Culture

The curtain rises throughout the Tampa Bay Area and unveils a spectacular array of performances, from world-class theater and dance, to operas and symphonies.

It's Showtime

Located on nine acres along the banks of the Hillsborough River, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, a four-theater complex, hosts star-studded performances, opera, ballet, orchestral and pop concerts and cutting-edge theater.  For complete performance schedules, call (813) 222-1001.

The Sound of Music

Led by Music Director Stefan Sanderling, the Florida Orchestra (813-286-2403) is one of the best regional orchestras in America, noted for its Masterworks series, featuring the works of Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and more. If you’re in town for the holidays, don’t miss the New Year’s Eve Gala, including a midnight champagne toast at the opulent Renaissance Vinoy Hotel in St. Petersburg. The Orchestra also offers the Coffee Concerts series and Raymond James Super Pops featuring guest conductors and artists.

Center Stage

Tampa offers samplings of independent works in intimate settings at Gorilla Theatre (813-879-2914) and Stageworks (813-258-6757), with passionate and provocative theater. And the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center showcases Jobsite Theater (813-229-7827) and Center Theater Company (813-229-7827).

Sarasota Sights and Sounds

For more than 12 years, under the artistic direction of Robert de Warren, the Sarasota Ballet (941-351-8000) has presented a wide spectrum of dance styles, maturing to become a highly distinctive company.

Simply Symphonic

The Tampa Bay Symphony (727-319-8383) features concerts ranging from classical music to show tunes. Both organizations perform at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Mahaffey Theater and Ruth Eckerd Hall. Call for specific performance dates.

The Main Stage

American Stage (727-823-7529) is St. Petersburg’s resident professional company that produces both an adult Mainstage series and children’s theater.

It's Showtime

The Mahaffey Theater for the Performing Arts (727-892-5798) is located in downtown St. Petersburg in the Bayfront Center, which provides a magnificent environment for a wide variety of concerts and exciting performances. On-site is the St. Petersburg Times Arena and historic Coliseum featuring an eclectic mix of festivals and shows.

Encore, Encore!

For more than two decades, Ruth Eckerd Hall (Clearwater; 727-791-7400) has drawn everything from classical virtuosi and country crooners to Broadway shows and pop concerts. The venue also hosts the Florida Orchestra and Miami City Ballet, plus world-renowned companies.

The Heart of Tampa

Tampa Museum of Art (600 N. Ashley Drive; 813-274-8130) possesses a stellar collection of antiquities with more than 400 objects ranging from the neolithic to the Roman imperial era. There’s also an impressive collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century sculpture, and modern paintings from Rockwell Kent, Abraham Walkowitz and Ralph Goings, as well as rare daguerrotypes and contemporary photography.

The Soul of Tampa

No visit to the city would be complete without a stop at the Henry B. Plant Museum (813-254-1891). The museum is housed in the railroad magnate’s 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, now a National Historic Landmark and part of the University of Tampa. A visit to the museum will whisk you back to Florida’s Gilded Age, a magical time when wealth was beyond even today’s imaginings. The hotel held a unique position in the Spanish-American War, quartering Teddy Roosevelt and his famous “Rough Riders.”

The Center of History

The Tampa Bay History Center (225 S. Franklin St.; 813- 228-0097) offers a glimpse into the fascinating heritage of the region. Take a peek behind the scenes of a regional history museum and learn about collecting, preserving, interpreting and exhibiting artifacts. The Center enriches our community and nurtures a greater appreciation for Tampa culture and history. Call for more information and hours of operation.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry (813-987-6300) shows just how much fun science can be. Here, visitors of all ages can experience a 75-mph hurricane and navigate a Challenger space flight simulator among the more than 450 interactive exhibits featured. And the ever-popular Kid’s City — Children’s Museum of Tampa (813-935-8441) specializes in educational exhibits and miniature towns for hours of child-sized play.

The Greatest Show on Earth

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (941-351-1660), located in Sarasota, has 21 galleries featuring significant holdings in European, American and non-Western art, with masterpieces from the seventeenth-century Baroque period. This 66-acre complex is the legacy of John Ringling, a partner in the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Vision Quest

The prominent Gulf Coast Museum of Art (727-518-6833), a collecting, exhibiting and teaching institution, opened its Largo facility in the fall of 1999.

Botanical Gardens

The Florida Botanical Gardens (727-582-2200), in Pinewood Cultural Park, presents contemporary works by Florida artists and American fine crafts from the Southeast. Also featured are ongoing studio classes, Master Artist workshops, lectures, film programs, special events and more.

Remembering the Past

The Florida Holocaust Museum (727-820-0100), located in St. Petersburg, is the fourth largest Holocaust museum in the nation and is dedicated to advancing public awareness, education and understanding of the Holocaust, and honoring the memory of millions of innocent people who suffered, struggled and died as a result of this atrocious event in history. Through a collection of photographs, testimonies and historical artifacts, visitors are presented with a comprehensive core exhibit.

St. Petersburg's Fabulous Four

The Florida International Museum (727-822-3693) presents visitors with “Baseball in America,” as well as “Game Faces: Portraits of Baseball Players from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.” A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum showcases rotating national and international exhibits. Melting stopwatches, maurauding ants and stilt-legged elephants are well represented at The Salvador Dali’ Museum (1000 3rd Street South; 727-823-3767), one of the world’s premier showcases for the famed Spanish surrealist painter. The Museum of Fine Arts (727-896-2667) houses a collection of French Impressionist paintings and art from around the world, and offers educational programs and a series of chamber music recitals. And the St. Petersburg Museum of History (727-894-1052) features more than 30,000 objects and archival items that explore the history of the Pinellas Peninsula and its people, as well as the history of aviation in Florida.

Bravo

Largo Cultural Center: Since opening nearly a decade ago, the Cultural Center has been dedicated to providing high-quality entertainment at reasonable prices to the community. Our resident theatre company, Eight O'Clock Theatre, named “Best of the Bay” by Tampa Bay Magazine and Weekly Planet, offers multiple productions throughout the year. The Largo Lion's Club, Suncoast Singers, West Florida Ballet and Florida Gulf Coast Ballet all call the Largo Cultural Center home for their special events.