Spring Break at the History Center

Looking for a Spring Break filled with fun and discovery? Register now for our week-long spring break camp, Tampa's Urban Treasures.
Kids will travel by Tampa's streetcar and water taxi to explore some of downtown Tampa's unique treasures, including the Tampa Theatre, Plant Museum, Ybor City Streetcar Depot, the Port of Tampa and much more. They'll wrap up their week of adventure by making a scrapbook of all the places they visited. Tampa's Urban Treasures will be a spring break they'll never forget!

Spring break camp is open to children in grades 3 to 5 and runs Monday, April 12th through Friday, April 16th from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Tampa's Urban Treasures is $150 for non-members/ $135 for TBHC members. Extended care is available from 8 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 5:30 p.m. for an additional fee of $15. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, contact Jennifer Tyson at (813) 675-8960.

Tampa Sports History, 3/23/65

This week 45 years ago, golfing legend Arnold Palmer returned to Tampa for the second consecutive year to play an exhibition at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club. This time, his opponent would be 1964 Western Open champion Chi-Chi Rodriguez.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the March 26 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Tampa Sports History, Interview with Peter Anderson

Peter Anderson, a native of London, England, came to the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1978 via a trade with the San Diego Shockers of the North American Soccer League. The midfielder played three seasons with the Rowdies and was a major contributor to the team's back-to-back appearances in the league's Soccer Bowl championship games in 1978 and 1979. In March 1980, Anderson scored the game-winning goal in the NASL indoor season championship against Memphis. Today, Anderson serves as president and CEO of Bayshore Technologies in Tampa. He recently sat down to talk about his soccer career and memories of the Rowdies. 

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the March 19 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

History Center Teams Up With the Tampa Bay Rays

Don your best Rays gear and head over to the Tampa Bay History Center as they team up with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, March 27th, to celebrate the History Center’s traveling exhibit Shades of Greatness: Art Inspired by Negro Leagues Baseball.
Join Raymond and the Rays street team from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. as you swing for the fences in the Ray’s batting cages, slide into the History Center’s kids craft area, or play ball on our Nintendo Wii consoles. Plus, throughout the day you can register to win free giveaways from the Rays and the Tampa Bay History Center.

In the Museum Store, Art Keeble will sign copies of his new book, Baseball Was My Life: Stories from West Tampa from 2 to 4 p.m.

Any visitors sporting Tampa Bay Rays gear will receive $2.00 off admission to the Tampa Bay History Center.

Activities include:

 Rays Batting Cages
 Skee Ball
 Book Signing
 Kids Crafts and Activities
 Giveaways
 Special Discounts

Activities in Cotanchobee Park are free. Regular admission rates to the History Center apply. Patrons wearing Tampa Bay Rays apparel will receive a $2.00 discount, which cannot be combined with other offers. Kids’ activities are free with paid museum admission.
For more information, visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org or call 813-228-0097.

Why do they call it that? Pasco County and Crystal River | WTSP.com 10 Connects/Tampa Bay History Center

Why do they call it that? The Tampa Bay History Center knows why:
Why do they call it that? Pasco County and Crystal River Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota WTSP.com 10 Connects

This Weekend at the Tampa Bay History Center: Baseball Was My Life and Florida Conversations

There are two great events happening this weekend at the History Center.

First, on Saturday, March 20th, join authors Art Keeble and Mary Jo Melone for a book signing in the Museum Store from noon until 4:00 p.m. The pair will sign copies of their new book, Baseball Was My Life: Stories From West Tampa.

From Al Lopez to Lou Piniella to Dave Magadan, Fred McGriff, Tino Martinez, and Luis Gonzalez, baseball put West Tampa on the map. Baseball Was My Life tells this story. The book provides a glimpse of the richness of Tampa's baseball traditions, with a further look at the city's celebrated high school coaches, the Tampa Smokers and Belmont Heights Little League.

Art Keeble is the Executive Director of the Hillsborough County Arts Council. Mary Jo Melone is a former St. Petersburg Times columnist. The pair will be available to chat about their multi-year effort to locate and interview local players and the history of baseball in the Tampa Bay area.

For more information, contact the Museum Store at (813) 675-8973.

Then, on Sunday, March 21st, the 2009-2010 season of Florida Conversations continues with a Chautauqua-style performance of Notes from Cross Creek: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings at Her Salty Best by Betty Jean Steinshouer at 3:00 pm in TECO Hall.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was a Pulitzer-winning author who lived in rural Cross Creek, Florida, and wrote novels and stories focusing on rural themes and settings, including The Yearling and Cross Creek.

Betty Jean Steinshouer has portrayed Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings on the Chautauqua circuit since 1991. She has presented public humanities programs in 43 states over the past twenty years.

The series is co-sponsored by the USF Libraries Florida Studies Center and the Tampa Bay History Center and is free and open to the public. For more information, contact the Tampa Bay History Center at (813)228-0097.

History Center Shares ‘A Little History’ With Kids

The Tampa Bay History Center continues its preschoolers’ program, A Little History, on Saturday, March 13th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

This month’s theme will be Stawberries! As Plant City gears up for the annual Strawberry Festival, prepare to celebrate at the Tampa Bay History Center as little ones enjoy hands-on games, activities and sing-alongs. Kids will have a “berry” special time learning about the history and impact of strawberries on our local area in a tasty way.

