Hillsborough County, Florida was 14 times its present size when it was established by the Florida Territorial Legislature in 1834. Its boundaries, extending as far north as Ocala, as far east as Orlando and as far south as Lake Okeechobee and Charlotte Harbor, included all or part of 23 present-day Central and South Florida counties. From this “Historic Hillsborough County”, Pánfilo de Narváez (1528) and Hernando De Soto (1539) led the first explorations by Europeans of what would become the United States. With these two expeditions, the Spanish initiated the great exchange of food, fiber and technology between the Eastern and Western hemispheres that forever changed culture and environment. The events reflect some of the oldest recorded history in the United States - a history that predates the Jamestown settlement and Plymouth Colony by 80 to 90 years.

The Tampa Bay History Center grew out of a Historical Museum Task Force created by Hillsborough County’s Commissioners in 1986. The History Center’s exciting mission is to educate visitors about the important history that has shaped and continues to shape the Tampa Bay area. Today, the Tampa Bay History Center provides quality historical and educational services and programs. The beneficiaries over time are the region’s three million permanent residents and more than 15 million annual visitors.

ABOUT US

The Tampa Bay History Center is a non-profit educational institution currently operating a history and heritage museum and research library in downtown Tampa, Florida. Through quality exhibits, programs and research, the History Center seeks to preserve and teach the remarkable history of the Tampa Bay area.

Tampa Bay History Center

225 S. Franklin Street

Tampa, FL 33602

The Tampa Bay History Center is a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation and is funded in part by: Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, The City of Tampa and The State of Florida Division of Historic Resources.

Overview