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Plan your visit.

Open daily from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

From conquistadors to cattle ranchers, the Tampa Bay History Center is home to the Touchton Map Library, Columbia Cafe, and a collection of 90,000 historical artifacts.

Treasure Seekers Gallery at the Tampa Bay History Center

Our locations tell Tampa Bay’s most fascinating stories.

Parking near the museum.

The Water Street neighborhood has hundreds of parking spaces just around the corner.

Street parking is available throughout the Water Street area. Click here to learn how to pay for street parking with your phone.

You can access three public parking lots and garages within a 6-minute walk of the History Center.

Garrison Parking Lot

615 Channelside Drive – 6-MINUTE WALK
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East Cumberland Garage

1045 E Cumberland Ave – 5-MINUTE WALK
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Channelside Parking Garage

810 Channelside Drive – 6-MINUTE WALK
View on Google Maps

**Parking validation is available to History Center members at this location.

Channelside Parking Garage
Raybon Plaza

Many ways to get here.

The History Center is located along Tampa’s Riverwalk and is walkable from all downtown hotels, the Tampa Convention Center, and is accessible via the Pirate Water Taxi and the Cross Bay Ferry. The TECO Line Streetcar (always free) has two stops near the History Center.

Driving Directions

  1. Traveling north on I-275, take the Ashley Street West Tampa Exit #44 to downtown OR traveling south on I-275, take the Downtown East-West Exit #45A to downtown.
  2. Turn left on Jackson Street.
  3. Turn right on Morgan Street.
  4. Turn left on Channelside Drive.
  5. Turn right on Water Street.

  1. Take Gandy Blvd. to Bayshore Blvd., turn left.
  2. Take Bayshore Blvd. until it ends at the Platt Street Bridge.
  3. Go over the bridge. The road becomes Channelside Drive.
  4. Turn right on Water Street.

  1. Take Selmon Expressway Exit 8 (Downtown East).
  2. Turn right on Kennedy Blvd.
  3. Turn left on Morgan Street.
  4. Turn left on Channelside Drive.
  5. Turn right on Water Street.

Alternate Options

Coast Bike Share

Cross Bay Ferry

E-Scooters (BIRD, HOPR, LIME, or SPIN)

Pirate Water Taxi

The TECO Line Streetcar

TECO Line Streetcar System
Pick up a neighborhood guide at Visitor Services.
Man in a wheelchair using the crosswalk.
Visit

Accessibility is our top priority.

A limited number of wheelchairs are available to borrow during your visit, free of charge, on a first-come, first-served basis.
 
Wheel the World
 
The Tampa Bay History Center is part of the world's best travel solution for people with disabilities. Check out our profile on Wheel the World.

Visiting with someone who has sensory-processing needs? Our friends at the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at the University of South Florida (CARD-USF) have produced a helpful guide for our visitors with ASD and their families and caregivers.

Take advantage of these pass programs.

Illustration of hands in a frame.

Museums For All

Illustration of books with apple.

Library Passes

Illustration of tickets.

Discounted Admission Days

Families presenting a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, and a valid form of photo ID will receive free admission to the History Center for the cardholder plus three additional guests.

Visit your library's website and receive free admission to the History Center and other Tampa Bay area museums. Participating counties include Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative's Discovery Pass, Pasco County Library System's Discovery Pass, and
Pinellas County Public Library Cooperative's Museum Pass.

Discounted tickets for active military and veterans are available with ID at Visitor Services on the second floor. Click here for information about free admission through our Blue Star Museums program.

Students explore the galleries of the Tampa Bay History Center
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Looking for answers?

Check out our complete list of frequently asked questions about visiting the Tampa Bay History Center and our affiliate locations. Call (813) 228-0097 for further assistance.