THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER

THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER, INC. (TBHC) WAS INCORPORATED AS THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, INC. ITS NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1993 TO BETTER REFLECT ITS MISSION AND PURPOSE. TBHC WAS ORGANIZED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING FACILITIES FOR INTERPRETATION OF MATERIALS AND ARTIFACTS OF AREA HISTORY; TO FOSTER DISSEMINATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF AREA HISTORY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS; AND TO ENCOURAGE AN INTEREST IN HISTORY THROUGH COOPERATION WITH OTHER HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)TBHC IS A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA THAT SEEKS TO PRESERVE AND TEACH THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA. TBHC IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION AND IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE CITY OF TAMPA.AN ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE HISTORY CENTER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA - FUNDED BY AN ENDOWMENT. THE ENDOWMENT'S INCOME UNDERWRITES PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED JOINTLY BY TBHC AND THE FLORIDA STUDIES CENTER BASED AT THE USF LIBRARY. OTHER EDUCATION PARTNERS INCLUDE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE.TBHC'S THREE FLOORS OF MUSEUM GALLERIES AND THREE THEATER EXPERIENCES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FROM 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M., SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK, 363 DAYS PER YEAR. CONTENT PRESENTED FOCUSES ON 12,000 YEARS OF REGIONAL AND FLORIDA HISTORY, INCLUDING: NATIVE GROUPS THAT LIVED ALONG FLORIDA'S WEST COAST FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS; A VIRTUAL TOUR OF SIGNIFICANT REGIONAL LANDMARKS; EVENTS THAT WERE CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE IN THE REGION, FOCUSING ON CIVIL RIGHTS, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT; MILITARY HISTORY; CONQUISTADORS, PIRATES AND SHIPWRECKS; A MAP GALLERY WHICH PRESENTS ROTATING EXHIBITIONS OF MAPS, CHARTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS DATING BACK MORE THAN 500 YEARS; AND, MORE.TBHC'S GALLERIES FEATURE CONTENT RELATED TO THE REGION'S MANY AND DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING: EARLY SPANISH EXPLORERS; THE ITALIAN, CUBAN, SPANISH AND OTHER IMMIGRANTS WHO FOUNDED SIGNIFICANT INDUSTRIES AND NEIGHBORHOODS; FLORIDA NATIVE GROUPS INCLUDING THE TOCOBAGA, TIMUCUA AND SEMINOLE TRIBES; PIONEER SETTLERS; BLACK HISTORY; EARLY EUROPEAN EXPLORERS AND OTHERS. SEVERAL OF TBHC'S EXHIBIT TEXTS ARE PRESENTED IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.YOUTH ADVENTURE CAMPS: THESE THEMED CAMPS INCLUDE CREATIVE ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM, INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS, ARTS AND CRAFTS, GAMES, MUSIC, LITERATURE, SPLASH PARK FUN AND INTERACTION WITH HISTORIANS, ARTIFACTS AND OTHER EXPERTS. CAMPS ARE LED BY EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS DEDICATED TO PROVIDING UNIQUE AND ENGAGING HISTORY LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR CAMPERS. TBHC OFFERED FOUR ONE-WEEK CAMPS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025.SCHOOL STUDENT TOUR PROGRAMS: LED BY TRAINED DOCENTS, SCHOOL STUDENTS AND SCOUTS ARE PROVIDED WITH AGE-SPECIFIC, TARGETED EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM GALLERIES TO ENGAGE THEM IN EXPERIENTIAL AND HANDS-ON LEARNING ABOUT LOCAL AND REGIONAL HISTORY. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, 141 STUDENT TOURS WERE CONDUCTED, SERVING 10,592 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS.SCHOOL OUTREACH/HISTORY-TO-GO-KITS: HISTORY-TO-GO KITS OFFER ENGAGING, PRIMARY SOURCE-BASED ACTIVITIES THAT HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR HISTORICAL THINKING SKILLS. FILLED WITH CULTURAL ARTIFACTS, HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER LEARNING MATERIALS, KITS ARE DEVELOPED BY A TEAM OF EDUCATORS AND DESIGNED TO HELP TEACHERS MEET FLORIDA EDUCATION STANDARDS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. EACH KIT CONTAINS BACKGROUND INFORMATION, OBJECT DESCRIPTIONS AND LESSON PLANS FOR MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS AND LEARNING STYLES. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, HISTORY TO GO KITS SERVED 652 STUDENTS. AN ADDITIONAL 2,350 STUDENTS WERE SERVED THROUGH OTHER SCHOOL OUTREACH EVENTS, INCLUDING THE GREAT AMERICAN TEACH IN AND VIRTUAL EDUCATION TOURS.FLORIDA CONVERSATIONS, NELL WARD AND ANNUAL DUCKWALL LECTURE SERIES: THESE LECTURE PROGRAMS ARE TBHC'S INFORMAL LECTURE PROGRAMS LED BY TOP SCHOLARS, WRITERS AND ARTISTS. THE PRESENTATIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND EXPLORE EVERYTHING FROM HISTORY, ART AND ARCHITECTURE TO POLITICS, ARCHAEOLOGY AND LITERATURE. TBHC HOSTED EIGHT LECTURE PROGRAMS DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025.SENIOR ADULT CONTINUING EDUCATION CLASSES: IN COOPERATION WITH UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S OSHER LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE (OLLI), TBHC OFFERS MULTI-MEETINGS SESSION FOR SENIORS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THE COURSES ARE LED BY UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, SCHOLARS WITH EXPERTISE IN CERTAIN AREAS AND LOCAL RESIDENTS WITH SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE OF TAMPA BAY. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, NINE DAYS OF OLLI COURSES WERE OFFERED, SERVING 84 SENIORS.HISTORY KREWE COMMUNITY OUTREACH: TBHC'S "HISTORY KREWE" IS A TEAM OF TBHC VOLUNTEER DOCENTS, WHO PROVIDE COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY TRAVELING TO LOCAL EVENTS, FAIRS, TRADE SHOWS AND OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS, TO BRING TBHC HISTORY EDUCATION AND INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC, BEYOND THE WALLS OF THE MUSEUM. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE HISTORY KREWE PROVIDED 35 FREE EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS TO THE PUBLIC, REACHING 298 INDIVIDUALS.HISTORY WALKING TOURS: HISTORY WALKING TOURS OF HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT NEIGHBORHOODS IN TAMPA ARE LED BY TBHC TRAINED GUIDES AND OFFER EDUCATION AND INSIGHT TO TAMPA'S MOST HISTORICAL AND STORIED REGIONS. DURING FISCAL YEAR 2025, 27 INDIVIDUAL TOURS WERE PROVIDED, SERVING 353 PARTICIPANTS.