NEW MUSEUM

The Tampa Bay History Center is more than a mere repository for historical facts. Functioning as a liaison between the past and the present, the museum will honor our community’s character and heritage, stirring the spirit of adventure found in all its visitors with the generations of stories it has to tell.

THE BUILDING

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners has designated $17 million of Community Investment Tax funds toward the planning and construction of the new history museum. The History Center’s permanent exhibits will span two floors and include a large gallery and a theater at the lobby level. Visitors will enter the Lykes Atrium on the ground level and will view colorful three-dimensional icons evocative of images from Tampa Bay’s history. The ground level also provides access to the sixty-five seat theater, a café and museum store. After ascending the staircase, the second floor gallery will offer views of the library and cartographic center, which will house one of the largest private collections of historic Florida maps. Special changing exhibitions will be hosted on the third floor. The museum plans include space to accommodate special events, classrooms and a research library – this means a building total of 60,000 square feet under one roof!

The Building