Florida Historical Society

What Florida Historical Society does

The Florida Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 1856 and headquartered in Cocoa, Florida. It is dedicated to preserving and sharing Florida's history through a multi-pronged platform of archival, publishing, educational, and multimedia operations. Core outputs include the Florida Historical Quarterly academic journal (published continuously since 1908), FHS Press books (published since 1925), the Library of Florida History research collection, the FHS Oral History Project, and the Florida Frontiers multimedia program distributed via radio, PBS television, podcasts, and newspaper articles. The society also operates the FHS Archaeological Institute (FHSAI), which publishes the annual Adventures in Florida Archaeology magazine, and manages the Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens in Eau Gallie.

The organization serves four primary customer segments: researchers and academics seeking scholarly publications and archival access; educators and students using classroom resources such as the Florida Outline curriculum, Fast Florida History, and virtual exhibits; the general public and members who engage through events, conferences, and gift shop purchases; and organizational sponsors and partners supporting programs such as the Oral History Project (notably the Jessie Ball duPont Fund). Revenue is generated through a seven-tier membership program ($30 Friend to $500 Sponsor, annual billing), donations, FHS Press book sales, gift shop retail at the Cocoa Village location and online catalog, corporate sponsorships, and grant funding. The GTM motion is community-led, relying on membership engagement, conferences, lectures, broadcast media, and newsletters. The organization maintains no disclosed proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, mobile applications, or external API integrations. Its primary physical infrastructure is the Cocoa headquarters, library, and retail store, complemented by the Rossetter House museum site.

Name

Florida Historical Society

Legal name

Florida Historical Society

Website

https://myfloridahistory.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1856

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Florida Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1856 that preserves and shares Florida history through its Library of Florida History, the Florida Historical Quarterly journal, FHS Press books, the Florida Frontiers multimedia program, educational resources, and the Historic Rossetter House Museum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Society and Cultural Heritage Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Libraries, Archives & Special Collections (BPAGAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ), Literary & Classics Publishing (MPAJAAAC), Institutional & Custom Publishing (Coursepacks, Campus/Corporate Training) (MPAJABAL), Public Media Archives, Libraries & Content Preservation (MPABADAL)

Keywords

• Historical society
• Historical preservation
• Academic publishing
• Educational resources
• Museum operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Cocoa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees at multiple tiers ranging from $30 (Friend) to $500 (Sponsor), providing access to publications, discounts, and events.
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting historical preservation and educational mission.
3. Book and Publication Sales: Sales of books published by FHS Press including academic works, historical novels, and regional histories about Florida.
4. Gift Shop Sales: Sales of Florida-themed merchandise, books, and gifts at the Cocoa Village location and online.
5. Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsorships supporting programs, conferences, and the Oral History Project.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Florida Historical Society preserves and shares Florida history through its Library of Florida History archival collections, the Florida Historical Quarterly academic journal (published since 1908), and FHS Press books (since 1925). It delivers multimedia programming via Florida Frontiers Radio, Television, and podcasts; produces educational resources and virtual exhibits for K-12 and university classrooms; operates the Florida Historical Society Archaeological Institute (FHSAI); manages the Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens; and sustains these efforts through tiered memberships, donations, sponsorships, and a retail bookstore (Florida Books & Gifts).

