By Michele Miller
What’s What New Port Richey
Updated October 2025
New Port Richey and Pasco County have come a long way since even before an act of legislation lobbied off a bottom third of Hernando County to create Pasco County, which was named after a U.S. Senator, Samuel Pasco, who, according to local historians, never visited the place that was named after him.
It began before that, and there are ways to learn about how life was back then through local historical offerings such as the West Pasco Historical Society Rao Musumuru, M.D. Museum & Library in New Port Richey and the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village in Dade City.
Newer to the museum mix is M.A.P.S. (Museum of Archaeology, Paleontology, and Science Museum), which is presently located on the Wendell Krinn Technical School campus in New Port Richey. There, visitors can delve back further in history and see thousands of artifacts housed there via limited tours.
Scroll down for more information.
This little quaint museum is housed in a former schoolhouse, is located at Sims Park on 6431 Circle Blvd, New Port Richey, FL 34652
(727) 847-0680
Visit the website at westpascomuseum.org on Facebook
This homegrown website is a wonderful resource for those wanting to delve into the history of New Port Richey and the Pasco County area. It includes photographs, news stories, and general history that was painstakingly compiled by the late Jeff Miller, a former Gulf High math teacher and librarian, and digital archivist for the West Pasco Historical Society.
Since Jeff’s untimely passing, the West Pasco Historical Society (see below) has been maintaining the site. Current board member and Digital Media Archivist Paul Herman has recovered many of the images from the original website and has added more historical images and information. To view, visit westpascomuseum.org/pascohistory
The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village tells the story of early Florida pioneers and is located on a picturesque site just north of downtown Dade City, Florida, adjacent to the Little Everglades Ranch. Also hosts several events, classes, and school field trips. For more inf,o go to pioneerfloridamuseum.org
From the website…
M.A.P.S. is a family-oriented, interactive museum displaying artifacts from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Africa, and the Americas. Rocks, minerals, and crystals, as well as dinosaur bones, are on exhibit. Call for group tours and info on events, birthday parties, and summer youth camps.
For information, visit www.mapsmuseum.org
For more local news and calendar events
Sign up to have the What’s What New Port Richey newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.