The Tampa Bay History Center’s mission is to discover, preserve and learn from our region’s past to inform our common future. The Tampa Bay History Center tells the story of Tampa Bay and Florida’s history, heritage and culture.
The History Center is one of Tampa Bay’s premier cultural venues and is an anchor of the Tampa Riverwalk on Water Street. Guests of the center get to explore a world where stories unfold around every corner.
The center’s three levels of exhibition galleries invite its guests on a journey through time. Engage with history talks that transform learning into a quest for knowledge or join the center for public events that go beyond entertainment, fostering a connection to our collective history and future.
For the upcoming holiday season, the Tampa Bay History Center will host its Holiday Traditions in Florida exhibit from now through February 2, 2025.
“The Tampa Bay area offers unique experiences year-round, and the holiday season is no different,” said Billy Somerville with the Tampa Bay History Center. “We’re excited to share memorable local traditions and how they’ve been celebrated over the years in Tampa. One of the most notable stories is the 1958 Tampa Snow Show, which is featured in this temporary exhibition presented by the Museum of Florida History.”
Although Floridians may celebrate different holidays or have different customs, holidays help to unite family, friends and neighbors and to strengthen our common bonds. Using photographs from the past and present, Holiday Traditions in Florida examines how Floridians have celebrated these special days.
“More than 100 photographs and documents chronicle the story behind the Franklin Street disaster in the Snow Show section of the Wayne Thomas Gallery, alongside 65 displays highlighting Florida’s holiday celebrations,” Sommerville said. “We hope this seasonal exhibit highlights what makes Florida unique and serves as a cautionary tale about Tampa’s Snow Show, which faced more mishaps than anyone could have anticipated.”
Mapping the American Seas is another exhibit currently showing at the Tampa Bay History Center. This exhibit seeks to reset that narrative and place the gulf states, particularly Florida, along with Mexico and Cuba, in their proper context as crucial players in the history and development of North America.
Holiday Traditions in Florida, featuring the Tampa Snow Show, and Mapping the American Seas are on exhibit now at the Tampa Bay History Center, located at 801 Water St. in Tampa. General admission tickets are available at https://tampabayhistorycenter.org/.
