Salvador Dali Museum

The Dali Museum is located next to the USF St. Petersburg campus and displays several of Dali’s works, including oil paintings and sculptures. The Dali Museum is, much like the artist, unlike any other.

“We have the largest collection in the world. The only other place to find this many of his works is in his hometown in Spain, where he is also buried. The other museums have a couple of pieces. We have a total of 94 oil paintings,” said Lois Lukas, a sales associate at the Dali Museum.

This year, the Dali Museum is participating in the Year of Dali, a worldwide celebration of the centennial of Dali’s birth. In honor of the anniversary, the museum is hosting an exhibition called Dali Centennial: An American Collection, which, according to the Dali Museum Web site, opened in January and runs through September 26.

“This is the Year of Dali and it is being celebrated by cultural institutions around the world. At the Dali Museum, we have mounted a spectacular exhibition of paintings, sculptures and works on paper arranged with didactic kiosks to inform the visitor about the artist, his community and era,” said Hank Hine, executive director of the Dali Museum.

Admission to the museum is $13, but students with ID can get in for $7.

“When students come they should go on a tour. It’s in the price and it makes the whole thing make that much more sense. He is one of the greatest artists ever,” Lukas said.

Other events include Summer of the Fame and Shame of Dali, a two-hour film the museum will show this month. Part one will show Tuesday, May 25 and part two will be shown Thursday, May 27. There is also a poetry event that is $10 on June 11.

Henry B. Plant Museum

On the campus of the University of Tampa lies what used to be the Tampa Bay Hotel. This historic landmark is known as the Henry B. Plant Museum.

“The Tampa Bay Hotel has always been an icon. It was and to this day remains the crown jewel of Tampa,” said Sally Shifke of museum relations.

The hours of the museum make it an easy place to volunteer or visit, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“There is no admission fee, but there is, however, a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under,” Shifke said.

“What sets us apart from other museums in the area is that we are lifestyle museum. When you walk in our doors, you experience life as if it were 1891,” Shifke said.

The different setting and time period, she said, seem to sweep away the stress and strain of life.

“For many people, the museum is just what the doctor ordered,” Shifke said.

Tampa Museum of Art

Located off of North Ashley Drive is another museum that attracts many visitors — the Tampa Museum of Art. This museum contains 20th century and contemporary art along with both Greek and Roman antiquities. The museum changes its special exhibits frequently to keep visitors interested and returning.

The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum also extends its hours to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month.

Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for students with ID and free for kids under 6 years old.