Heritage Village

06/19/2026

🍊 Check It Out! 🍊

Heritage Village is excited to partner with our friends at Creative Pinellas⁠ on “Juicy: A Slice of Florida Life,” a vibrant new exhibition celebrating Florida’s rich citrus heritage and the industry’s lasting impact on our state’s identity.

Created in honor of Heritage Village’s 50th Anniversary, the exhibition pairs colorful vintage citrus crate labels from Heritage Village’s collections with stunning blown-glass fruit sculptures by artist Steve Hagan. Curated by Maggie Duffy, the exhibit explores how citrus helped shape Florida’s image as a tropical paradise while showcasing the artistry and creativity inspired by this iconic industry.

📍 On view June 30–September 30 at the St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport Sightline Gallery
✈️ Located throughout Gates 7–11 and the public corridor, making it accessible to both travelers and visitors.

A special thank you to Duncan McClellan Gallery for generously loaning Steve Hagan’s beautiful glass sculptures for the exhibition.

Whether you’re catching a flight or simply stopping by, don’t miss this unique celebration of Florida history, art, and culture!

06/19/2026

Welcome to Fiftieth Friday! This week, we’ll be exploring the journey of the Gandy Tower to Heritage Village.

Located at our north pedestrian entrance near the Turner Bungalow, the Gandy Tower was a decorative feature near the tollbooth on the St. Petersburg side of the original Gandy Bridge. The Gandy Bridge was built by George S. Gandy in 1924. At the time, it was the longest toll bridge in the world.

The Gandy Bridge has gone through many iterations over the decades. In 1999, the 1956 edition of the bridge was closed to traffic and repurposed as a pedestrian and bicyclist bridge, called the Friendship Trail Bridge. The Gandy Tower that is now at Heritage Village had been transferred into the care of the University of South Florida but was returned to flank the entrance of the pedestrian bridge along with a reproduction tower. Due to deterioration, the Friendship Trail Bridge was closed to the public in 2006 and demolished in 2016.

After the demise of the pedestrian bridge, Pinellas County needed to find a new home for the original tower. Recognizing its historic significance, Heritage Village agreed to accept the feature into our collections. In October of 2017, the Gandy Tower was moved in two pieces to Heritage Village, where volunteers and county workers have restored it to its original glory.

06/18/2026

Happy Throwback Thursday!

This week's featured postcard from the Heritage Village Archives & Library collection of the Eagles Nest Japanese Garden in Belleair. Operating between 1938 and 1952, the garden was a tourist attraction featuring lush landscaping, pagodas, and a tea house. After the garden closed, its 65 waterfront acres were developed into the Eagles Nest subdivision.

06/16/2026

06/15/2026

Happy Juneteenth!

06/12/2026

This week on Fiftieth Fridays, we’ll be highlighting the Old Homestead Forge!

The Old Homestead Forge is an example of a pole barn—an open-air structure comprised of wooden poles holding up a roof. This structure at Heritage Village has served multiple purposes and gone by multiple names since it was built in the early 1980s.

The structure’s original function was as a carriage shed—housing the collection of historic carriages that now reside in the Lowe Barn. In 1992, Eagle Scouts cleaned out what was then called the Demo (short for demonstration) Shed and installed a red-brick floor. Though volunteers had demonstrated blacksmithing techniques in part of the structure for years before then, this is when the shed became primarily dedicated to their craft. In recognition of this function, the shed was officially named the Old Homestead Forge earlier this year.

The Forge is the largest feature in Heritage Village’s demonstration area, which also includes a sugar cane grinder and boiling station, a smokehouse, and pumps.

Interested in watching volunteers demonstrate blacksmithing at the Old Homestead Forge? Check back on our page at the beginning of every month for that month’s scheduled demonstrations.

06/11/2026

We're honored to be featured in the latest news story highlighting Heritage Village and our 50th Anniversary year along with America's 250th! 🎉

A heartfelt thank you to our community, volunteers, partners, and supporters who help bring local history to life every day. We look forward to celebrating with you throughout the rest of the year and hope you'll join us for one (or more!) of our upcoming events:

🇺🇸 June 27 – Civic Season Youth 250 Event featuring a Scavenger hunt, Free Pizza and prizes!

🎂 July 11 – Heritage Village's All-American 50 at 250 Bash featuring the exhibit opening of Many Voices, One Nation: Stories of Democracy in Our Parks AND Festival vibes with a photo booth, doggie costume contest, children activities with the DAR, live music, and more!

📜 September 19 – National Constitution Week: We the People of Pinellas; Our Split from Hillsborough

Speaking of History 250 Series:
🗣️ October 11 – William Bartram, a New Nation, and the Drifting State of Florida Literature
⭐ November 8 – St. Augustine's Role in the War for Independence with Trevor Bryant

Thank you for helping us preserve the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future. We can't wait to see you at Heritage Village! ❤️🏡

As America turns 250 years old this July, Pinellas County’s own historical village is showcasing the history of the area. Heritage Village is a safe space for history to live and this year, not only are they celebrating the 250th anniversary of our country, but their 50th anniversary.

06/11/2026

Welcome to Throwback Thursday!

Please enjoy this postcard from the Heritage Village Archives & Library, showing an early view down Ft. Harrison Avenue in Clearwater, Florida.