The orange belt railroad came to Tarpon Springs in 1887. This was also when Tarpon Springs was…read moreincorporated and the lighthouse was built. It was a narrow gauge railroad for transporting goods including turpentine and sponges to the north. Those were some of the products of this part of the state. In fact, this county was so covered with pine trees (the sap is harvested to create turpentine), it was named by the Spanish explorers as "The Point of Pines" aka Pinellas in 1528! This name was later adopted when the county was formed in 1912. This was one of the many interesting facts I learned from Carol, who kindly gave me an excellent guided tour of the museum. The museum is the second version of the train station, built in 1909. Unfortunately the original building burned down but the current one was built and has lasted more than 100 years! Plant purchased the railroad in 1895, rebuilt it to standard from narrow gauge, and connected it to the rest of his railroad. CSX later acquired it and eventually closed down and turned over the track to the local cities in 2005. They donated the station with the stipulation that it be preserved. The railroad tracks were quickly removed and the long trail eventually became the Pinellas (bike and walking) Trail. As for the train station itself, it contains many interesting artifacts and a sad but important historical detail. Artifacts include original mechanical semaphore controls, a huge mechanical cash register that could do calculations and much more. Since the station was built before desegregation, there are two front doors and two ticket windows. Change is good. Life is good with a well-preserved, historic site and museum.

This was our first stop upon arriving in Tarpon Springs and this was because I found it on…read moreTripadvisor. This place was a very impressive and also very spacious with tons of exhibits and information. The ladies working here was super friendly and welcoming. Parking is in the street and free.

Friendly, clean well laid out floor plan. Beautiful displays of artwork from different artists…read more Enjoyed the historic flavor of the constitution and different representations of famous people. One of the nicest places I've visited.

Great museum downtown to visit! I went on a Friday evening for an anime themed night and I had a…read moregreat time. I learned that they do a lot of activities throughout the week which I'm excited to check out! They have plenty of parking.

We visited the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College off Belcher at Klosterman,…read moresouth of Tarpon Springs FL. They have a one-of-a-kind full-size reproduction of Pablo Picasso's (1881-1973) Guernica, which is really cool to see. It was our first time here, so we wanted to see some works by the museum's namesakes, as an introduction. We saw amazing 1920s and 30s watercolors and a 1958 stained-glass mosaic by Abraham Rattner, known as a "colorist" for the vibrance of his works. and we saw a cool 1936 abstract by Allen Leepa, apparently painted while he was in high school! And we liked the small "fine crafts" Elemental collection, especially the kimono, somehow made of paper to look like seashells! Admission is by donation, suggested $10, and sometimes you can find free passes at a local library. Either way, it's worth a visit. The Leepa-Rattner Museum is a striking collection that really punches above its class.

Well, I finally went to this wonderful museum and brought my friends along. They were having an…read moreexhibit from the Florida Craft Art Gallery in St. pete. The building is on the NW corner of the St. Pete college campus in Tarpon Springs. It is a beautiful gallery with many rooms. The visiting exhibit was in the front rooms of the museum. There were varied objects on display from sculptures to large petit point pictures to paintings to blown glass. The displays from the L-R permanant collection occupied rooms to the rear of the space. There was a whole room of art from Mr. Rattner, who was a prolific artist in many disciplines, painting, sculpture, fiber arts,and writing. He lived in France before WWII and was strongly influenced by the holocaust tragedies. The best part of this visit is that entry is free. There are clean rest rooms and a sitting area that is handicapped accessible.

We booked the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour ($40 per person) before flying to Florida. The tour…read morelasts about 60-70 minutes and includes the main rooms on the first floor, a peek into the Tap Room with stories about indulgence and Prohibition during the 1920s, as well as select spaces on the second, third, and fourth floors of the Ringlings' magnificent waterfront mansion. I'm so glad I booked this tour! it was the highlight of our Florida trip. Our tour guide, Susan, was professional, knowledgeable, and full of humor. She made the entire experience both informative and relaxing. Ca' d'Zan is simply breathtaking. This stunning Mediterranean Revival mansion sits on the shores of Sarasota Bay and was built in the mid-1920s as the winter retreat of American circus magnate, entrepreneur, and art collector John Ringling and his wife, Mable Burton Ringling. Although the mansion is over 100 years old, it still radiates the glamour, elegance, and artistic vision of the Ringlings. Every room is filled with exquisite craftsmanship and thoughtful details that reflect their passion for art and architecture. One of my favorite features was the magnificent ceiling paintings by the Hungarian artist Willy Pogany. Each one tells a story from another era, preserving its beauty for generations to admire. Standing on the terrace overlooking Sarasota Bay, I couldn't help but be reminded of the atmosphere from the movie Great Expectations. There was something incredibly romantic, mysterious, and timeless about the view. To me, Ca' d'Zan feels alive. If you slow down and listen carefully, the mansion tells its own story. There is glamour. There is longing. There is sadness. There is hope. And somehow, there is a place for you within it. I absolutely fell in love with this place. Without a doubt, this was the best attraction we visited during our trip to Sarasota. I would highly recommend the Uncovering Ca' d'Zan Guided Tour to anyone visiting the area, and I will definitely return to explore the Museum of Art next time.

