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Holiday Traditions in Florida

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Sometimes, things don’t go as planned. The Snow Queen contestants of 1958 did their best to keep the holiday spirit alive after a series of mishaps at the Tampa Snow Show on Franklin Street. This moment, now part of our “Holiday Traditions in Florida” exhibit, captures the resilience that Floridians bring to the season. (Tampa Bay History Center Collection)

Bring the past to life with stories that shape who we are today.

Make a Year-End Gift

Through your giving, you help bring Tampa Bay’s past to life and preserve the stories that shape who we are today.

Mapping the American Sea: A Cartographic History of the Gulf of Mexico

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Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945)

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Journey to new depths off the coast of La Florida.

WEIGH ANCHOR

What’s happening at the museum right now.

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December 14 Embark on a Saturday walking tour through Ybor City, Tampa’s historical gem, and trace the district’s compelling tale from its cigar-making heyday to its lively contemporary culture. Stroll through...

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Treasure Seekers Gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center

Ybor City Walking Tour

Tours

December 21 Discover Tampa’s past as you stroll through historic districts on this Downtown Tampa walking tour. From its humble beginnings as a 19th-century military outpost, Tampa has evolved into a bustling hub...

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Downtown Tampa Walking Tour

Tours

January 22 This program examines the intertwined history of Tampa’s Catholic and Jewish communities. A panel of longtime local leaders will share knowledge and personal experiences, offering insights into this...

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Florida Conversations: History of Catholic-Jewish Relations

Talks

February 19 The Tampa Bay History Center and WUSF present a program on the Florida Chitlin’ Circuit, a network of Black-owned venues that thrived during the Jim Crow era. Local and national experts will discuss...

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Florida Conversations: Chitlin’ Circuit

Talks

March 6 Set sail aboard Craft’s history lunch cruise, featuring narration by one of Florida’s most esteemed historians, Rodney Kite-Powell. From tales of Henry Plant’s railroad to the evolution of Hillsborough...

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Explore Chinsegut Hill Historic Site: Weekend house tours are back!

Located in the scenic hills of Hernando County, Chinsegut Hill Historic Site offers a glimpse into Florida’s past.

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.

Explore

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.

Touchton Map Library

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

Chart your course

Witt Research Center

View nearly 10,000 books, manuals, maps, documents, microfilm, and family/subject papers spanning prehistoric to present-day Florida.

About the Collection

Tony Jannus and the Benoist Airboat, Opening St. Petersburg-Tampa AirBoat Line, January 1, 1914

Collections archive storage at the Tampa Bay History Center

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.

Browse the Menu

Built by Big Sea