Inside the Flagler Museum: Palm Beach's Gilded Age History

About this episode

This episode features an interview with Campbell Mobley of the Flagler Museum, discussing the Gilded Age estate of Whitehall and its historical significance.

“When you step into Whitehall, you’re not just walking through a house—you’re stepping into a vision of what America could be: a place of beauty, innovation, and possibility.” — Campbell Mobley What can a single house reveal about the creation of an entire destination? In this episode of Grandma's Silver , I speak with Campbell Mobley of the Flagler Museum , the Gilded Age estate of Henry Flagler in Palm Beach, Florida. Completed in 1902, Whitehall was once described as "more wonderful than any palace in Europe," and it remains one of the most important surviving Gilded Age homes in the United States. Today the museum preserves not only the architecture and interiors of the house, but also the broader story of how Flagler's railroad and hotel ventures transformed Florida's east coast and helped establish Palm Beach as a winter resort destination. In our conversation, Campbell, the museum's Chief Curator , shares how the museum interprets this history for modern audiences, what visitors often find most surprising when they walk through the house, and how historic spaces like Whitehall help us understand the social life, design sensibilities, and ambitions of the Gilded Age. We…

People in this episode

Host: Allie Kochinsky

Guest: Campbell Mobley

Topics covered

• Gilded Age history
• architecture
• Florida tourism
• historic preservation
• design history

Keywords

• Whitehall
• Gilded Age
• Henry Flagler
• Palm Beach
• Flagler Museum
• architecture
• Florida history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Flagler Museum

Places: Palm Beach, Florida

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