WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — WPTV is celebrating Black History Month.
One of the places where African Americans found joy during the segregated South was at the Sunset Lounge in West Palm Beach.
The venue, located on Eighth Street and Rosemary Avenue in West Palm Beach, opened in 1926 and closed in 2018.
It became a popular and safe place for the Black community to see and listen to great jazz musicians or to go dancing with friends.
Dr. Alisha Winn, a cultural anthropologist, spoke about the history of the venue.
"And so this was particularly during the big band era so you did have Cab Calloway and Count Basie and a lot of these great national and international artists," Winn said. "Even until 2018 it closed for renovation. Multiple generations can tell you about the experiences at the Sunset Lounge. My mother's generation who grew up in the 60's 50's and 70's even myself before it closed."
Winn told WPTV that the second and third floors were remodeled and oversees the Heart and Soul Park located across the street. She also told us the first floor is being completed with a kitchen. The hope is that it will be completed sometime this year.
