Calendar

 

Upcoming Events

Membership meeting and class information (bottom of the page) 

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Some activities and food are cash only.

APRIL 2025

2025 WWII 4 26 2025

 

 

 Field trip Friday

 

Friday, April 25, 2025, World War II - Field Trip Day, 9 am - 1 pm

$8 admission for students and chaperones. Parking is free. Concession stand is open for food, drinks, snack, and desserts. Cash Only


This day will consist of self-guided tours for public, private, and home school students. Students pass through a series of living history learning stations.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to our WWII Living History Event! To ensure a smooth arrival for everyone, please take note of the following instructions:


Cars: All cars should enter through the main museum entrance and park in the field. You will see 2 ticket booths, please enter there. It is behind our Church Building, we call it the Church Gate.


Students: All students and their chaperones should enter the museum grounds through the Church Gate.


Handicap Parking & Entrance: Handicap parking is located directly next to the museum. The designated handicap entrance is through our main museum entrance.


Upon entering, all students and chaperones should proceed to the gazebo to meet and organize into their touring groups. Once your groups are formed, you are welcome to explore the event at your own pace.


There are 11 learning stations in total, each designed to help bring history to life in an engaging and memorable way.


1. Lacoochee School House - Schools played a significant role in local communities during WWII
2. Enterprise Church
3. Overstreet House/Victory Garden
4. Blacksmith
5. Cummer Building - Fiber Arts
6. Citrus Packing House - POW's in Dade City
7. General Store - Rationing
8. Trilby Train Station
9. Log House - Goldstar Family
10. Near the Main Building (West Side) War on the Gulf Coast
11. Back of the Main Building - FL State Guard


The concession stand will be open with burgers, hotdogs, pulled pork sandwiches, chips, drinks, Icee Pops and Snickers Ice Cream bars. CASH ONLY.

 It is important to note that children of all ages must be supervised by an adult chaperone/parent/guardian at all times. 

This is a museum, not a playground, There are priceless and irreplaceable items on display. Please make sure students do not touch anything at the museum unless invited to. 

The museum has a small dedicated staff and volunteers that are always happy to answer any questions, however the museum is unable to provide childcare or direct supervision during your visit.


We are excited for you to experience this immersive event! 

 

World War II Field Trip Day Registration

Lesson Plans and Resources:
 
 
Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

SS.4.A.1.1: Analyze primary and secondary resources to identify significant individuals and events throughout Florida history.

SS.4.A.8.1: Identify Florida's role in the Civil Rights Movement.

SS.912.A.1.2: Utilize a variety of primary and secondary sources to identify author, historical significance, audience, and authenticity to understand a historical period.

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Saturday, April 26, 2025, World War II  - Living History Event,

10 am - 4 pm

• Step back into an immersive 1945 Homefront experience

• Learn about: German POWs in Pasco County

• Interact with living historians portraying life during the final months of the war, throughout the museum grounds

• 11 am - Walter Cook, Historic Reenactor will speak on German prisoners held in Dade City from 1944-1946, in the Main building, Lockey Tool Room
 

• 1 pm - Michael Ferguson, M.A., Public Historian - will give a lecture on Pasco County's World War II homefront: the mobilization efforts, civilian agency contributions, and the significant expansion of women's roles in the workforce. It examines the immediate post-war period and the lasting impact of these wartime changes on the community, in the Main building, Lockey Tool Room

• All museum buildings will be open

 

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• The American Victory Ship and Museum will be joining us at the event. They are a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that has 1 of only 4 fully-operational WWII ships in the country. It is a true American icon and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Please stop by and let them tell you all about it. We are so honored to have them as our guests. https://www.americanvictory.org/  

• Museum Concessions - Cash Only - Burgers, Hotdogs, Pulled Pork Sandwiches, grilled chicken sandwiches, chIps, French fries, onion rings, apple pie, drinks, ice cream and more. . 

$12 adults, $10 seniors or veterans, $6 students, under 5 free, tickets at the Museum only. Parking is free

 

REENACTOR APPLICATION/REGISTRATION FORM  -  Pre-registration and approval or invitation required. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

 

Special Thanks to Handcart Garden Center for providing plants for our Victory Garden! https://handcartgardencenter.com/

Handcart Garden Center Logo

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 JUNE  2025

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“The Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry"
Tuesday, June 17, 2025, 6 pm
Pioneer Florida Museum
15602 Pioneer Museum Rd, Dade City, FL 33523

Dr. David E. Sumner - Talk and book signing.
 
There will be some books available for purchase. “The Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry"
 
Did you know that at one point in the 1950s, Pasco processed 10 percent of all Florida citrus and there were 500 trucks daily coming to Pasco full of fruit, according to the Tampa Tribune?
 
The story of Florida’s citrus industry has followed an up-and-down path of battling freezes, diseases, and hurricanes for 150 years. After an 1895 freeze almost destroyed the industry, Florida growers fought back and replanted. After surviving the Great Depression and World War II, Florida growers experienced their “Golden Era” from 1950-1980. Seven freezes in the 1980s again devastated the industry, but growers fought back and replanted.
 
Since then, the citrus canker and citrus greening diseases have destroyed thousands of acres, and growers are still recovering. David E. Sumner tells the story of Florida citrus from the end of the Civil War to the present after visiting Florida archives and
conducting 53 interviews with growers and industry leaders.
 
Not since John McPhee’s 1967 best-seller, Oranges, has any book told the story of Florida citrus in a lively, popular style that will appeal to readers inside and outside the industry. New scientific breakthroughs for a disease-resistant tree are explained in chapter 14 and offer signs of hope for the future of the industry.
 
Dr. Sumner will also be a keynote speaker at the Florida Citrus Annual Conference in Bonita Springs on June 12. A Dade City native, he is a 5th-generation Floridian who grew up in a citrus family that dates back to the 1880s. He is professor emeritus of journalism at Ball State University,where he taught feature and magazine writing for 25 years. He is the author of 11 books including a best-selling feature and magazine writing textbook. He graduated from Stetson University and the University of Tennessee where he earned a PhD.
 
Matt Joyner, Executive Vice President at Florida Citrus Mutual, says, “The story of the people and events that shaped the Florida citrus industry is in many ways the story of Florida itself. In Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry, David E. Sumner has captured the essence of an iconic industry that has been part of the fabric of Florida since statehood and will continue to define the Sunshine State for decades to come. It is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the real Florida.”
 
“The Rise, Fall, and Future of Florida’s Citrus Industry" is a testament to the industry’s ability to survive challenges that at the time seemed insurmountable. This book gives us hope.” J. Scott Angle, Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Florida
 
On sale May 1 exclusively at BarnesandNoble.com (bn.com) for $14.95 paperback or $24.95 hardback. This 327-page book includes historic citrus photos dating back to the late 1800s.
 
Regular museum admission, $12 adults, $10 seniors/veterans, $6 students, free parking, light refreshments included.
 
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Annual Membership Meeting

Monday, September 15, 2025, 6 pm

Main Building at the Pioneer Florida Museum

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CLASSES
 
 Check back often, we will update as classes become available.
 

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quilt Melanie Scaife 2023

Pioneer Quilt Guild Meeting


The first Tuesday of every month starts at 6 pm
Main Building of the Pioneer Florida Museum in the Lockey Room

Quilters at all levels of experience are welcome.

For more information: pioneerquiltguild@gmail.com or www.pioneerquiltguild.com 

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Please wash or sanitize your hands often. The museum frequently sanitizes common areas and has hand sanitizer available. If you are sick, please stay home. The health and safety of our staff, guests and volunteers is our highest priority. 

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