Tampa Bay History Center Museum

The museum at Tampa Bay History Center Museum is the primal focus of the city’s cultural center. The museum exhibit is dedicated to the 10,000 years history of the first occupants of the land. The Tampa Bay History Center was established in 1989 by the efforts of the city commissioners. The museum features several theaters, a map gallery, and a museum store.

The new 60,000 square feet location on Tampa Bay Riverwalk was opened in 2009. Upon opening the Tampa Bay History Center has received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and also affiliation from Smithsonian Museum. The 3 story museum houses many permanent and temporary exhibits including Tampa Bay History Center Museum is located in Channelside District at 801 Water Street.

Treasure Seekers Exhibit in Tampa Bay History Center

This exhibit is devoted to a wide variety of people who have discovered and explored the Tampa Bay area. The visitors and settlers include the Spanish Conquistadors and pirates who cross the Atlantic in search of the New World. Alongside the Spaniards, there were also English, French, Greek, and North African explorers who sailed the unchartered waters to reach Florida. Most explorers were representing the Kings and Queens of their countries in search of gold and silver. They traveled with a fleet of large wooden ships occupied by sailors, soldiers, ordinary men, and women seeking wealth and a better life. The priests and religious missionaries were also an integral part of the fleet in search of spreading Christianity.

During the hurricane season many of these ships were wrecked and sank into the Atlantic Ocean. The ships sank with all their occupants and valuable cargo. The recovery efforts have been an ongoing venture. Some of the retrieved items are on display at the Treasure Seekers Exhibit. Visitors can explore the artifacts from the 1600s including potteries, cannons, bronze, and bells. Included is a very rare Astrolabe. Astrolabes were navigation instruments made of bronze. The captains used the device to find the latitude through the calculation of the angles of the celestial bodies.

Touchton Map Library in Tampa History Center

For over 500 years explorers from many countries have charted their way through dangerous waters of the Atlantic to reach new lands. The only tool at their disposal has been charts and the use of star formation. This proved to be an effective method of navigation. The Touchton Map History explores both historic and current through a vast collection of maps and charts. The thousands of maps, illustrations, and cartographic materials are complemented by over 10,000 state and regional maps from the library of South Florida University.

Permanent Galleries in Tampa History Center Museum

This gallery touches on thousands of years of history of the occupants of West Coast Florida. Historical events are divided into two distinct periods covering the ancient and more current eras. The first habitants’ era covers the past 10,000 years. The second recorded history goes back 500 years. In Florida’s First People Exhibit visitors will learn about the first occupants in Native American Tribes like Timucua and Tocobaga. The Cigar City exhibit, on the other hand, focuses more on the modern world occupants of Tampa Bay. This exhibit portrays the story of many migrant cigar workers from Cuba, Spain, and Italy whose work gave the area its name, the Cigar City.

The journey continues with the arrival of Spaniards and famous pirates like Jack Rackam to more current personalities like Teddy Roosevelt.

Changing Exhibits in Tampa History Center

This area is the home to temporary exhibits that change every so often. At the time of this article, the exhibits included the Cuban Pathway, Women Inventors, and the Outpost to Statehood.

  • Cuban Pathways Exhibit – A look at travelers of different origins to and from the island of Cuba during the past 500 years. The Cuban Pathway exhibit explores the diversity of this group that varied from Taíno Indians, Chinese laborers, to African slaves as well the American tourists.
  • Outpost to Statehood – is about the history of Florida as a US territory that eventually became the 27th State.
  • The Women Inventors – is a salute to American Women who have left their mark on history despite inequality in the workplace. The women in this exhibit are from all facts of life including astronauts, engineers, and athletes.
  • Community Case – This is another changing exhibit showcasing the events in the local community. Past exhibits have covered diverse entities as the Clearwater Stamp Club, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Tampa Bay, and Abe Brown Ministries