Looking for some culture with your Florida beach? St. Petersburg houses a number of treasured museums, ranging from whimsical to elegant.

By Stephen Rubino / New York Magazine

The Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg Photo: Courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

White sand beaches, a vibrant food scene, and plenty of outdoor activities are the ingredients of a picture-perfect Florida getaway, and are the reason why St. Pete is a popular destination for anyone seeking sunshine and warm weather. What visitors might not realize is that the city is also a cultural hub, with many unique museums, festivals, and street fairs celebrating fine art and local crafts. For New Yorkers who are used to museum-hopping on the weekend, a short flight south might make you feel right at home… if home were 80 degrees and sunny. When you’re looking to pair a beach vacation with some culture, make sure these locations are on your list.

The James Museum Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

Behind a striking sandstone facade facing Central Avenue, you’ll find the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, formed from the private collection of businessman Tom James and his wife, Mary. With a focus on Native American art and the history of the West, the museum uses historical depictions to build a timeline of the American West from the 1700s onward. The building’s exhibits use stark, minimalist interiors to evoke airy desert landscapes, and include rooms like the Jewel Box, an exhibit of Native American jewelry that mimics the inside of a geode. The museum has several ways to get an in-depth look at their collection, including artist talks, guided tours, and even live musical performances.

The Dali Museum Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

The Dalí Museum

Salvador Dalí is one of those rare artists with enough cachet to receive a museum dedicated to his work while he was still alive. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, friends and patrons of Dalí’s, brought their collection to St. Petersburg in 1982, and it now lives within an expressive glass-and-concrete building that’s a work of art in itself, a bulging, brilliant construction inspired by Dalí’s surrealist shapes. The museum houses the Center for the Avant-Garde, a library covering the history of surrealism and Dalí’s contemporaries. Don’t miss the ongoing exhibits in the Dalí Alive 360 Dome, the museum’s 360-degree projection bubble that hosts multisensory experiences, the museum’s whimsical gift store, or the Spanish tapas at the Cafe Gala.

Museum of Fine Arts Photo: Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg

Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg’s first museum is the landmarked Museum of Fine Arts, housed within an elegant building in North Straub Park, right on the bayfront. After visiting the nearby St. Pete’s pier and downtown, pop inside and you’ll find over 5,000 years of art and history, encompassing works from Asia, Africa, and the Americas, plus several well-known artists. Ancient art, modern masterpieces, and everything in between is held here, and the museum hosts a regular calendar of educational and hands-on events, like last year’s live restoration of a prized Jain shrine. Given the diversity of works, the Museum of Fine Arts is a great place to go with a group, whose interests and tastes cover a wide range of styles.

Imagine Museum

The St. Pete-Clearwater area is sometimes referred to as the Glass Coast, thanks to the area’s extensive number of glass studios, galleries, and museums. Imagine is one of the best places to see glass art, with a focus on contemporary studios. Imagine’s exhibits display a diverse number of styles, but the museum excels at interactive elements, plus they offer just $5 admission on Thursdays after 5PM. On the third Friday of each month, it hosts the Sunset Market, which features glassblowing demonstrations as well as live music and food trucks.

The Chihuly Collection Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

The Chihuly Collection

For another equally stunning collection of glasswork, stop by the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center. As perhaps the 20th century’s most celebrated glassworker, Dale Chihuly produced a huge number of large-scale works that show off his vibrant style. The Morean’s collection includes a 20-foot entryway sculpture designed especially for the center. If you’re interested in seeing the creation process live, or even making some art yourself, The Morean Arts Center has a glass blowing studio across the street from The Chihuly Collection.

The Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement

The Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement’s exterior is a striking, modern building, a form that belies the contents held inside. The Arts & Crafts Movement, a dominant aesthetic in early 20th-century American design, celebrated ornamentation and detail in everyday life, especially in trades such as woodwork, stained glass, and ceramics. You’ll get a sense for the “look” immediately upon entering, when you’ll likely spot the sizable Rookwood Ship Mural, made of 600 clay tiles, hanging above the museum store’s entrance. Most notable in this museum are the room recreations, showcasing period-specific decor in the context they were originally designed for. However, there is an enormous collection to explore here, including furniture, metalwork, and jewelry.

FloridaRAMA Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater/FloridaRAMA

FloridaRAMA

Part immersive art, part sculpture garden, and part escape room, FloridaRAMA is a visual feast that doesn’t take art too seriously. The darkened, black-lit space brings a retro-themed experience through work from over 80 artists in a multisensory play zone that’s perfect for all ages. Climb, play, and explore the space however you want, with optional scavenger hunts and mysterious narratives. The museum also hosts a traditional gallery that showcases local artists.

St. Petersburg Museum of History Photo: Courtesy of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

St. Petersburg Museum of History

An easy stroll from the Museum of Fine Arts is the St. Petersburg Museum of History, a treasure trove of regional history and archives. Exhibits skew towards local storytelling, like an exploration of St. Petersburg’s art scene over the decades and a visual look at the political history of Florida, but also encompass ancient art and a series on the history of air travel that includes a replica of a 1913 Benoist flying boat, celebrating the first-ever commercial air flight (between St. Pete and Tampa.) It’s an off-beat place (the world’s largest collection of signed baseballs and a pair of pajamas owned by William Howard Taft is also on display). A great time to visit is during one of its many events, like Happy Hour with the Historian, where visitors can learn about unique historical sagas over a glass of wine. The museum also offers guided walking tours and trolley tours of downtown St. Petersburg. After your visit, stop in for a waterfront meal at one of the St. Pete Pier’s waterfront restaurants, including Perry’s Porch.

Florida Holocaust Museum

Reopening this summer after a major renovation, the Florida Holocaust Museum is of three Holocaust Museums accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The institution has been chosen as the permanent home of the Elie Wiesel Collection, including the writer’s Nobel Prize, unfinished manuscripts, and photographs that have never before been seen by the public. In addition, the museum’s expansion will include the Danish rescue boat Thor, a fishing boat used to smuggle Holocaust refugees into neutral Sweden.