City of Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum

08/23/2026

🔦 - Throwback!

🎎 “Preview the Orient at Fabulous Marco Polo Park!”

This week we're pulling out a colorful piece of local-area tourism history — an original Marco Polo Park pamphlet, now on display at the Palm Coast Historical Society & Museum.

Located just south of PC on I-95 & Old Dixie, Marco Polo Park promised visitors quite an experience. The pamphlet advertised Japanese Gardens, an ancient-style Fishing Village, rides through the waterways aboard a Hong Kong sampan, imported merchandise, and dining at the Tempura House.

Marco Polo Park is one of those fascinating pieces of Florida roadside history that reflects an era when elaborate themed attractions were popping up along the state's highways to capture the growing tourist trade.

🗺️These original pamphlets have survived and are now preserved in our collection — and you can see them on display inside the museum, so make sure to visit!

Do you remember Marco Polo Park? We'd especially love to hear from anyone who actually visited it!

Although the park is no longer in existence you can check out some if it’s fascinating history by visiting the Flagler County Historical Society, who just took in a large donation of memorabilia from here!

08/22/2026

🔥 SHOW & TELL SATURDAY! 🧱

This week, City Historian Preston Zepp takes over Show & Tell Saturday to share the building blocks of our earliest structures!

Sometimes history isn’t a photograph, newspaper, or document—it’s something as simple as an old brick that has survived long enough to tell a story.

🎥 Press play and let Preston tell ya the rest!

🏛️ And don’t forget—the Palm Coast Historical Society & Museum is open every Saturday from 11 AM–4 PM - located in Holland Park!

Stop by and check out what else we have on display!

08/21/2026

Come out and help keep our waterways beautiful!

Did you know? Bull sharks are strong swimmers, adventurous travelers, and right at home in Florida waters!

Bull sharks are one of the few shark species that can live in both saltwater and freshwater. They can travel hundreds of miles upriver and are comfortable in shallow coastal waters, rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Built with powerful jaws and a muscular body, these sharks are impressive aquatic predators, and they’re an important part of Florida’s coastal ecosystem.

Help us keep their habitat clean! Join us for the 19th Annual Intracoastal Waterway Cleanup and do your part to protect our waterways and the wildlife that calls them home.

📅 Date: Saturday, Sep. 19, 2026

⏰ Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM

📍 Location: PC Community Center (305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE)

08/21/2026

⛽️🚗 - Parkway Exxon Service Center

Before Palm Coast had dozens of businesses, shopping centers, and restaurants... there was one....literally.

In February 1978, the Parkway Exxon Service Center officially opened its doors, becoming the first privately owned business in Palm Coast. Built and owned by John Mandarano, the station marked an important milestone in the community's history.

John wasn't a newcomer to Palm Coast. Having moved here in 1975, he brought 16 years of experience in the automotive service industry and envisioned more than just another gas station. The Parkway Exxon was designed to offer a full range of fuel, automotive products, and expert mechanical service—all while complementing the architecture of the brand-new Palm Coast Shopping Center with its stucco and coquina exterior.

It's hard to imagine today, but there was a time when "Palm Coast" had no privately owned businesses at all. The opening of Parkway Exxon represented the beginning of a new chapter as local entrepreneurs began investing in what was still a very young community.

Every city has to start somewhere...

For Palm Coast, one of those first steps was a service station on Palm Coast Parkway.

📸 Do you remember stopping at the Parkway Exxon? We'd love to hear your memories in the comments!

08/20/2026

🌭 - "The Hot Dog Guy"

For 17 years, Jim Bradley—better known as "The Hot Dog Guy"—could be found outside the former Sears building serving up hot dogs with a smile. But what made Jim truly special wasn't what he sold...it was what he gave back!

Throughout those years, Jim raised more than $49,000 for local charities, supporting organizations like the Flagler County P.A.L., schools, youth programs, and countless community causes.

Every hot dog purchased helped make a difference.❤️

🇺🇸 A proud U.S. Army veteran who moved to Palm Coast in 1988, Jim became one of the most recognizable faces in town. His stand wasn't just a place to grab lunch—it was where neighbors caught up, friendships were made, and community spirit was always on the menu.

This photo says it all. Behind Jim hangs a $5,000 donation check to the Flagler County P.A.L., newspaper clippings, and thank-you banners celebrating the impact he made - while serving up a dog. It's a reminder that one person really can make a lasting difference!

When Jim retired in 2017, Palm Coast didn't just lose a hot dog stand—it lost one of its hometown icons!

