Have you heard about the Tampa Bay History Center’s new wing? Well, we’ve got the skinny. We sent CL photographer, Jen Ring, over to preview the new wing while it was still under construction, and things looked very promising. Very promising, indeed.
The development adds an additional floor to the Tampa Bay History Center, expanding the exhibit space by about 30%. President and CEO C.J. Roberts says the addition will likely increase the average time spent at the museum from two to three hours for a single visit.
What are they going to do with all this extra space? I’m glad you asked. So apparently you’ve all been requesting pirates for years, and the history center has been listening. Because guess what you’re getting? Pirates.
The fun begins with the new Treasure Seekers gallery experience, where you can finally live out your life-long treasure-hunting pirate fantasy. A 60-foot-long replica pirate ship fills the center of the gallery. Inside the ship, an interactive theater gives you a taste of the pirate’s life. Here you can navigate your way through the high seas and fire cannons at other ships...sort of. You’re not firing a real cannon — you’re pushing a red button and then you see a ship explode on the screen in front of you, but it’s still fun.
The area outside the ship will be filled with about a hundred artifacts salvaged from Florida shipwrecks. Roberts says people can learn about the salvage process too. Soon our solar system will be projected onto the ceiling, allowing guests to practice the ancient art of navigation here as well.
The gallery is flanked by two more new additions: The Touchton Map Library/Florida Center for Cartographic Education on one end and an observation deck overlooking the modern Port of Tampa on the other end. Roberts seems especially proud of The Touchton Map Library/Florida Center for Cartographic Education, which will soon house one of the largest map collections in the state of Florida.
So grab your map and navigate over to the Tampa Bay History Center. The new galleries open to the general public on February 18, 2018.
Tampa Bay History Center
801 Old Water St, Tampa.
Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.
$12.95, adults; $10.95, seniors, under 18 and students with ID; $.7.95, kids 4-12; and free for all members and kids under 3.
813-228-0097. tampabayhistorycenter.org.
