Tampa Bay History Center will reopen Friday with free admission

(TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 29, 2022) — The Tampa Bay History Center closed this past Tuesday in anticipation of Hurricane Ian. The Category 4 hurricane did not significantly impact the museum at 801 Water Street in Tampa, Fla., and the History Center will reopen tomorrow, Sept. 30, with free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“It could have been much worse for the Tampa Bay area, and we offer our support to our neighbors and museum colleagues in Collier, Lee, and the other counties starting the recovery process,” said C.J. Roberts, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay History Center. “We hope that tomorrow’s free admission day will provide some relief to local families without power. The History Center’s mission to discover, preserve and inform our common future couldn’t be more pertinent as we all take note of the characteristics of our state.”

The History Center’s curatorial team worked to secure its collection of 80,000 objects ahead of the storm. The building was designed with the potential for a major storm event in mind and to keep Tampa Bay’s priceless artifacts and one of the largest map collections in the southeast safe.

Museum visitors can find out more information, donate, and view thousands of maps from the Touchton Map Library at www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

In addition, the Columbia Cafe will reopen tomorrow at 11 a.m. The Cafe offers a sampling of the Spanish- and Cuban-inspired dishes that made the 116-year-old restaurant famous.