Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) *
Dinosaurs, Butterflies, IMAX and More. MOSI, a not-for-profit educational institution, is the largest science center in the Southeastern United States. Museum highlights include two replica diplodocus dinosaur skeletons; BioWorks Butterfly Garden, an engineered ecosystem that emulates natural wetlands; the Back Woods, 40 acres of special water conservation elements and outdoor exhibits; and the IMAX Dome Theatre, which features an 82-foot hemispherical movie screen. Mon.-Thur., Sun., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., Sat., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Continues through Dec. 31. 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-987-6300.
Pioneer Florida Museum Tools, tools, tools.
Life doesn't seem so hard after visiting this museum, which depicts how the pioneering folk of Florida's past lived. On display are tools of the cracker-era, a turn-of-the-century Porter Steam Engine, a two-story farmhouse from the 1860s and an 1878 Methodist church. Hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission costs $5 for adults. Dec. 12-31, 12 p.m. 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City. 352-567-0262.
Polk Museum of Art
800 East PAlmetto St., Lakeland. 863-688-7743.
Safety Harbor Museum of Regional History Cool Old Stuff.
The museum's exhibits show the history of Safety Harbor and the surrounding Tampa Bay area from prehistoric to modern times. Descriptive dioramas and displays of fossils, projectile points, shell tools, beads and pottery tell the story of Florida's first people and the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Hours are 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission costs $2, $1 for kids. 329 Bayshore Blvd. S., Safety Harbor. 727-726-1668.
Salvador Dali Museum *
Dali Objects/Dali Fetishes. A pair of rarely displayed Dali-illustrated books and an important group of the artist's objects from the 1930s make up this exhibit. The books contain illustrations for the erotic Poems Secretes (1967) by Guillaume Apollinaire, and the fantastical and morbid Roi je t'Attends a Babylone 1973) by Andre Malraux. The objects include "The Surrealist Shoe" (1973), "The Aphrodisiac Dinner Jacket" (1970) and "The Venus de Milo with Drawers" (1970). Dec. 13-Jan. 19. Film Screening. The museum screens two dark holiday films. Franz Kafka: It's a Wonderful Life is an award-winning black comedy about the famous author suffering writer's block on Christmas Eve. Blackadder's Christmas Carol is part of the irreverent British series starring Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean). Thu., Dec. 19, 6 p.m. Free with museum admission. Permanent Collection. The museum's collection, the world's most comprehensive of Salvador Dali's work, provides an excellent overview of Dalí's major themes and symbols. Characterized by diversity, his oil paintings range from the impressionist and cubist styles of his early period to his later, more famous surrealist canvases. Daily. 1000 Third St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-823-3767.
The Science Center of Pinellas County
More Than a Planetarium. The Science Center sits on seven acres and includes the Laser Odyssey Theater, a 30-seat planetarium, numerous exhibits (including Discoveries by African-American Scientists and Inventors), the Carol Samuels Observatory with a powerful Meade 16-inch telescope, 12 classrooms/labs, a Xeriscape Learning Center garden and a Wetlands outdoor area. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and admission is free. 7701 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-384-0027.
St. Petersburg Museum of History Permanent Exhibits.
On permanent display is the Walk through Time and Try History on For Size galleries, where visitors can see themselves in vintage costumes through mirrors creating the illusion of wearing period clothing. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for ages 7-17, and free for kids 6 and under. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. 335 Second Ave. N.E., St. Petersburg. 727-894-1052.
Tampa Bay History Center Hillsborough History. The center houses a collection of artifacts, books, maps and more on Tampa Bay history. Guests can learn about the Bay area's natural environment, Seminole Indians, European exploration, the cracker cattle trade and military history. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free; donations are welcome. Tampa Convention Center Annex, 225 S. Franklin St., Tampa. 813-228-0097.
Tampa Gallery of Photographic Arts Clyde Butcher Retrospective. TGPA exhibits this, the first retrospective of Clyde Butcher's work. For more than 35 years he's been preserving untouched areas of Florida landscape on film. The show opens Nov. 2. The same day, he gives a workshop on photographic technique ($25) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 13-Jan. 5. Old Hyde Park Village, 746 S. Village Circle, Tampa. 813-251-1800.
