Tampa Bay History Center named one of nation’s Best History Museums by USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards

TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 19, 2025) – The Tampa Bay History Center has been recognized as one of the 10 best history museums in the United States, ranking in USA TODAY’s 2025 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. The announcement places the History Center among the nation’s most celebrated cultural institutions, as voted by the public.

Nominees for the 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards are selected by a panel of experts, with the final list determined by 10Best editors. Readers then cast votes daily to determine the top museums nationwide.

“This honor is a testament to the passion and dedication of our team, as well as the continued support from our visitors and community,” said C.J. Roberts, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay History Center. “We take great pride in preserving and sharing Florida history, and this national recognition affirms our commitment to providing an engaging and educational experience for all.”

The recognition comes at an exciting time for the History Center, which will debut its newest major exhibition, Invisible Immigrants: Spaniards in the U.S. (1868–1945), on March 1, 2025, in the Wayne Thomas Gallery. The exhibition, running through Aug. 3, 2025, sheds light on the lesser-known history of Spanish immigrants who shaped communities across the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.“This is a remarkable opportunity for our community to engage with a pivotal chapter of immigration history,” Roberts said. “We’re honored to be the first museum in the country to host this exhibition, which brings to light the stories of individuals whose experiences still resonate with families here in the Tampa Bay area.”

Curated by New York University Professor James D. Fernández and journalist-filmmaker Luis Argeo, Invisible Immigrants showcases more than 300 photographs, objects, documents, and audiovisual materials. The exhibition traces the journey of thousands of Spanish workers and farmers who immigrated to the U.S. in search of better opportunities. The bilingual exhibition is structured into six chapters: Goodbye, Now Get to Work!, Living la Vida, They Got Organized, Solidarity and Strife, and Made in the USA.

The exhibit also highlights Tampa’s immigrant history. “Modern Tampa owes a great deal of its history, culture, and success to the immigrants who began arriving in the 1880s,” said Rodney Kite-Powell, director of the Touchton Map Library at the Tampa Bay History Center. “Following the cigar industry from Havana to Key West to Tampa’s Ybor City, the Spaniards, Cubans, and Sicilians who came to Tampa and West Tampa helped to create not only an important industry but a vibrant multicultural city.”

Located on Tampa’s Water Street, the Tampa Bay History Center offers three floors of exhibits that highlight 12,000 years of Florida’s history and culture. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and a Smithsonian Affiliate, the center features the Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education, as well as the Witt Research Center. The History Center is also home to the Columbia Cafe. Known as one of Tampa’s premier cultural venues, it provides interactive, hands-on exhibits and theaters that offer an engaging and educational experience for visitors of all ages. For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.

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