A Little History is open to children ages 3 to 5 with an adult companion. Programs are held one Saturday per month from 10-11:30 a.m. Each program is $10.00 per child and $6.00 per adult. Fees do not include admission into the History Center galleries. Members of the Tampa Bay History Center receive a $2.00 discount for both children and adults. One adult must accompany every two children. Space is limited, pre-registration is required.
For more information on A Little History, contact the History Center’s Assistant Curator of Education, Jennifer Tyson, at (813) 675-8960 or, download a registration form.

Upcoming dates and themes for A Little History:
April 17 Junior Archaeologists

May 15 Museum Mysteries

Tampa Sports History, 3/3/85

This week 25 years ago, the Tampa Bay Bandits ran into one of the hottest players in all of the USFL: Jim Kelly. The Houston Gamblers' quarterback came into town just one week after setting the league's single-game all-time passing yardage mark (574 yards). Could the Bandits find a way to stop Kelly and his team's explosive offense?

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the March 5 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.

Tampa Bay History Center Announces Winners of 2010 Hillsborough County History Fair

More than 200 middle and high school students from Hillsborough County’s public and private schools participated in this year’s Hillsborough County History Fair. Students competed in one of five categories: documentary, website, performance, exhibit, and research paper. Winners advance to the state competition in Tallahassee. This year’s theme is Innovation in History: Impact and Change.

The 2010 Florida History Fair winners are:

SENIOR DIVISION

Individual Documentary
1st Arnel Garcesa King High School

2nd Jacqueline Feliciano Leto High School

3rd Jousling Vazquez, Tampa Bay Tech

Group Performance

1st Cassie McKenzie & Amy Mildebrath, Alonso High School

2nd Megan Lozicki, Katie Sibson, Alex Goodman, Amanda Banning, Shannon Russo; Berkeley Preparatory

Individual Exhibition

1st Sara Samaha, Tampa Bay Tech

Group Exhibition

1st  Fahad Syed , Hurara Khan Tampa Bay Tech

2nd Steven Echeverria, Juan Brand Tampa Bay Tech

Paper

1st Amy Cheng* King High School
*Patrick Riordan Prize in Florida History Nominee

2nd Olivia Franzblau Berkeley Preparatory

3rd Matt Sheets Berkeley Preparatory

JUNIOR DIVISION

Individual Documentary

1st Andrea Szikszay, Farnell Middle School

2nd Alec Orosco, Farnell Middle School

3rd (tie) Ryan Shikarpuri, Berkeley Preparatory

Christopher Yepez, Buchanan Middle School

Group Documentary

1st Sean Hand & Kelsyn Dellanini, Martinez Middle School

2nd Alyssa Freiermuht & Megan Burbach, Farnell Middle School

3rd Gabby Reimer & Katie Wolf, Carrollwood Day School

Individual Performance

1st Kathryn Morel, Farnell Middle School

2nd Kelsey Rodgers, Progress Village Middle Magnet School

3rd Ryan Crowe, Farnell Middle School

Group Performance

1st Heather Berto, Elaine Hou, Shreya Chidarala, Katya Marlowe, Young Middle Magnet School

2nd Gianna Lathery, Taylor Amore, Bekah Guajardo, Kendall Schmucker, Farnell Middle School

3rd Amanda Miller, Erica Snelling, Hannah Reda, Farnell Middle School

Individual Website

1st Lindsey Mosby, Martinez Middle School

2nd Samantha Owen, Farnell Middle School

3rd Nathanael Pun, Carrollwood Day School

Group website

1st Claire Scoufis, Kelly Murphy, Farnell Middle School

2nd Maddox Corcoran, Connor Wulf, Farnell Middle School

3rd Megan Manaluk, Morgan Phillips, Brandi Griffin, Nataly Capote-Torres,  Martinez Middle School

Individual Exhibition

1st Christine Cooper, Farnell Middle School

2nd Summer Silveus, Coleman Middle School

3rd Avery Gaxha, Coleman Middle School

Group Exhibition

1st Barnett LaVielle, Zach Thompson, Coleman Middle School


2nd Jarrett Wise-Spratt, Chuan Simmons, Turkey Creek Middle School

3rd Hannah Crall, Madi Gemmill, Farnell Middle School

Paper


1st Alexis Gonsalves, Farnell Middle School

2nd James Orso*, Tomlin Middle School
* Patrick Riordan Prize in Florida History Nominee

3rd Haley Cruzado, Tomlin Middle School

Held annually, the Hillsborough County History Fair is sponsored and coordinated by the Tampa Bay History Center.

How did Plant City get its name? What does Weeki Wachee mean? | WTSP.com 10 Connects and the Tampa Bay History Center

How did Plant City get its name? What does Weeki Wachee mean?

Our Saunders Foundation Curator of History, Rodney Kite-Powell, answers the question, "Why do they call it that?"

Tampa Sports History, 2/27/75

This week 35 years ago, the University of Tampa board of trustees voted to eliminate the school's football program forever. Faced with rising costs and lack of administrative support, the last-minute "S.O.S." campaign to "Save Our Spartans" came up short of their goal.

To read more, check out the Tampa Sports History blog, or the February 26 print edition of La Gaceta newspaper.