🌭 Who remembers stopping by to see Jim? We'd love to hear your stories, photos, and favorite memories in the comments!
👇👇👇

08/19/2026

📰 THE PALM COASTER
SUMMER 1972 🌴
Volume 3, Number 3

This week’s Palm Coaster takes us back to the summer of 1972, when Palm Coast was still in its earliest years and its first residents were beginning to call the community home.

The headline story covers the Second Annual Palm Coast Sales Convention, attended by more than 250 members of ITT Community Development Corporation’s sales, broker, and operational staff. By that point, Palm Coast sales had already exceeded $60 million.

Also inside this issue:

⛳ An unusual Ecumenical Golf Tournament, bringing clergymen from three counties together on the Palm Coast golf course.

🏡 A look at some of Palm Coast’s newest families, including photographs of the first pioneer residents arriving at their new homes.

🍽️ The first Palm Coast families were guests of honor at a special dinner in Daytona. The article notes that once the first 200 families had settled in Palm Coast, plans called for “a big block party” for the new community.

⬇️ Take a look through the Summer 1972 issue and tell us what catches your eye!

08/18/2026

Save The Date!

April 3rd 2027 - The Third Annual Bunnell History Day!

Planning has started! This year's theme will be about Flagler County's melting pot of History and Culture celebrated through Food, Story, Music, and Dance!

We're inviting all of Bunnell and Flagler County's ethnic and heritage groups to join us in Downtown Bunnell, April 3rd from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.!

For more information give us a call at 386.437.0600 or email us at [email protected].

Spread the word!

08/18/2026

🗄️ : YOUR VOTE MATTERS 🗳️🇺🇸

With today being Primary Election Day, we thought this piece from our archives was especially fitting!

This 1998 political cartoon asked a question Palm Coast residents were beginning to think seriously about at the time:
“Where are our Mayor and City Council???”

Palm Coast was still more than a year away from officially becoming an incorporated city, but conversations about local government, representation and the community's future were already very much underway.

Nearly three decades later, those decisions are now part of Palm Coast's history and the conversations remain remarkably similar!

Every election gives today's residents an opportunity to help write the next chapter. Regardless of who you support, make your voice heard and GO VOTE. 🇺🇸

Political cartoon signed “ H Epstein, 98' ".

--The Palm Coast Historical Society & Museum is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) educational organization and does not endorse or oppose any candidate or political party--

🇺🇸 Keep the comments respectful! Otherwise, you might need a VPN to keep up with Palm Coast history. 😂

08/17/2026

We are VERY excited for the September installment of the Palm Coast Historical Society’s 2026 Speaker Series!

🚨🚔 Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, presents:

⭐ “The History of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office” ⭐

Sheriff Staly will take us through the history of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, sharing stories, photographs, and the evolution of law enforcement in Flagler County through the years.

Our Speaker Series events are FREE and open to the public.

This will be a great morning of local history, and we hope you’ll join us as we explore another important piece of Flagler County’s story!

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM
📍 Palm Coast Community Center
305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE

For more information, visit: https://www.palmcoast.gov/events/home/details/2026-speaker-series

08/16/2026

🔦 - Princess Place🌳👸

This week we're shining the spotlight on one of Flagler County Government's best parks... Princess Place Preserve💚

Long before Palm Coast existed, before I-95, and even before Flagler County was established, this remarkable property was already making history.

Originally known as Cherokee Grove, the land was part of a Spanish land grant awarded to Francisco Pellicer in 1791. In 1886, wealthy New England sportsman Henry Cutting purchased the property and built what is now recognized as the oldest standing structure in Flagler County. Constructed using native coquina stone, palm trunks, and cedar, the lodge remains one of Florida's most unique historic buildings.

After Henry's death, his widow Angela Cutting later married Prince Boris Scherbatoff, an exiled Russian prince. With that marriage, the estate became known as Princess Place, a name it proudly carries to this day.

The preserve is more than just history. Today, its 1,500 acres protect salt marshes, oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, Pellicer Creek, and the Matanzas River, making it one of the most beautiful places to experience "Old Florida." Visitors can hike, fish, kayak, horseback ride, or tour the historic lodge where generations of fascinating stories began.

📜 The brochure we're sharing today is an older visitor guide from the 1990s. While some information has changed over the years, it serves as a wonderful reminder of how Princess Place has been promoted and preserved for decades. It's a small piece of local history in its own right.

If you've never visited Princess Place Preserve, we highly recommend adding it to your list. Whether you're interested in history, photography, wildlife, or simply enjoying a peaceful afternoon, it's a must stop!