Last updated: 7/23/2024
Tampa, Florida
Address
401 West Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, FL 33606
phone: 813-254-1891
fax: 813-258-7272
e-mail: cgandee@ut.edu
web: www.plantmuseum.com

Hours

Henry Plant Museum
Sunday
12 PM - 5 PM
Monday
closed
Tuesday - Saturday
10 AM - 5 PM
Victorian Christmas Stroll
Daily
10 AM - 8 PM

Admissions

Adults $10, Seniors 65+ $7, Students $7, Children 4-12 $5

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Lindsay Huban
phone: 813-258-7302
Susan Carter
phone: 813-258-7303
Todd Edwards
phone:
Melissa Sullebarger
phone:
Jenna Fields
phone:
Description

When you’re building a railroad to nowhere, how do you make the journey worthwhile? …. If you’re railroad magnate Henry Bradley Plant, in the midst of the sand swamps that would be Tampa, you construct the most astonishingly magnificent hotel of its day, then fill it with treasures from around the world. With its splendid Moorish architecture, opulent furnishings, and spectacular tropical gardens, Plant’s Tampa Bay Hotel attracted a host of celebrated guests, from Teddy Roosevelt to Sarah Bernhardt to Babe Ruth. A visit to the Henry B. Plant Museum and the authentically restored rooms of the Tampa Bay Hotel will transport you back to a time of indulgent 10-course meals, waltzing on the verandah and alligator hunting by moonlight.…The journey is still worthwhile.

Mission

The Henry B. Plant Museum interprets the turn-of-the-century Tampa Bay Hotel and the Victorian lifestyles of America's Gilded Age for people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of interest. Critical to the success of this mission is the restoration and preservation of this National Historic Landmark, an opulent 1891 railroad resort and the artifacts significant to its history and the life and work of Henry Bradley Plant. Through these activities, educational exhibits and events, the Museum transports the visitor to the late Victorian period, the beginnings of Florida's tourist industry, and the early years of the City of Tampa.

History

The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, now a National Historic Landmark. The building was bought by the city in 1904 after the death of Henry Plant in 1899. It operated as a hotel until 1930. In 1933, the Tampa Municipal Museum was established in order to preserve the legacy of the Tampa Bay Hotel. The museum houses original furnishings and art objects collected by Mr. and Mrs. Plant from Europe and the Orient. Tampa Municipal Museum became The Henry B. Plant Museum in 1974.

Governance

University, Municipal

Services
Gift Shop
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Parking
Restrooms
Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Public Lands Alliance 2025 Convention and Trade Show

February 2 - 6, 2025

Las Vegas, Nevada

Georgia Association of Museums 2025 Conference

February 5 - 7, 2025

Milledgeville, Georgia

Small Museum Association 41st Annual Conference 2025

February 17 - 19, 2025

Gaithersburg, Maryland

2025 California Association of Museums Conference

February 18 - 22, 2025

San Fransico, California

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

Knoxville, Tennessee

RECENT UPDATES

Museums

12/20 Loxahatchee River Historical Society

Jupiter, Florida

12/20 Museum of Science & History

Jacksonville, Florida

12/20 Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center

Naples, Florida

12/20 Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum

Boca Raton, Florida

12/20 HistoryMiami

Miami, Florida

Museum Vendors

11/19 Digiscura

Encino, California

Museum Associations

12/20 Florida Association of Museums

Tallahassee, Florida

12/18 Museum Store Association

Washington, District of Columbia

12/17 Nebraska Museums Association

Lincoln, Nebraska