This is a wonderful insight into a frenetic time in Floridian history: The opening up of the state and the excitement of opportunity. The museum recreates a sense of the old hotel, with European artefacts haphazardly scattered about the cloisters and rooms. The building itself is a creative mix of architectural styles and the museum gives an insightful appraisal of the design and history of the iconic building.

This is a lovely place to visit with easy parking. They do not have an actual guide but you can scan a QR code and download/listen on your phone. The antiques are very nice, a few rooms seemed as though the items had been thrown into them. the building also functions as an academic building and I was really amazed that the gorgeous staircases and carpet are in such great shqpe!

I decided to wander through this museum while I had some free time from a conference, and I was glad I did so! This museum is a National Historic Landmark and still has all of the actual furnishings from when this museum was a functional hotel, and it was a great way to get a glimpse into the hotel business from a century ago. I loved the exhibit about musical instruments, as well as the gardens and the writing room. The hotel mainly served elite guests, and the furnishings and overall ambiance really reflect that upper-echelon world. It's the type of building that you'd expect to see in Newport, but is also a great and living testament to Florida's history.

We experienced the museum during family weekend at the university. We used the audio tour with our cell phones and found it very helpful. We were introduced to the history of Henry Plant, society and social classes, along with the development of Tampa. The museum has done a wonderful job restoring the first floor wing of Plant hall to represent what the hotel looked like so many years ago. We would actually go back again because it was so educational and interesting.

This historic preservation of the Tampa Florida railroad resort that was billed later as "Florida's first Magic Kingdom." The museum highlights the architecture, the housing styles, the furniture, and all the activities that the guests enjoyed at this resort, the Tampa Bay Hotel. Even the lighting mimics the low light level from carbon filament bulbs. Many older venues are not wide enough to be wheelchair accessible, but the spacious rooms and architecture makes the venue accessible today. The 14 minute video gives a perfect backdrop for the tour of boudoir, kitchen, living rooms, dining room, and other living areas with period clothing, Christmas trees and decor, photographs. Beautiful dresses, toys, ornaments, and the history of the first US Christmas tree. The gift shop offers great vintage postcards among other period souvenirs. The free parking spaces reserved for the museum fill up fast and I parked off campus and walked.