When we go to spring training, we try to do something touristy before the game each day. With the teams spread out in Florida more than they are in Arizona, I focused on the city we were going to be in that day.
Since we were going to be in Tampa/St. Pete for the Rays game, I really wanted to go to the Tampa Baseball Museum. Unfortunately, they are closed on Mondays. I started searching for things to do in the area that the hubby would agree on. Browsing Roadside America, I discovered the World's Largest Collection of Autographed Baseballs was at the St. Petersburg Museum of History which was open on Mondays.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History is located on the edge of the St. Petersburg Pier area. It is open Mon-Sat 10-5 and Sunday 12-5. Don't go to the Museum of Fine Arts. They are closed on Mondays. Both museums are within a block of each other and if you're not paying attention, like I was, you may go to the wrong one and be turned away. The cost is $15/adult. I found a Groupon deal for $17 for both us.
It is not a large museum. There are only Five exhibits and several of them are small.
The changing exhibit is currently Civil Rights in the Sunshine State. It was interesting but not really my cup of tea. I find the Civil Rights depressing as in the way the blacks were treated/mistreated over the years. Maybe I just have not found the right exhibit yet. Civil Rights in the Sunshine State was very well one and very informative.
One of my Favorite Exhibits was the Odditorium. It was a like a mini Ripley's Believe It or Not. There was a lot of interesting artifacts that found their way to the St. Petersburg area throughout the years including a mummy, 2 headed calf, and 2 headed chicken.
The Sunshine City Gallery has a collection of artifacts from St. Petersburg past.
The Piers Through the Years is a collection of photographs of the different piers in St. Petersburg. It is a small exhibit.
Our favorite exhibit and the one we came here for was Schrader's Little Cooperstown. Inside the two room exhibit there are over 5000 signed baseballs. They range from baseball players and managers to celebrities and politicians. It was quite the collection. It was fun seeing all the different people he had sign baseballs. I am a bit sad to see he did not have a Bob Uecker ball though.
This was the perfect museum to visit before the Rays game at Tropicana Field. It's only about 2 miles away from the Trop so easily walkable if you so inclined. It is a definite must see if you are in the area. I would definitely go back and see what new baseballs are in the collection.
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