Discover 2026: A year of new exhibitions, programs, and events at the Tampa Bay History Center

The Tampa Bay History Center is welcoming 2026 with new exhibitions and programs that invite visitors to experience the stories that shaped the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. The coming year offers a diverse range of experiences, including rare objects, hands-on activities, films, music, and programs for all ages, each designed to share the region’s rich history. 

New Exhibitions for 2026

The year opens with a few exhibitions that anchor the season.

The Sport of Kings and Queens: Horse Racing in Tampa Bay

Opened Jan. 10

Director of Curatorial Affairs, Michelle Hearn, offers this perspective on the exhibit: “The Sport of Kings and Queens exhibit traces 200 years of horse racing in the Tampa Bay region. Visitors can experience equestrian culture through immersive videos, historic photographs, and artifacts from legendary jockeys. From frontier races at Fort Brooke to the founding of Tampa Bay Downs and Ocala’s rise as the Horse Capital of the World, it highlights the people, places, and moments that defined Florida’s racing heritage.”

The exhibition focuses on Florida’s horse racing past while showcasing how the sport shaped community life, regional identity and economic growth. Guests encounter original photographs, early racing programs, betting tokens and personal items connected to the jockeys, trainers and racehorses who left a lasting imprint on the Tampa Bay area. The result is an engaging look at how horse racing became part of the region’s cultural landscape.

America at the Crossroads: The Guitar and a Changing Nation

Opened Jan. 31

“This exhibit celebrates the guitar as America’s most democratic instrument, shaped by immigrants, innovators, and boundary-breaking musicians whose diverse voices transformed its sound and helped define the nation’s cultural identity.” – Director of Curatorial Affairs Michelle Hearn.

The exhibition looks at guitars within a broader movement in American history, from westward expansion and industrialization to the rise of youth culture and digital technology. Visitors encounter forty instruments that reveal how design, craftsmanship and cultural exchange shaped the guitar’s evolution across time, including a 16th-century vihuela. Archival film clips, listening stations and interpretive materials show how musicians in every era used the guitar to express shifting ideals, tell new stories and build the sounds that continue to influence the country today.

Beaches, Creatures and Cowboys: Florida Movie Posters

Opens May 23

Pulled from the Museum of Florida History’s collection, this exhibition shows how closely Florida and American filmmaking have been linked since the industry’s earliest years. The state served as an early production center, offered space for innovative studios, and provided landscapes that shaped everything from silent-era dramas to midcentury adventure films and later blockbusters.

The posters on view trace that long relationship. Their imagery reflects changing tastes, marketing styles and genres, while also following Florida’s presence across Jacksonville’s silent-film era, midcentury adventure movies, and modern Miami productions.

Programs for all ages

Throughout the year, the History Center offers programs that support learning at every level. Adults can join OLLI-USF courses, which approach historical topics through conversation and shared inquiry. Families can participate in Sangria and Stories, a relaxed storytelling program. Children explore local and state history through History Adventure Camp, which uses hands-on activities to spark curiosity. High school students join Teen Council, contributing ideas that help shape the museum’s programming.

Walking tours

Walking tours continue as a defining part of the visitor experience. Each tour brings guests into Tampa’s neighborhoods, offering street-level history in Ybor City’s cigar district, along Central Avenue’s historic Black cultural corridor, in Oaklawn Cemetery, and through the evolving downtown and Riverwalk. Tours take place on select Saturdays at 10 a.m.

Annual events for 2026

Several returning events anchor the museum’s calendar. The Annual Gala brings supporters together for an evening at the History Center. The Black History Month Reception offers music, food, and after-hours gallery access. Florida Conversations features talks with authors and experts, while the monthly book club meets to discuss works on Florida and the region.

The History Center is located at 801 Water St. and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with holiday hours varying. More information about exhibitions, programs, tours, and tickets can be found at TampaBayHistoryCenter.org.

Whether someone is standing in front of a vintage movie poster, listening to a historic guitar, or walking through Ybor City, the year offers new ways to engage with Tampa Bay and the stories that continue to shape the region and welcome visitors in for a new experience.