ICYMI: Free Museum Day 2016 Where to Go in Tampa Bay

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Residents throughout the Tampa Bay area and beyond will get a chance to check out some of the Gulf Coast’s most popular museums at no cost this Saturday, Sept. 24. That’s the day venues across the country open their doors at no charge during Smithsonian magazine’s Museum Day Live event.

All visitors to participating museums need to do to take advantage of the offer is print out tickets online from the Smithsonian’s website. Each ticket is good for admission for two people and is valid only for the museum selected. Participants are allowed only one set of tickets.

The Tampa Bay History Center is a regular participant in the annual event. It usually pulls out the stops to have living history reenactors on hand to bring history to life for visitors. This year is no different.

According to the history center, World War I reenactors will be at the museum Saturday "in recognition of the 100th anniversary of America's involvement in that conflict." In addition, the center's current traveling exhibit, "Preserving Eden: The Florida Photographs of Clyde Butcher," will be on display.

Museum Day Live “is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine,” the event’s website explains.

The following museums in the Tampa Bay area are taking part in this year’s event:

St. Petersburg

• Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive, N.E.
• The Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 Fifth St. S.
• Florida CraftArt, 501 Central Ave.

Tampa

• Cracker Country, 4800 Highway 301 N.
• Tampa Bay History Center, 801 Old Water St.
• Tampa Museum of Art, 120 W. Gasparilla Plaza
• Ybor City Museum State Park, 1818 E. 9th Avenue
• Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
• Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 400 N. Ashley Drive, Cube 200

Sarasota

• The Ringling, 5401 Bay Shore Road

Bradenton

• South Florida Museum, 201 10th St. W.

Tarpon Springs

• Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road

Lakeland

• Polk Museum of Art, 800 E. Palmetto St.
• Explorations V Children’s Museum, 109 N. Kentucky Ave.

Largo

• Armed Forces History Museum, 2050 34th Way N.

Dunedin

• Dunedin Historical Museum, 349 Main St.

For more information on Museum Day Live or to get free tickets, visit Smithsonian magazine online.

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center