The 114 acres of land that now make up Chinsegut Hill and its surrounding preserve were first owned by a Colonel Pearson in 1842. Ten years later Pearson sold the property and the home he had built there to Colonel Francis N. Ederington. Ederington’…

In 1946, Newton Perry and a group of investors made the decision to use Weeki Wachee as the site for their new attraction. Perry had previously been in the U.S. Navy and had experience training Navy Frogmen. This experience would lend itself well to…

The Safety Harbor Resort and Spa has been an attraction in the city since its earliest days. Currently, the spa serves as a relaxing getaway location for tourists, a wedding destination, and a recreational facility for local residents with a…

Visitors to Pinellas County’s oldest park, Philippe Park, are in for a treat. Along with beautiful scenic views of Tampa Bay guests can witness a Florida rarity: a hill! This is no natural hill, however. The Safety Harbor Site is a shell mound…

Located along the lovely Bayshore Boulevard, the Safety Harbor Museum and Cultural Center is a local hub of arts, culture, and history for the surrounding community. The museum is home to a permanent collection of artifacts relating to Safety…

When you think of places with deep and exciting histories, St. Petersburg, Florida may not be the first city in the world that spring to mind. Yet this is not due to a lack of local history, but rather a lack of public education on the topic. For…

Located inside the State Fairgrounds is a unique historical museum called Cracker Country.There you will find a charming variety of buildings that tell the story of Florida’s rural history, the Florida Crackers. The Terry Store was one of many…

Located in the heart of historic Pass-A-Grille is the quaint Gulf Beaches Historical Museum. This one of a kind museum has a history as fascinating as the artifacts inside. The Gulf Beaches Historical Museum was once the community church serving the…

With the spirit of the roaring twenties gripping the country, the building that is now known as the State Theatre was built in 1924 as The Alexander National Bank. Jacob Alexander commissioned architect Neel Reid to design the Beaux-Arts style 8,600…

The Vinoy Park hotel was first built in 1925 by Aymer Vinoy Laughner, a Pennsylvania billionaire. It took ten months to complete construction for this 375-room seasonal hotel, which provided a warm escape for wealthy northern visitors from December…