Henry B. Plant Museum

Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosUnited States2-10 Employees

The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, now a National Historic Landmark. During the 1880’s, Henry Bradley Plant was building an empire of railroads, steamships and hotels. He wanted that empire to have a palace and that palace was the Tampa Bay Hotel. The hotel was built by Plant personally, not investors, at a cost of $2,500,000 and an additional $500,000 for furnishings. I

The building was bought by the city in 1904 after the death of Henry Plant in 1899. It operated as a hotel until 1932. In 1933, the Tampa Municipal Museum was established in the south wing of the first floor in order to preserve the legacy of the Tampa Bay Hotel. The remainder of the building, as well as the property, became home to The University of Tampa. The Tampa Municipal Museum became the Henry B. Plant Museum in 1974. Since then, its mission has been to interpret the Tampa Bay Hotel at the turn-of-the-century and the Victorian lifestyles of America’s Gilded Age for people of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of interest. The Museum seeks to transport the visitor through educational exhibits and events to the late Victorian period, the beginning of Florida’s tourist industry, and the early years of the city of Tampa. 

The staff of the Henry B. Plant Museum is experienced, well-educated professionals who continually strive to stay current with the changing trends in the museum field. The Board of Trustees is comprised of a diverse group of community leaders who are selected by the Mayor of Tampa and the President of The University of Tampa. One Trustee is an employee or officer of the City, and one Trustee is an employee or official of the University. Together, the staff and board have made the Henry B. Plant Museum an accredited; award-winning Museum that proudly serves the cultural community of Tampa Bay and visitors from around the world.

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