Product overview

The Florida Historical Society operates a multi-faceted cultural and educational organization focused on preserving and sharing Florida's history. The society offers a platform of interconnected products and services centered on historical research, publishing, and public education. Core offerings include the Florida Historical Quarterly academic journal and FHS Press book publishing program, which form the scholarly foundation. These are complemented by the Florida Frontiers multimedia program spanning radio, television, and podcasts that bring history to broader audiences. The Library of Florida History and FHS Oral History Project provide research and archival services, while the FHS Archaeological Institute publishes the Adventures in Florida Archaeology magazine. Educational outreach includes classroom resources, virtual exhibits, and the Annual Conferences and Symposium. The society also operates Florida Books & Gifts retail store, membership programs at multiple tiers, and manages the Historic Rossetter House Museum. All offerings are unified by the society's mission to preserve Florida's cultural heritage and educate the public about the state's rich history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Florida Historical Quarterly (FHQ) Academic journal dedicated to Florida history and culture, published continuously since 1908 and available in digital (searchable at palmm.fcla.edu/fhq) and print formats for members.
• FHS Press Publishing arm of the Florida Historical Society producing books about Florida history and culture, active since 1925, offering titles through the Florida Books & Gifts store and online catalog.
• Library of Florida History Research library housing documentary materials relating to Florida's history and pre-history, available for research appointments at the Cocoa headquarters (Tuesday–Friday 10am–4pm), with searchable catalog at myfloridahistory.pastperfectonline.com.
• FHS Oral History Project Collection of recorded oral histories documenting personal accounts and experiences related to Florida history and culture, sponsored in part by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund.
• FHS Archaeological Institute (FHSAI) Program focusing on the intersection between history and archaeology in Florida, publishing the Adventures in Florida Archaeology magazine annually.
• Florida Frontiers Multimedia Program Multimedia program exploring Florida history and culture distributed through radio, television, podcasts, and newspaper articles (Florida Frontiers Radio, Florida Frontiers TV on PBS, Florida Frontiers Blog, and podcast distribution).
• Education Resources Classroom materials, exhibits, and educational programs including Florida's Big Dig, Forcing Change, Reconstruction in Florida, Saving Home, Slavery in Florida, The Civil War Soldier, the Florida Outline curriculum, virtual exhibits (Fur Trade Florida, Zora in Brevard County, El Destino Plantation Papers), and video resources (Fast Florida History, Discover Florida Lectures, FHSAI Lecture Series, Female Florida, Florida Frontiers TV) for teaching Florida history.
• Florida Books & Gifts Retail gift shop and online store selling books published by FHS Press, membership subscriptions, and Florida-themed merchandise, available at the Cocoa Village physical location and online with USPS media mail shipping.
• Membership Programs Tiered membership programs (Friend $30, Basic $50, Standard $75, Institutional $75, Family $100, Supporter $250, Sponsor $500) offering benefits including newsletter, Florida Historical Quarterly journal access, book discounts, and event notifications.
• Historic Rossetter House Museum and Gardens Historic house museum and gardens located in Eau Gallie (Melbourne area), managed by the society, offering tours of the property.
• Annual Conferences and Symposium Annual Meetings, Symposiums, and Public History Forums (including the 2027 Public History Forum Cruise) bringing together historians, students, and enthusiasts to discuss Florida history, plus the Shofner Lecture at UCF and Discover Florida Lectures.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chicago History Museum: Operating historical museum and research center with collections, publications, and educational programming; comparable in combining archives, museum operations, and educational outreach, though at a larger scale than FHS.
• New-York Historical Society: Large, established historical society combining a museum, research library, and educational programming with a much broader operating scale than FHS; illustrates the upper bound of comparable state-history institutions.
• National Trust for Historic Preservation: National nonprofit focused on preservation advocacy, education, and publications including Preservation magazine; a broader peer operating in adjacent preservation programming and educational publishing.

Others

• American Association for State and Local History (AASLH): National membership association for state and local history organizations providing programming, publications, and support to organizations like FHS; an industry-association peer rather than direct competitor.

Direct peers

• South Carolina Historical Society: State-level historical society founded in 1855 that maintains a research library, publishes the South Carolina Historical Magazine, and serves a similar member, scholar, and educator base.
• Tennessee Historical Society: Statewide historical society publishing the Tennessee Historical Quarterly and supporting research and educational programming; serves as a peer for membership-driven state history operations at a similar scale to FHS.
• Georgia Historical Society: Georgia's statewide historical organization founded in 1839, operating a research library, publishing the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and running educational programs; closely parallels FHS's scholarly publishing and archival mission.
• Massachusetts Historical Society: Oldest state historical society in the US (founded 1791), maintaining an extensive research library, publishing original works, and offering public programming and membership tiers; comparable older institutional peer to FHS.
• Virginia Historical Society: Statewide historical society founded in 1831 that operates a research library, publishes the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, and offers educational programming; directly comparable to Florida Historical Society in mission, structure, and product mix of journal + press + library.
• Historical Society of Pennsylvania: State-focused historical society founded in 1824 maintaining a major library and archival collection and publishing the Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography; directly comparable scholarly-publishing and archival operation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FloridaHistoricalSociety

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Florida Historical Society