The Ringling is absolutely beautiful and there's way more to see than I expected. You get…read moreeverything from circus history to ancient art and artifacts, contemporary pieces, gorgeous grounds, statues and the rose garden. The roses were supposedly in season, but honestly that part was a little underwhelming. My personal favorites were the ancient artifacts and the circus miniature. There are also some parts of circus history that definitely haven't aged well, including minstrel depictions, but history is history and I appreciated that it wasn't sanitized. My biggest issue was being asked THREE separate times to show our wristbands while walking the grounds. Normally, no big deal, but we watched larger groups walk right by without being questioned while our group of three kept getting stopped, despite our wristbands being just as visible. By the third time, it was hard not to feel like we were being profiled. That was disappointing, especially after driving an hour for a close friend's birthday. I usually don't spend my money where I feel unwanted, but I wasn't going to let it ruin her day. Beautiful museum and absolutely worth experiencing, but that part of our visit left a bad taste in my mouth.

Most haunted house in America. This was a cool stop I came with my friend and her 8yr old daughter…read more We got a tour of the whole house and it was very interesting. Such great history with some ghostly background. All the ladies here were very nice. Honestly wish I would have been here sooner and didnt put it off so long. Thank you guys

First some info- This is a historical place with about 140 years of history. There are 2 tours -…read morethe day tour and the night haunted house tour. The day tour is a walkthrough the architecture and history behind the building as well as the memorabilia that is part of the museum, and is conducted daily between 12pm-3pm costing $5 per adult. The night tour is a haunted house tour where a few volunteers walk you through the haunted history of the house, only conducted on Fridays and Saturdays costing $20. We went for the haunted house tour on a rainy night. Although the tour finished in about 40 minutes even if it was a 2 hour session, we were allowed to roam around the house for the left over time. The experience was certainly enjoyable and thrilling. As I am writing this review, I kind of feel sick in my stomach after experiencing this place. This was my first ghost tour. Many more to go. If I survive, that is. Can try!

Let me tell you about the time my wife casually turned a normal "drop our daughter off at college"…read moretrip into what felt like a deleted scene from a survival movie... destination: Solomon's Castle in the absolute middle of nowhere. And when I say nowhere, I mean NOWHERE. I'm driving waiting for streetlights... nothing. Gas stations? Nope. People? Questionable. Cows? Plenty. Motorcycles flying by like we accidentally entered a post-apocalyptic biker convention? Oh yeah. At this point, I'm looking at my wife like, Babé are we visiting a castle or auditioning for The Walking Dead: Florida Edition?" Then suddenly... BOOM. Out of nowhere... like a mirage built by a very creative pirate appears this shiny, aluminum-covered CASTLE. Now I'm confused. Because one minute I'm dodging cows... and the next minute I'm like: Did we just teleport to medieval times sponsored by Home Depot? But here's the thing this place is AMAZING. Inside? Pure genius. Art everywhere. Sculptures made out of stuff you probably threw away last week. It's like if creativity, humor, and a junkyard had a baby and that baby became a castle. And then there's the restaurant. Yes. A restaurant. Inside a boat. Inside a castle. In the middle of nowhere. At this point, I've stopped asking questions and just accepted that I'm in someone else's dream. If you want the backstory, go ahead and Google it because it's wild. But honestly, just go. Don't overthink it. Would I have ever planned this stop? Absolutely not. Did my wife once again prove she's the CEO of random but incredible detours? 100%. Final verdict: Unexpected Slightly suspicious drive in Completely worth it If you're ever near Ona, Florida--or even if you're not take the detour. Just make sure your gas tank is full... and maybe say a quick prayer once the streetlights disappear

Your sign on the front gate. Sorry folks close until October 1s. What a joke! How about you post it…read morein your website CLOSED UNTIL OCTOBER 1ST! SPENT 4 HOURS driving to get to you only to find a sign! Extremely inconsiderate! We will not be back and we will not recommend anyone visit.

We purchased tickets online for the Victorian Christmas Stroll. Tickets were $20 per person. The…read morearchitecture of the building is stunning; looks like a castle! Upon entry the receptionist checks you in and encourages you to watch the 15 min video prior to exploring. They also have a scavenger hunt to keep you entertained throughout the stroll. The exhibit was very unique and filled with unique history. The museum is very tiny and leaves you wanting more. As large as it appears from the outside, you would think the museum would be congruent. It took us about 30-45 mins to stroll through it, and that included the 15 minute video. Overall it was a good experience.

This was a really great experience. It's on campus and it was a weekday so we were busy navigating…read morethat but it was very interesting to see so much history still persevered in the little wing of the original hotel. Definitely worth checking out if you love history and appreciate vintage furniture and architecture.

We had an excellent visit at this museum in St. Petersburg. We love the history of St. Petersburg…read more(The Vinoy and the Historic Buildings of the 1920's Florida Boom) so this was a perfect genre for us. We also like baseball memorabilia, so the 5036 Guinness Book record setting autographed baseball collection (private) was incredible. We also like aviation and couldn't believe that St. Petersburg was the birthplace of commercial airlines with Benoist's flying boats. Just a really cool place to visit and it is located on the St. Petersburg pier at the beginning.

Stopped in for The Florida Highwayman pieces. I'm blown away. These unknown Black artists are…read moremasters at their craft. Classic Americana. The St Petersburg Museum is quaint overall. Great for its price point. Loved learning more about the area. I'd love to see an exhibit on Paradise Park.