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Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945)
Explore the Exhibit
Prudencio “Pete” García, shortly after arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, from Asturias, Spain, in 1907. García would go on to become a prominent figure in the city’s Spanish immigrant community, a talented soccer player and official, and a key promoter of youth soccer. In 1950, he made history as the first American to serve as an official at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. (Courtesy of Donald García†, son of the boy portrayed in the photo.)
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Prudencio “Pete” García, shortly after arriving in St. Louis, Missouri, from Asturias, Spain, in 1907. García would go on to become a prominent figure in the city’s Spanish immigrant community, a talented soccer player and official, and a key promoter of youth soccer. In 1950, he made history as the first American to serve as an official at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. (Courtesy of Donald García†, son of the boy portrayed in the photo.)
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‘Invisible Immigrants’ opening weekend welcomes families from across the country to Tampa

The Invisible Immigrants exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center opens March 1 and runs through Aug. 3, 2025, highlighting Spanish emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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History you
can touch.

Illustration of hands holding the globe.

Treasure Seekers

There’s more than meets the aye at this exhibit on conquistadors, pirates and shipwrecks. All aboard -- or walk the plank.
Illustration of a magnifying glass.

A Place of Your Own

Experience Tampa’s port industries from inside an actual cargo container. Test your knowledge of Florida’s natural resources. Play with regional history in a whole new way.
Sextant in Treasure Seekers Gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center
Students explore the galleries of the Tampa Bay History Center

Dig through
our archives.

illustration of a treasure map.

Touchton Map Library

Navigate more than 8,000 maps, charts and logs from the early exploration of Europe and North America.
Illustration of a stack of books.

Witt Research Center

View nearly 10,000 books, manuals, maps, documents, microfilm, and family/subject papers spanning prehistoric to present-day Florida.
Tony Jannus and the Benoist Airboat, Opening St. Petersburg-Tampa AirBoat Line, January 1, 1914
Collections archive storage at the Tampa Bay History Center
Paella “Española”
Cafe

Modern flavor.
Historic taste.

Resting on the Tampa Riverwalk inside the Tampa Bay History Center, this charming cafe captures the flavor of the original Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. We offer a sampling of the Spanish- and Cuban-inspired dishes that made the 118-year-old restaurant famous.

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Built by Big Sea
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