St. Petersburg Museum of History facts for kids
The St. Petersburg Museum of History (often called SPMOH) is a cool place in St. Petersburg, Florida. It teaches you all about the history of this area! As of 2020, the museum's director is Rui Farias.
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How the Museum Began
The museum was started in 1920 by a woman named Mary Wheeler Eaton. It was first called the St. Petersburg Memorial Historical Society. The city of St. Petersburg gave the group the land for the museum. This happened after a big storm, the 1921 Tampa Bay hurricane, destroyed an aquarium that was there before.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History is the oldest museum in Pinellas County. That means it has been around for a very long time!
What You Can Discover Inside
The museum's main goal is to collect, keep safe, and share the history and heritage of Florida. It especially focuses on St. Petersburg and the Pinellas peninsula.
The museum has lots of interesting things to see and do. They often have special exhibits that travel from other places. They also host fun evening events and invite guest speakers to share stories.
Amazing Collections
The St. Petersburg Museum of History has a huge collection of historical items. They have over 5,000 photos of the city and more than 32,000 artifacts. These include old pictures and important documents.
Some of the most famous items you can see are:
- A very large pair of pajamas that belonged to President William Howard Taft. He was a big man, and his pajamas show it!
- A full-sized copy of the Benoist XIV aircraft. This was an early airplane that was important in St. Petersburg's history.
- Reading glasses that belonged to George Armstrong Custer. He was a famous general from American history.
- The largest collection of signed baseballs in the world! This collection is so big, it's called "Little Cooperstown."
Recent Times and Future Plans
Like many places, the museum had to close for a while because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was closed from March 2020 until July 8, 2020. The pandemic also stopped actor Tom Hanks from coming to sign the 5,000th baseball in their collection.
The museum is planning to get even bigger! An artist named Ya La’ford is creating a cool metal sculpture. It's called Intersections and will wrap around the new part of the building.
