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St. Petersburg, Florida, is a pleasant city in the Tampa Bay area with plenty to see and do.
Introduction to St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, which is the second biggest city in the Tampa Bay area, was founded in 1888 by John C. Williams (during. 1892) of Detroit and Russian aristocrat Peter Demens (1850-1919). Williams purchased the land on which the town is located in 1875, while Demens was instrumental in bringing the terminus of the Orange Belt Railway there in 1888. Demens had the honor of naming the city after Saint Petersburg, Russia, where he spent most of his youth. St. Petersburg was incorporated as a town on February 29, 1892, and became a city on June 6, 1903.
The tourism boom began in the 1920s. This was partially aided by baseball teams moving their spring training to the city, starting with the St. Louis Browns in 1914. Retirees began to settle there in the 1950s. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, now the Tampa Bay Rays, began play on March 31, 1998, giving the area its first Major League Baseball team. They currently play at Tropicana Field, but will move to a new stadium in 2028.
Overall, St. Pete is a great place to spend time for visitors of all ages. It has a handful of great museums, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and plenty of shops and restaurants. While we didn’t have time to visit everything we wanted to see, we enjoyed our time exploring the downtown area and beyond, although it was extremely hot and humid.
Where to Eat in St. Petersburg
Halfway through enjoying our day, we searched for a restaurant and found a decent one across from the parks near the shore.
Parkshore Grill
The outdoor tables were full at Parkshore Grill, so we decided to have a seat and give it a try. Marisol had a filet mignon with mushroom sauce while I tried the linguini with shrimp. For dessert, we had a mousse. The food was very good and priced reasonably, but our server was a little awkward. Overall, we’d eat there again.
North Straub Park
A good place to start exploring the city is along the waterfront at North Straub Park. From there, we got great views of the yachts at Vinoy Marina and could spot the St. Petersburg Museum of History. The Museum of Fine Arts sits just south of the park. Since we only had one day, we weren’t able to fit in either museum.
Vinoy Resort
North of the park is the Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, formerly the Vinoy Park Hotel. This historic hotel was built by oil tycoon Aymer Vinoy Laughner. It opened in 1925 as a seasonal hotel available only from December to March. It closed down in 1974 and sat empty until the 1990s when it was bought by Renaissance Hotels. Many celebrities have stayed there and it’s known to be haunted.
Vinoy Park
Just past the marina is Vinoy Park. It’s an 11 acre waterfront park with views of the city skyline. We noticed a few people relaxing on the grass and others were fishing.
Mahaffey Theater
Heading south towards the Dalí Museum is the Mahaffey Theater. This performing arts venue originally opened in May 1965 and has undergone several renovations since.
Salvador Dalí Museum
The Salvador Dalí Museum, also known as the Dalí, is home to the largest collection of the artist’s works outside of Europe. It’s a wonderful place to spend a couple hours if you’re in town.
The museum traces its roots back to Cleveland, Ohio, where Reynolds and Eleanor Morse met Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) in 1942 and struck up a lifelong friendship. The couple purchased their first painting from the Catalan artist and over the next 25 years collected more than 200 pieces.
The Morses opened a museum in March 1971 in Beachwood, Ohio. In 1982, they chose downtown St. Petersburg as the new location for the museum, which was housed in a refurbished marine warehouse.
The current building, designed by Yann Weymouth, opened on January 11, 2011. It features a 75 foot tall glass entryway around a spiral staircase and is hurricane-proof. Cafe Gala, named for Dalí’s wife (1894-1982), serves Spanish food, and there’s a large gift shop as well.
Admission to the Salvador Dalí Museum is US$32 for adults, US$29 for seniors, US$22 for college students and visitors age 13-17, US$12 for kids age 6-12, and free for kids under 6 (as of January 2025). Dalí Alive 360˚, an immersive digital experience, is an additional US$15 for all visitors over 5 years old (as of January 2025). You can download the free Dalí Museum mobile guide to enhance your visit. It includes audio tours in six languages. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm with extended hours to 8pm on Thursdays. Parking is US$10 (as of January 2025).
Permanent Collection
The galleries displaying the permanent collection are organized in mostly chronological order from Dalí’s early works to many from later in his life. There are 96 oil paintings as well as over 100 watercolors and drawings. Other types of works total over 1,300. 7 of his 18 masterworks are on display, the most of any museum in the world.
