The museum is a designated Smithsonian Affiliate, providing access to artifacts and expertise from the national collection.
The Touchton Map Library contains over 3,000 maps dating from the 14th century to the present day.
The cigar industry exhibit recreates the atmosphere of Ybor City’s historic cigar factories.
The museum grounds feature a dedicated replica of a Seminole Indian chickee hut.
It includes a permanent exhibition on the 'Cracker' cattle culture, a foundational element of Florida's economic development.
The Tampa Bay History Center is a 60,000-square-foot Smithsonian Affiliate museum located along the downtown Tampa Riverwalk. It chronicles 12,000 years of Florida history through three floors of interactive exhibits. Distinctive collections focus on the region's indigenous peoples, the Spanish conquistadors, and the development of the local cigar industry. Visitors can explore the simulated 1920s streetcar and a reproduction of a Florida cattle ranch. The center houses the Touchton Map Library, one of the most extensive collections of Florida cartography in existence. Exhibits also cover the military history of the region and the transformation of the Tampa Bay waterfront. The facility serves as a cultural hub for understanding the intersection of native, immigrant, and pioneer histories in West Central Florida. Its location at the confluence of the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel provides a panoramic view of the harbor.
The third-floor balcony offering an unobstructed view of the Hillsborough River and the Port Tampa Bay skyline.
Prioritize the second floor for deep dives into indigenous history before moving to the third floor for industry and military history.
Check the museum's events calendar before visiting to coincide with seasonal guest lectures or local history demonstrations.
Use the interactive 'Windows into the Past' screens to access digital archives not displayed on the walls.
Do not rush through the map library, as many of the most significant historical documents are easily missed in the quiet corners of that section.
Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
