Tampa, FL — Tampa Bay area residents who want to learn more about the Cigar City’s past are invited to celebrate the community’s big 129th birthday on Friday.
The Tampa Bay History Center is pulling out the stops during a celebration that runs from noon until 5 p.m. Visitors who stop by the 801 Old Water St. history center will gain free admission throughout the event.
At 3 p.m., “Remembering Tampa’s Latino Past: Memory and History Across Generations” will take place. The panel discussion will be moderated by Dr. Sarah McNamara and is included with the free admission. Panelists include the University of South Florida’s Drs. Gary Mormino and Susan Greenbaum; Rodney Kite-Powell, the history center’s curator; Andrew Huse, the special collections librarian; and the Honorable E.J. Salcines.
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Tampa residents who are scratching their heads in disbelief the city is only 129 years young as of July 15 do have reason for the confusion, Manny Leto, the history center’s director of marketing said.
“Tampa was actually established, incorporated, dissolved and re-incorporated several times between the 1830s and its current charter in 1887,” Leto explained.
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The history center features a number of permanent exhibits dedicated to Tampa Bay’s past. Admission is normally $12.95 for adults and $10.95 for children ages 13 to 17 and students with ID. Seniors and kids 4 to 12 get a discount. Children under 3 are free.
To find out more about the center, visit its website.
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Photo courtesy of the City of Tampa’s Facebook page
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