Tampa Bay History Center

Tampa Bay History Center Smithsonian Affiliate, collecting and preserving 12,000 years of Tampa Bay history.

The Tampa Bay History Center includes three floors of permanent and temporary exhibition space focusing on 12,000 years of Florida history. The History Center features a Museum Store, the Witt Research Center (a branch of the Hillsborough County Public Library System), a map gallery, an event hall and the Columbia Cafe. One of Tampa’s premier cultural venues, the History Center’s hands-on, kid-fri

endly activities, together with cutting-edge interactive exhibits provide a unique educational experience.

“Travails and Triumphs” is a permanent exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center dedicated to sharing and celebrating Blac...
06/18/2026

“Travails and Triumphs” is a permanent exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center dedicated to sharing and celebrating Black history in the Tampa Bay region.

For more than 500 years, people of African descent have lived, labored, built communities and shaped the history of this area. This exhibit honors those stories by exploring the families they forged, the hardships they endured, the work they carried out and the triumphs they celebrated.

This Juneteenth, visit the History Center to spend time with the stories, artifacts and histories that continue to shape our region.

06/18/2026

A Tampa Bay History Center membership brings together year-round museum admission, Columbia Cafe discounts, Museum Store savings, local reciprocal benefits and waterfront experiences across downtown Tampa. 🎟️

Now through Aug. 31, 2026, receive 15% off any Tampa Bay History Center membership level and make more of your summer close to home. 🌊

More experiences, better savings and more reasons to stay local this summer. 😎 ☀️

Start your staycation and join today: https://bit.ly/4uSaEep

This year, doors open at 5:30 p.m., giving you time to beat the downtown rush and enjoy a Sevilla-style champagne sunset...
06/17/2026

This year, doors open at 5:30 p.m., giving you time to beat the downtown rush and enjoy a Sevilla-style champagne sunset “golden hour” overlooking the beautiful Riverwalk. 🥂

Join us Friday, Nov. 13, for the 2026 History Center Gala, “Golden Hour: Sunset in Sevilla,” as we celebrate Gala Chairs Andrea Gonzmart Williams and Beau Williams.

Your participation directly supports programming that inspires civic pride, lifelong learning and community engagement across Tampa Bay.

Thank you for supporting the History Center and joining us each year. We look forward to seeing you there!

📅 Friday, Nov. 13
🕠 Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Florida’s role in the American Revolution often surprises people because it falls outside the story most Americans know....
06/16/2026

Florida’s role in the American Revolution often surprises people because it falls outside the story most Americans know.

Tampa Bay 28 and Chad Mills join the History Center's Rodney Kite-Powell in the Touchton Map Library to explore what West Florida looked like in 1776.

"Florida has always reflected a broader sense of what the United States was or could be," Kite-Powell said. "Always a mix of people, and it's how those people get along or don't get along that really shows that American spirit."

Check out the story linked below.

Celebrate Independence Day at the Tampa Bay History Center with a special screening of "A Star-Spangled Story: Battle fo...
06/15/2026

Celebrate Independence Day at the Tampa Bay History Center with a special screening of "A Star-Spangled Story: Battle for America," a Smithsonian Channel documentary exploring the surprising history and secrets behind "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Travel back to 1814, when Washington, D.C. was under British attack and the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key unfolded. Discover how Key’s poem became the anthem we know today.

Screenings are included with gallery admission and will begin every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 4, 2026.

Plan your museum visit and make Columbia Cafe reservations on our website.

The American flag has changed across generations, with stars added for new states and arranged in different patterns ove...
06/14/2026

The American flag has changed across generations, with stars added for new states and arranged in different patterns over time.

This 13-star flag from the Tampa Bay History Center collection was produced in the early 20th century. Its medallion pattern, featuring a large center star, became especially popular after the American Centennial in 1876, when Americans looked back to the nation’s founding with renewed interest.

Thirteen-star flags continued to appear long after the founding era, recalling the original colonies and first states while showing how early national symbols were remembered and reimagined.

This Flag Day offers a closer look at the symbols Americans have used to mark independence, growth and national identity.

(American National Flag, 13 Stars, Medallion Pattern with Large Center Star, early 20th century. Tampa Bay History Center collection.)

In 1886, the Mosley Homestead began taking shape in what is now Brandon. Learn more about the site and its history in th...
06/13/2026

In 1886, the Mosley Homestead began taking shape in what is now Brandon. Learn more about the site and its history in this interview with Keely McCormick for Tampa Bay 28.

Full story linked in the comments.

06/12/2026

While the Industrial Revolution conjured images of smoke-belching factories and roaring machinery across the Northeast and Midwest, Tampa was quietly forging its own economic identity.

Visit the Treasure Seekers galleries and uncover the real stories behind the region’s long-standing pirate lore. Explore...
06/12/2026

Visit the Treasure Seekers galleries and uncover the real stories behind the region’s long-standing pirate lore. Explore the maritime world of conquistadors, Spanish treasure fleets, French privateers, legendary shipwrecks and the recovery efforts that continue to reveal pieces of the past.

Visitors can also learn about real pirates like “Calico Jack” Rackham and Anne Bonny, who prowled Florida’s coast in the 1700s and helped shape the myths that still surround piracy today.

Galleries are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tampa Bay 28's Michael Paluska caught up with Rodney Kite-Powell inside our "Treasure Seekers" gallery to talk fact, fic...
06/10/2026

Tampa Bay 28's Michael Paluska caught up with Rodney Kite-Powell inside our "Treasure Seekers" gallery to talk fact, fiction, and the long-running allure of buried treasure as modern-day hunters continue their search for their next big discovery.

Read the full story at the link in the comments.

Address

801 Water Street
Tampa, FL
33602

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+18132280097

Website

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