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PANAMA CITY— You can dive deep into the city's history while exploring the latest exhibit at the Bay County Historical Museum. 

The Historical Society of Bay County welcomed its newest exhibit at the museum, which features a historic photo tour of Bay County. While some images date back to 1909, each photo represents a period of time that captures Bay County’s history. 

The museum, located at 133 Harrison Ave. in downtown Panama City, recently extended its summer hours to 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

The free exhibit will be displayed through the fall and is open to the public. 

Some photos in the new Bay County Historical Museum exhibit date back to the early stages of Harrison Avenue, while some include images of the Miracle Strip Amusement Park days.
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Despite the ongoing streetscape project which blocks the front door entrance, Glenda Walters, former president of the Historical Society, said she anticipates the museum will be able to open its doors within the next week. 


"We know the project will be beautiful when it's complete, but for now, we're staying patient and preparing for future exhibits," Walters said. "In the meantime, we hope the community will wait with anticipation to view this exhibit when we open our front doors again."


​Walters said Historical Society Vice President Kenny Redd created the exhibit using the online historical photo gallery at the Bay County Public Library. He started a collection of photos to reproduce on canvas-wrapped frames and kitchen magnets and included descriptions of well-known events. The images are now offered at the museum for donations of $50 for the canvas photos and $5 for the magnets. 

An exhibit providing a photo tour of Bay County history is now on display at the Bay County Historical Museum. One of the old black and white photos show a scene from Ware's Wharf in St. Andrews.
Walters said each image tells its own story of how it's an important factor in Bay County's history. 

"Some photos date back to the early stages of Harrison Avenue, while some include images of the Miracle Strip Amusement Park days," Walters said. "It's a journey through time and wonderful that people preserve their family history and collections."

What else is at the Bay County History Museum?
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In addition to the photo tour, there's plenty to see and more to learn while visiting the museum. Bob Hurst, also a vice president of the Historical Society, said the organization often rotates exhibits quarterly to feature additional artifacts from across Bay County. 

"Our mission of the Historical Society is to preserve the history of Bay County in any way that we can," Hurst said. "Whether it's a museum or documents, we encourage people to come in and get insight on our town's history." 


Other exhibits are the Massalina Family, Gideon vs. Wainwright, Panama City Beach, Turpentine and Barbershop.

Founded in 1936, the Historical Society opened the museum in 2014 to share collected artifacts, photographs and documents from the community. Exhibits related to Bay County's past are presented throughout the year. While the public is invited to enjoy the museum at no cost, donations are always accepted to help continue the society's mission.


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