporate South Florida history by delivering letters to the mailboxes of real pioneer families!
MAIN STREET, circa 1913, and Boynton is growing...
Children love to discover something new, and this exhibit area changes seasonally, providing new opportunities for pretend play by introducing new businesses that might have opened in Boynton’s early days. In winter, children can don an apron and pretend they’re bakers in “Birdie’s Bakery”, having gingerbread fun, “baking” holiday treats, even stacking up a birthday cake. Come spring, the exhibit changes to “Boynton Buds & Blooms” Flower Shop and summer brings “Ye Olde Fashioned Ice Cream Shoppe”. Join us to see how Main Street Boynton grows!
Water World
Mangrove Manor
Scamper through a thick of mangrove trees and discover the critters that live there. This indoor jungle-gym-style exhibit gives children a chance to climb, crawl, slide and play while discovering plants and animals native to Florida. Explore our bead activity cube and alligator bead maze, battle frogs and lizards at the magnet table, build whatever you can imagine at the Lego table. For the wee ones, find an assortment of puzzles to assemble! Climb aboard the Indian River Steamer called the Hypoluxo. Steer the ship through blue Florida waters and imagine what it might be like to fish from the dock.
Toddler Cove
A specially designed space for children aged 3 and under. This carpeted haven features age-appropriate toys including books, puzzles, and activity cubes. Making it the perfect spot for sensory exploration and early learning. Toddler Cove invites our littlest guests to crawl, explore, and discover in a safe and engaging environment.