03.12.2025

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A night day at the museum

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The Henry B. Plant isn’t your typical hotel. | Photo via @mary_ponomaryova

Museums are the cultural hubs of TBAY. Whether you’re looking to learn something new about Tampa or St. Pete, or simply plotting a way to spend your Saturday afternoon, here are 20 museums to visit in our area.

History

Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa | $0-$19
The museum, spanning three stories, narrates the rich history of the Tampa Bay region, chronicling the journey of its inhabitants from ancient times to the modern era.

Arts

FloridaRAMA, St. Petersburg | $22-$27
Enter St. Pete’s very own dreamscape blending art and technology with works by 70+ artists.

Don’t miss: There’s too many gems to name, but we love the mirrored manatee and the life-sized shrimp cocktail — and we wish both were real.

Kids

Dinosaur World, Plant City | $19.95+

“Jurassic World” is here to stay. Kiddos and dino aficionados alike will be entranced by hundreds of life-sized casts of discovered dinosaur skeletons, slides, and digging for treasures in Uncle Rex’s Gem Mine in Dinosaur World.

City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa.

Even more local gems

Asked

Have you visited a local museum, art gallery, or an arts/cultural event in the last 6 months?

A. Yes
B. No

Let us know

Events

Wednesday, March 12

A Ghostly Haunted Trolley Tour | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | St. Petersburg Museum of History | $45 | Venture into the Sunshine City’s dark history, winding past both lesser-known downtown haunts and through neighborhoods like Roser Park and the Old Northeast.

ZZ Top | 8 p.m. | Hard Rock Event Center | $140 | Take it back with hits like “Viva Las Vegas,” “Sharp Dressed Man,” and “Gimme All Your Lovin’” from the legendary band.

Thursday, March 13

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves | 1:05 p.m. | BayCare Ballpark | $44+ | Pack the house to watch stars like Chris Sale, Bryce Elder, Alec Bohm, and Gabriel Rincones take the field for some Spring Training magic.

The Florida Panther: Our Endangered Big Cat | 7-8:30 p.m. | Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, St. Petersburg | Free | Dive into the story of one of Florida’s endangered species, and what’s being done to protect them with a wildlife biologist.

The Peking Acrobats | 7:30-9 p.m. | The Straz Center for the Performing Arts | $46+ | Prepare to be wowed by the acrobats’ prowess at trick cycling, tumbling, juggling, somersaults, and gymnastics.

Friday, March 14

Purim Feast | 6:30 p.m. | Chabad Jewish Centre, Wesley Chapel | $25+ | Dine alongside your neighbors at this Purim/Shabbat experience accompanied by a performance by comedian Rahn Hortman.

SkyWatch | 7 p.m. | Mosi Museum of Science & Industry, Tampa | $5 | Make like an astronomer and gaze at the stars, planets, and celestial wonders through telescopes with the help of actual astronomers — we recommend heading to the top of the MOSI Dome.

Saturday, March 15

Paddy Fest St. Pete | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | Williams Park | $10 | It’s the third annual celebration of all things Irish with bag pipes, traditional dances, eats, and plenty o’ green beer.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Community

Citizens Insurance customers can expect their bills to go up by 12% this year. The rate increase starts on Sunday, June 1 and will likely cost homeowners several hundred dollars more annually. (Tampa Bay Times)

Number

$40 million. That’s how much Arnie and Lauren Bellini just gave USF for its new artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and computing college — the first in Florida. The investor and his wife’s gift is the biggest in USF history. Bellini says he aims “to create cybersecurity excellence in the Tampa Bay area.” (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Travel

Breeze just announced a new flight from TPA to Key West. So now you don’t even need to hit the road to visit Dry Tortugas or Biscayne National Park. Well, you might need to rent a car once you get there. The route kicks off Thursday, June 12, with four trips per week. (That’s So Tampa)

Announced

Yeah, she is. Billboard just named Doechii their 2025 Woman of the Year. It’s the latest accolade for the Tampa-born rapper, who recently picked up her first Grammy for Best Rap Album. She’ll take the stage to accept the honor on Saturday, March 29 — we’ll be watching. (That’s So Tampa)

Try This

Looking for more ways to give back? Enter Do Good Day. The nonprofit fair is booked for Saturday, March 29 at Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill. Stop by to check out 30 local nonprofit organizations, from animal rescues to environmental organizations. We also have some ideas. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Sports

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin agreed to a three-year deal to return to Tampa — leaving a huge amount of money on the table. Get game coverage, analysis, insights, interviews, and more from local experts of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Try This

Looking to build your dream team? Connect with incredible local talent right here in your community. Post your job listing with us today — first one is free — and find the perfect fit for your team in no time.

Announcement

We love being part of your mornings. Could you take four minutes to fill out our quick survey? It helps us create content tailored just for you. Bonus: Completing the survey enters you for a chance to win $100.

Job

Do you have a passion for all things Northern Virginia, a knack for storytelling, and a drive to engage readers? We’re hiring a creative and dynamic Newsletter Editor to join our team at NOVAtoday and craft daily, hyper-local content. We’ve got the perks just for you: competitive salary, 401K with company match of 4%, and so much more. Apply now.

The Buy

A pair of buttery soft joggers. They’re available in 16 different colors, including posh pastels like pink suede and mint green that are perfect for spring.

More worth The Buy

The Wrap

While we’re on topic of local museums, I have one mandatory assignment for you. Please make sure to check out Christian Sampson’s “Tempus volat, hora fugit” installation at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Pete before it closes on Thursday, March 20.

Sampson cleverly replaced some of the atrium’s windows with colorful panels — which create vivid reflections across the MFA’s interior. It’s absolutely lovely. Stop by to see the free display, and grab a pastry from the Cafe Clementine pop-up to enjoy with your view. I’d recommend the salted honey croissant.

Answered

Yesterday, we asked “Should Stu Sternberg sell the Rays?”

A rendering of the Rays new proposed stadium, showing fans inside a ballpark. — The Rays are staying in TBAY. | Rendering via Tampa Bay Rays

It seems our readers are pretty united on this one, with 77% of folks saying Stu should sell the team. Though we’ll have to poll you again on to who.

Another 13% of readers don’t think Sternberg should sell. And 5% of readers say they’re pretty torn up about it, while 5% say they simply aren’t sure.

Send us a scoop, question, or feedback

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