The 5 Best Museums in Tampa, Florida

An oft-visited relic of World War II, the SS American Victory is a symbol of national pride and a favorite amongst locals and tourists alike. The museum is situated inside the warship itself, docked permanently at Tampa Bay as a floating time machine that catapults you into her perfectly preserved past. You can book private tours through the official Tampa Bay visitors’ website or opt to guide yourself through all nine decks of incredible exhibits including cargo holds, mess halls, and the captain’s quarters. Visiting the Mariner’s Memorial is a rare opportunity to admire up close the artifacts of a gone-but-not-forgotten time.

Ybor City (pronounced “ee-bore”) is a historic Tampa Bay neighborhood rich in culture and cuisine. A remnant from Tampa’s antiquated cigar industry, Ybor is a city stuck in time that to this day continues to showcase its Cuban, Italian and Spanish roots, partly via this museum. The actual museum is housed inside the historic Ferlita Bakery (the ovens of which are part of the museum displays) and the visitors’ center is a square patio strung with glowing paper lanterns and accompanied by vibrant music. If you’re fascinated by the Latin community and want to know more about its past, then this is the museum for you.

A staple in the art world, the Tampa Museum of Art offers an emulsion of different visual mediums packed into a spacious, generously lit museum. The exhibits are consistently updated and kept in rotation, which makes the collections diverse and highly appealing. For example, the current exhibit on display, “In Living Color,” pays homage to the legendary Andy Warhol and celebrates his contemporary printmaking. The museum also boasts an impressive permanent collection of sculptures and paintings created by artists both renowned and unknown. An obvious choice if you love art, but exhibitions are so creatively and interestingly put together than even those who don’t know their Warhol from their Pollack will still enjoy themselves.