henry b. plant museum

This building was, and is, a remarkable example of High Victorian Design.It was one of the very first hotels in the country which was designed to use electricity in all of the rooms. With five hundred rooms covering six acres, it was also one of the biggest hotels in the world during its day.Only a very small part of the building is devoted to the museum. The rest of the structure is now used as offices by the University of Tampa. After you visit the museum, take a moment to stroll through the rest of the building. Outside the museum you will find the original dining room, as well as a complete second story. The views from the upper floor are amazing.This museum will not appeal to everyone - but if you appreciate a kinder and more social age, you will love this building.I applaud the citizens of Tampa for having the vision to preserve this remarkable building!

If you're visiting Tampa and wonder what those silver minarets are near downtown, as we did, they are part of an 1890s luxury hotel, The Tampa bay inn. For $10 you can do a self guided tour of the high end hotel and see the original furnishings and artwork. It's well worth the two or three hours to do.

This was a very interesting museum. I did not know anything about Henry Plant until we arrived. It takes about two hours to go through. If you cross the lawn past the fountain there is a beautiful spot to sit at the river's edge. The river walk is just across the river.

This is the old plant hotel built when the railroads were king. Check out the website they have great actors portraying characters from that era. Interesting to see how generations past lived.

We went with our college aged nieces and all enjoyed an hour or so of wandering around & listening to the audio tour descriptions. Interesting!

It's an absolute MUST, if you are in the Tampa,FL-area!!They charge $ 10.00 = but it's worth it!!!This also includes an audio-guide!GEM: Make sure, that you also walk in next door = that's the University-entrance = it's open to the public and you get a much better view of the old former hotel!

This building is so dramatically beautiful, it would be worth the trip just to admire the outside. The museum is crowded with furnishings and artwork, and there is a fairly good narrative that goes with the tour. It was well worth the modest admission fee.

I stumbled over the website for the Henry B.Plant Museum and so glad we went here. The museum is located on the campus of the Tampa University. The structure is something to see...very exotic and beautiful. We visited on a cool day in February 2015 . Back in its day it was a very exclusive Hotel for the very wealthy. At entry you are given hand-held audios for a self-guided tour. There are also guided tours on certain days of the week. The architecture alone is somethng to see at the Henry B. Plant Museum. They are open Tuesday - Saturday 10-5. The tour will take you a couple hours, but is very interesting.

Tampa in February 2015 had some pretty cool days, so we were looking for somewhere indoors to spend some time. We're both interested in history, so this sounded like a choice. It was.The museum is located on the college campus and the old hotel actually houses some of administrative offices and classrooms of the college. It is a grand building that sits on the river overlooking the very modern downtown area of Tampa. There are lovely grounds with benches, trees, bushes, flowers, etc., that are in the front of the hotel and lead to the river.We were given our audible tour equipment and were viewing the introductory film when we were advised that a docent was going to be providing a guided tour. What timing! So, in addition to the normal viewing of the rooms and artifacts, we were given an incredible detailed tour. We learned so much about Henry Plant, the origins of Tampa, the culture and life styles of the wealthy of that time, and our country which was at war with Cuba.If we had not been included in the impromptu tour we would still have enjoyed our visit because the audio tour is extremely well done. The architecture is incredible. The craftsmanship is something that is now a lost art. The preservation of this fine landmark is a treasure for all of us.

My husband and I arrived for a winter getaway during the Tampa area's cold snap of mid February. We had Plan B in case of cool weather to visit the Plant Museum and it was wonderful. The staff is gracious and proud of their museum. We were privileged to visit when their first afternoon concert series was launched. A wonderful guided tour enhanced our knowledge of Henry Plant and the area, the gift shop is a delight, parking is easy and a staff person recommended a terrific place for coffee, food or drinks just around the corner - the Oxford Exchange - all in all it was a great way to spend a "cold" afternoon in Tampa!

I loved the laid-back feel of the museum. It was relaxed and quaint (even if my first house was older than the whole museum).Good value and worth a couple of hours in Tampa.

Very relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. Short delightful walk from downtown Tampa. You really get a feel for what it may have been like when the Resort/Casino opened a century ago.The grounds are nice to walk around as well. The audio tour is excellent and easy to use. There are several special events during the year which are worth a look. Oh by the way some of the music recitals at UT are really good as well.

I learned alot about the history of the Floriida west coast and Tampa. Very interesting! Henery Plant sure left his mark on this beautiful area.

The design and woodwork is excellent. The place has really been kept up over the years. there are so many things to see you could spent hours trying to. The grounds are very noce to walk around in. There was no fee.

It is wonderful that a part of the first floor wing of this sprawling former RR hotel and now a university is preserved as a living tuern of the century...19th...museum. An architectural treasure with several silver turrets and a circular banquet/dance hall. Students run about. Walk the grounds to the river and perhaps you will catch rowers practicing for a race. Look for the dogs too and savor the Tampa skyline from water's edge..