Exhibits to Explore
Wish You Were Here!
For more than a century, tourism has shaped St. Petersburg's identity. From early health seekers basking in the healing sunshine and salt air, to families who filled roadside attractions and motels, visitors made their mark in the Sunshine City. Through hand-tinted postcards to exotic citrus crate labels, northern visitors discovered our beaches, palm trees and oranges.
This exhibit, presented by BayFirst National Bank, shares the stories of selling sunshine!
Visual Voices – Public Art in the Sunshine City
From the sculpted gardens of Snell Isle to the vibrant murals of today, public art has long played a vital role in shaping the cultural landscape of St. Petersburg.
Visual Voices - Public Art in the Sunshine City brings together historic murals, sculptures, and contemporary installations to explore how public art has influenced local culture and given a voice to the city's arts history.
Presented by the City of St. Petersburg and Presented by the Robert S. & Mildred M. Baynard Charitable Trust.
Civil Rights in the Sunshine City
During the modern civil rights movement, the worlds eyes were focused on places like Birmingham, Selma, Jackson, and Atlanta. Florida, including St. Petersburg, continued to promote fun in the sun and surf.
But behind the slick tourism-oriented advertising, roadside attractions and citrus stands, a growing civil rights movement began knocking down barriers and challenged a Jim Crow system that controlled St. Petersburg for decade.
Come explore a photographic history of the Civil Rights Movement in St. Petersburg, showcasing rare and powerful images that document the city’s fight for justice and equality.
Pathway to Eternity: Life, Death, and Afterlife
From life to the afterlife, pharaohs to mummies, and cities to tombs, Pathway to Eternity explores the truth behind ancient Egyptian legends. The exhibit centerpieces - an Egyptian mummy and sarcophagus dating back thousands of years.
Accompanying the priceless Egyptian artifacts, interactive screens allow visitors to navigate Egyptian maps, timelines, a family tree of the Egyptian gods, and the Egyptomania craze that culturally included the world.
The Florida Highwaymen
From the 1950s to the 1970s, 26 Black artists would, in a herculean effort, produce over 200,000 pieces of artwork depicting Florida's rich landscape in a way never before seen. Dubbed the “Florida Highwaymen,” these artists sold their art from the trunk of their cars on US Highway 1 when Jim Crow laws prevented them from showing in galleries.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History is proud to exhibit a private collection of 26 unique Florida Highwaymen pieces.
Meddling: The Women Who Built St. Pete
From the Pinellas Peninsula's first settlers to the trailblazers of today, women have always had a hand in the development of St. Petersburg. Referred to as "meddling" by historians for stepping out of gender norms and into male-dominated spaces, these women were politicians, civic leaders, educators, real estate developers, business owners and more. Through photographs, info panels, artifacts and video, this exhibit shares the stories of the women who created the Sunshine City. This exhibit was made possible through funding by the Adelphi Trust Company, the first trust company in Florida founded, owned and led by women.
Vote Like
It's 1919
In August of 1919, just months after earning the right to vote in municipal elections, St. Pete women cast their first ballots. They voted alongside men on 21 potential amendments to the City Charter.
Vote now on five of those amendments to see if the St. Petersburg of Today would vote like the St. Petersburg of 1919!
Flight One Gallery
Get up close and personal with the world’s first airliner and experience the birth of commercial aviation. The panoramic Flight One Gallery is only yards from where aviation history was made on January 1, 1914.
Schrader's Little Cooperstown
Where America’s pastime helps share American history. Made up of 5,000 baseballs, Schrader's Little Cooperstown is certified by Guinness World Records as the largest collection of its kind. This exhibit takes visitors on a journey through our rich history with stories and artifacts of baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, as well as the Women’s Professional Baseball League and Negro Leagues.
.
Vote Like
It's 1919
In August of 1919, just months after earning the right to vote in municipal elections, St. Pete women cast their first ballots. They voted alongside men on 21 potential amendments to the City Charter. Vote now on five of those amendments to see if the St. Petersburg of Today would vote like the St. Petersburg of 1919!
Here Are The Five Ballot Questions, Vote Yes or No!
