About the Historical Society of Bay County
The Historical Society of Bay County (HSBC) traces its roots to the Pioneer Picnic, an annual reunion of Bay County's early settler families that began in the 1940s. The society took over that tradition, added monthly educational programs, and began gathering documents and artifacts. Over time it built a historic signage program, backed local research, and lobbied for the protection of historic sites around the county. The society does not publish a formal incorporation date on its website, so we list its origin rather than a founding year.
Two civic milestones show how the society came to be trusted with the county's public history. In 2009, at the request of Panama City officials, HSBC led the city's centennial celebration, and in 2013 it organized the commemoration of Bay County's own centennial. The growth of its collections and programs led to the creation of the Bay County History Museum in a storefront at 133 Harrison Avenue, in the middle of downtown Panama City. The society's stated purpose is to collect, preserve and share artifacts, documents and images of Bay County and its surroundings, to help preserve historic sites, and to run the museum as an educational resource, a repository and an exhibit space.
Exhibits change regularly. Recent and current shows include "The 20th Century on Panama City Beach: A Century of Fun," a survey of 20th-century tourist attractions in the county, a World War II exhibit on local veterans and military installations, and "Bayside Bounty: The Culinary Heritage of Bay County," a Smithsonian FOOD exhibition produced with Florida Humanities that opened on February 21, 2026, with the mayor of Panama City as master of ceremonies.
Collections and Research Services
The museum's holdings are built around artifacts, documents and photographs of Bay County, Panama City, St. Andrews and the beach communities. One ongoing exhibit, "Photo Tour of Bay County History," pairs historic images with their stories, with the images credited to the Bay County Public Library, whose Local History Room is the other key stop for anyone researching a family or a building in the county. The society does not list research hours or a lookup fee on its site, so email hsbc1476@wowway.com or call during museum hours with a specific question. If you are tracing a house in Panama City's older neighborhoods, our guides to finding out when a house was built and using old city directories explain which county and library records to check first.
Planning Your Visit
The Bay County History Museum is at 133 Harrison Avenue in downtown Panama City. Hours posted on the official site are Tuesday and Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; it is closed Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. Admission and parking are free, with additional parking behind the Trustmark Bank building. Because the museum is staffed by volunteers and docents, check baycohistory.org or the society's Facebook page for holiday closures and program dates before you travel. Farther west on the Panhandle, the Pensacola Historical Society covers the region's colonial and naval history.
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