The Henry B Plant Museum is located in Tampa Florida and is a must-visit if you live anywhere near the University of Tampa. Plant was a great entrepreneur in the railroading industry who spent his entire life in the United States as a champions of industry. It’s also connected with a massive hotel in Florida which is absolutely worth visiting if you have the time. The architecture is a marvel to see and the museum itself is filled with incredible finds.
What is the Henry B. Plant Museum
The Henry B Plant Museum is a celebration of Henry Plant, who was one of the leaders of the railroad industry in the 1800s. It was also one of the first tourist attractions in Florida during the early 1900s that was a massive success. Not only will you learn about what was going on in the country during the time, but the wonderful exhibits give you a real sense of what life was like. There are constantly new exhibits that talk about souvenirs, wars, or even suites that used to be offered in the 19th century.
Where is theHenry B. Plant Museum
The Henry B. Plant Museum is located in Tampa, Florida. Tampa has its problems but it has one of the most beautiful and fun locations in the state. It’s southwest of Orlando and NorthWest of Miami, putting it in a unique spot when compared to the rest of the state. There are attractions that involve the NFL and NHL teams along with many different amusement parks. Tampa also has a lot of great beaches for those of you who may own a home there or are just visiting.
What can you do there?
The obvious thing to do at a place like this would be to visit all the attractions that this place has to offer. The exhibits are constantly rotating, and you’re going to learn a lot more here with the historic artifacts than you would in a classroom or a textbook. You can also go on tours to learn a perspective on what life must have been for the people who lived in the United States over a century ago. A lot of schools in the area also offer field trips for those of you who are interested in taking your history class there.
Opening hours
The museum is open at the same time each from 10AM-5PM. The one exception is Mondays, when the museum happens to be closed.
History of the Henry B. Plant Museum
Back when Henry B Plant had a booming business in the late 1800s, he decided to create the Tampa Bay Hotel. He was at the top in every other business he decided to venture in and he was looking excitedly at the booming hotel business. He wanted to create a luxury palace, one that everyone who stayed at the hotel could marvel at. The construction of the hotel cost $2,500,000 which was something unheard of at the time and this budget was also being spent with his own money and didn’t come from investors.
The building only took two years to complete from start to finish which was also a landmark achievement at the time. The palace was 6 acres big and over 500 rooms to offer. Henry B. wanted to offer more than just a fancy room or convenient room service. He wanted to offer services that would make the customer have every need in their life be taken care of. One of the services was a barber for men, while other services offered a grand salon and telegraph office for the customers. On top of this, he could take customers from Tampa to Cuba and even Jamaica.
Related questions
How many days is the Museum open? The museum is open every day from Tuesday to Sunday. Opening from 10AM to 5PM and is completely closed on Monday.
What exhibits are currently open? Currently, the Tampa Bay Casino, Exotic souvenirs, Spanish-American War, Parlor suites, Women and their pastimes, Writing and reading room, Grand Hallway, Hotel gardens, and sports exhibits are currently open.
How long will it take me to get there if I live near Tampa? The address is 401 W Kennedy BLVD, so if you live outside the city it’ll take you around 20-25 minutes to arrive. If you’re near the University of Tampa, it will probably take you less than 10 minutes.
Summary
The Henry B. Plant Museum is a fascinating place and definately worth the visit. It’s combination of great exhibits and wonderful period architecture makes it well worth the visit. So, if you’re a history junky like us, then you need to check out the Plant Museum today!
And after a long day at the musuem, there’s nothing quite as relaxing than taking a dip in your own private pool or a soak in the hot tub. All of that and more is possible at your own private oasis at the Eiko’s Beach House.