We opted not to use the audio guide and went through the galleries just to admire the work. We also were able to enjoy a 3D virtual reality experience, Dreams of Dalí, which explores his painting Archaeological Reminiscence of Millet’s “Angelus”.
Temporary Exhibit
During our visit, a temporary exhibit, Dalí & Schiaparelli, displayed works by fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973) that were inspired by Dalí. Other than some interesting dresses, there were a few famous sculptures by Dalí on exhibit.
Garden at the Dalí
Finally, a garden outside the back of the museum features a sculpture of the artist’s signature mustache, a bench with a melting clock, and other interesting elements.
Florida Holocaust Museum
The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg is an important place to visit if you’re in the area. One of the largest holocaust museums in the country, it’s a moving and educational experience for all.
The museum, which was founded in 1992 by Holocaust survivors Walter and Edith Lobenberg, is located in downtown St. Petersburg. Adult admission is US$20 (as of February 2024) and includes an audioguide. It’s open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 5pm except for major holidays. (Note: the museum is closed through Spring 2025 for construction.)
History, Heritage, and Hope
The first floor of the museum is dedicated to the permanent collection, History, Heritage, and Hope. It starts with a history of antisemitism around the world. Next, it delves into the daily lives of Jews in Germany before World War II, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, and the increasing systematic persecution.
The exhibit continues with a section about concentration camps and killing centers, and another about current genocides occurring in the world. There’s also a room where you can watch moving interviews with Holocaust survivors.
The exhibit finishes with an actual boxcar from Gdynia, Poland, resting on original tracks from the Treblinka extermination camp. Interpretive panels tell stories about how Jews were transported on boxcars to concentration camps. On the wall behind the boxcar are hundreds of photos of those who perished in the Holocaust.
Temporary Exhibitions
The upper floors of the museum are used for temporary exhibitions on various subjects. During my visit, the second floor displayed haunting artwork by Murray Zimiles depicting events of the Holocaust as well as his Book of Fire.
On the third floor, a few important items from the permanent collection were on display. There was also an exhibit of woodcarvings titled Kaddish in Wood by Dr. Herbert Savel. Savel took photos of children killed in the Holocaust and created colorful woodcarvings of them. Only 130 are on display in the Florida Holocaust Museum, but he has created hundreds.
Our Thoughts on the Florida Holocaust Museum
We highly recommend spending a couple hours at the Florida Holocaust Museum. It’s extremely well done and informative. I also believe that anyone visiting the museum will walk away with a better understanding of the Holocaust and why we can never forget the terrible things that happened.
Sunken Gardens
The Sunken Gardens are a four-acre botanical garden located in St. Petersburg. They’re one of the oldest roadside tourist attractions in the country, and a great place to take a leisurely stroll.
The gardens are located north of downtown in the Old Northeast neighborhood. They’re open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4:30pm and from noon to 4:30pm on Sundays. Admission is US$15 for adults, US$12 for seniors 62+, US$6 for kids age 2-12, and free for kids under 2 (as of January 2025). Free parking is available in front of the entrance.
History of the Sunken Gardens
The Sunken Gardens were planted in 1903 by George Turner Sr., a plumber and gardener who purchased the site. There was a shallow lake sitting below sea level that Turner drained, giving the garden its name. In the beginning, Turner planted exotic plants and fruit trees, including papaya and citrus trees.
By the 1920s he was selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plants, as well as charging visitors a nickel to walk through the gardens. In 1935, he put up a large fence around the gardens and began charging a quarter for admission. Turner died in 1961 and his sons took over, eventually selling the Sunken Gardens to the city for US$2.26 million.
Plants at the Sunken Gardens
The gardens contain over 50,000 plants and flowers made up of more than 500 species of tropical and subtropical plants from around the world. Waterfalls and ponds are located on the property, as well as a Japanese garden and cactus garden among others.
Birds at the Sunken Gardens
A collection of 20 Chilean flamingos were added to the Sunken Gardens in 2016. They joined the 2 original flamingos from the flock of 17 brought to the gardens in 1956. Other birds, including talking parrots, live in cages along the paths.
Events at the Sunken Gardens
The Sunken Gardens are a popular place for weddings, and a few different programs are offered for children and adults, including photography and horticulture.
