Prior to moving to Tampa, I was not aware of how much history there is in this city! Tampa played a major role in the development of Florida, but you’d never know this unless you visit some of these hot spots:
The Henry B. Plant Museum
The Tampa Theater
Just down the road a piece from the Henry B Plant Museum, you’ll find the hidden gem in Tampa’s Downtown, which is the Tampa Theater. This museum palace was built in the 1920’s to be an atmospheric theater palace, where you feel as though you are outside when you are inside. Standing on the street In Downtown Tampa, looking at the outside of the theater, you would never know that this incredible architecture exists inside, but once you see it, you’ll understand why it is one of the best preserved pieces of architecture in the world. You can go here to see a film or a live event but I highly recommend taking their Balcony to Backstage Tour, which happens twice a month and that’s when you can learn about the history of the theater and what it was like for the people of Tampa during its heyday in the 1920’s.
American Victory Ship & Museum
The Tampa Bay History Center provides a fun and interactive way to learn not only about Tampa’s history but Florida’s as well. They are constantly changing and updating their exhibits to keep Tampa’s history interesting and informative. My favorite parts were learning about how Tampa was established, Cuba’s influence on the city and of course, learning how it became Cigar City! Since this museum makes learning history fun, it’s a great place to
Ran by the same gentleman who I took the Ybor City Walking Tour with, Max Herman is now running a historic walking tour throughout Downtown Tampa! Starting at the last trolley stop, which is also where Fort Brooke stood, is where you'll meet Max or one of his colleagues for this 90 minute walking tour. From there, you'll learn why Tampa was once named the "Wild West of the South," where Main Street used to be, how it was once, one of the most progressive cities in the south, among many more interesting facts about Tampa that I'm sure you were not aware of! To learn more about this tour, as well as the 3 other tours Max's company has, visit his website here.
This is really where you should start your history tour since Henry B. Plant is who built the railroad that brought people to Tampa. This is a small museum that has an enormous amount of history in it. It is located in the south wing of Plant Hall in the University of Tampa. For 40 years, this was the Tampa Bay Hotel, a 511-room resort. People would travel here mostly to spend their winters at the Hotel and would stay here for months at a time. When you visit the museum, you’ll see the original Victorian furniture from when it was a hotel and you’ll see how one of the parkour suites was laid out. Plenty of high profile names stayed and visited the Tampa Bay Hotel like Babe Ruth, but now the only big name that they’re waiting to have visit is, YOU! Check here to see when their next available tour is and to see what their latest exhibit is!
Just down the road a piece from the Henry B Plant Museum, you’ll find the hidden gem in Tampa’s Downtown, which is the Tampa Theater. This museum palace was built in the 1920’s to be an atmospheric theater palace, where you feel as though you are outside when you are inside. Standing on the street In Downtown Tampa, looking at the outside of the theater, you would never know that this incredible architecture exists inside, but once you see it, you’ll understand why it is one of the best preserved pieces of architecture in the world. You can go here to see a film or a live event but I highly recommend taking their Balcony to Backstage Tour, which happens twice a month and that’s when you can learn about the history of the theater and what it was like for the people of Tampa during its heyday in the 1920’s.
American Victory Ship & Museum
Located in the Port of Tampa, right behind the Florida Aquarium, is where you will find this fully operational World War II cargo ship. Built 77 years ago in only 55 days, all by women, there are 4 floors for you to explore. This cargo ship served in WWII, Korea & Vietnam. You can see the engine room, where the crew ate and slept, and plenty more. I highly recommend taking one of their guided tours so you can really learn about the ship, all the history behind it and what it took to bring it to Tampa Bay. Plus, if you visit The SS Victory after visiting the Florida Aquarium (with proof of ticket), you can get 1/2 off your SS Victory ticket! Find out more about their tours here.
Tampa Bay History Center
take kids of all ages. For more information, visit their site here.
Tampa Bay Historic Walking Tour
These are definitely some of the top places to visit in Tampa Bay for history lovers, but the place you really want to go to learn about Tampa's history is Ybor City. This National Historic Landmark District of Florida deserved a whole article of its own, which you can read here.
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