Current exhibits
Mapping the American Sea: A Cartographic History of the Gulf of Mexico
AUG. 3, 2024 - APRIL 27, 2025
America’s history has been largely written as an inevitable march from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, an unstoppable manifest destiny starting with the English colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth, and ending with the California Gold Rush and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. This narrative downplays – or outright ignores – the role that the Gulf of Mexico and the states (and countries) bordering it have played throughout the last 500 years. Mapping the American Sea seeks to reset that narrative and place the Gulf States, particularly Florida, along with Mexico and Cuba, in their proper context as crucial players in the history and development of the United States and North America.
The Hernán Cortés letter with accompanying map was purchased through the generosity of Tom Touchton, Nancy and Bob Bolt, and Nell Ward.
Invisible Immigrants
MARCH 1 - AUG. 3, 2025
The Tampa Bay History Center is proud to present the highly acclaimed exhibition "Invisible Immigrants. Spaniards in the U.S. (1868-1945)" for the first time in the United States. After touring in Spain for five years, the exhibition arrives stateside to reveal the hidden history of the Spanish American diaspora at the turn of the 20th century. This history has been carefully preserved through the legacy of thousands of Spanish immigrants, passed down from generation to generation.
Permanent exhibits
Touchton Map Library
The Touchton Map Library and Florida Center for Cartographic Education is home to thousands of maps, charts, and other documents dating back from the early European exploration of North America more than 500 years ago up through the early 21st century.
Treasure Seekers
Conquistadors, Pirates, and Shipwrecks: Featuring a 60-foot, 18th-century pirate ship as its centerpiece, this permanent gallery introduces you to the explorers who landed in “La Florida” more than 500 years ago as well as little-known pirates like “Calico” Jack Rackham and Anne Bonny, who prowled Florida’s coasts in the 1700s.
Past exhibits and virtual gallery tours
Founded in 1989 by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the History Center opened its new 60,000-square-foot facility on Water Street in 2009. Since then, we've presented more than 50 exhibitions in the Wayne Thomas Gallery and Saunders Foundation Gallery. Explore the archive and discover past lectures, blog posts, and classroom resources.