Tampa Bay History Center Inc

THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER, INC. SERVES AS A DYNAMIC AND ENTERTAINING LEARNING RESOURCE.

THE TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER, INC. (TBHC) WAS INCORPORATED AS THE HISTORY MUSEUM OF TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, INC. ITS NAME WAS CHANGED IN 1993 TO BETTER REFLECT ITS MISSION AND PURPOSE. TBHC WAS ORGANIZED FOR THE PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING FACILITIES FOR INTERPRETATION OF MATERIALS AND ARTIFACTS OF AREA HISTORY; TO FOSTER DISSEMINATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF AREA HISTORY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS; AND TO ENCOURAGE AN INTEREST IN HISTORY THROUGH COOPERATION WITH OTHER HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.(CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)TBHC'S MISSION IS TO EDUCATE VISITORS ABOUT THE IMPORTANT HISTORY THAT HAS SHAPED AND CONTINUES TO SHAPE THE TAMPA BAY AREA. TODAY, TBHC PROVIDES QUALITY HISTORICAL AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS.TBHC IS MORE THAN A MERE REPOSITORY FOR HISTORICAL FACTS. FUNCTIONING AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE PRESENT, THE MUSEUM HONORS OUR COMMUNITY'S CHARACTER AND HERITAGE, STIRRING THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE FOUND IN ALL ITS VISITORS WITH THE GENERATIONS OF STORIES IT HAS TO TELL.TBHC IS A NON-PROFIT EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA, FLORIDA THAT SEEKS TO PRESERVE AND TEACH THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA. TBHC IS A 501(C)(3) NON-PROFIT CORPORATION AND IS FUNDED IN PART BY THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND THE CITY OF TAMPA.AN ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE HISTORY CENTER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA - FUNDED BY AN ENDOWMENT. THE ENDOWMENT'S INCOME UNDERWRITES PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED JOINTLY BY TBHC AND THE FLORIDA STUDIES CENTER BASED AT THE USF LIBRARY. OTHER EDUCATION PARTNERS INCLUDE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE TAMPA/HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM, THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA AND HILLSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE.THE TBHC BUILDING, LOCATED NEAR THE HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT FORT BROOKE RESERVATION (THE BIRTHPLACE OF MODERN TAMPA), CONTAINS 60,000 SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITS DEPICTING ALMOST 500 YEARS OF RECORDED HISTORY AND 12,000 YEARS OF HUMAN HABITATION IN THIS REGION. NATIVE AMERICANS AND SPANISH CONQUISTADORS, PIONEER SETTLERS AND CIGAR WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS AND COWBOYS, MILITARY AND SPORTS HEROES, AND ENTREPRENEURS AND WORKERS - WHITE, BLACK, HISPANIC, JEWISH, URBAN, RURAL, OLD, YOUNG - HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO OUR "SENSE OF PLACE." SCHOOLCHILDREN, RESIDENTS AND TAMPA BAY VISITORS WILL FEEL, SENSE AND DISCOVER THESE LIFE STORIES IN WAYS MEANINGFUL TO THEIR FAMILIES AND TO CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY.THE USE OF MODERN MUSEUM TECHNOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS COUNTLESS ARTIFACTS. PARENT-CHILD LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND THROUGH PERMANENT AND CHANGING EXHIBITIONS. MORE THAN 80,000 ITEMS ARE ALREADY IN TBHC'S COLLECTIONS. UNDOUBTEDLY, THOUSANDS MORE WILL BE ADDED AS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES BECOME AWARE THAT, AFTER TOO MANY DECADES WITHOUT A COMMUNITY HISTORY MUSEUM, THERE IS A RESPECTED AND WELL-FINANCED REPOSITORY FOR THIS AREA'S ARTIFACTS.TBHC IS AN IMPORTANT PARTICIPANT IN A SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE CITY OF TAMPA, THE LOCAL EDUCATION COMMUNITY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR. THIS CIVIC COALITION HAS ESTABLISHED A MAJOR CULTURAL INSTITUTION THAT SERVES STUDENTS AND OTHER RESIDENTS OF THE TAMPA BAY AREA WHILE ALSO BEING A DESTINATION ATTRACTION FOR AN ACTIVE TOURISM INDUSTRY.TBHC MAINTAINS AND OPERATES MUSEUM FACILITIES ADEQUATE TO PRESERVE, PROTECT AND DISPLAY MATERIALS AND ARTIFACTS RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF THE GREATER TAMPA AND HISTORIC HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AREA. SUCH MATERIALS AND ARTIFACTS ARE ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE, EXCHANGE OR DONATION AND MAY BE LEASED OR LOANED TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT OPERATES A MUSEUM DISPLAYING ITEMS RELATING TO THE HISTORY OF THE HISTORIC HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AREA. TBHC MAINTAINS, PRESERVES, PROTECTS AND DISPLAYS SUCH ARTIFACTS IN THE MUSEUM SO THAT THE PUBLIC MAY ENJOY AND BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE HISTORIC HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AREA, ENCOURAGES THE INVESTIGATION, STUDY AND RESEARCH OF SUCH HISTORY BY MAINTAINING RESOURCES WHICH WILL ENABLE STUDENTS AND OTHER RESEARCHERS TO MAKE USE OF THE MUSEUM'S MATERIALS AND ARTIFACTS, FOSTERS DISSEMINATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR AREA'S HISTORY THROUGH EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLIC OUTREACH PROGRAMS, AND COOPERATES WITH OTHER HISTORICAL, CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN FURTHERING AMONG PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS OF CITIZENS AND FRIENDS A PRIDE AND INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY'S AND COUNTY'S HISTORY AND TRADITIONS.ON JANUARY 28, 2020, TBHC ENTERED INTO A LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH HERNANDO COUNTY TO PROVIDE CURATORIAL AND INTERPRETIVE SERVICES TO ENSURE CHINSEGUT HILL'S HISTORY IS PRESERVED AND SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC. ACTIVITIES UNDER THE AGREEMENT INCLUDE CATALOGING, CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND CARE FOR THE CONTENTS OF THE MANOR HOUSE, OPERATING THE MANOR HOUSE AS A HOUSE MUSEUM WITH REGULARLY ADVERTISED BUSINESS HOURS, DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM MATERIALS HIGHLIGHTING CHINSEGUT HILL'S HISTORY, ORGANIZING AND TRAINING OF VOLUNTEER DOCENTS, AND WORKING CLOSELY WITH HERNANDO COUNTY IN PROMOTING AND PRESERVING THE CHINSEGUT HILL HISTORIC HOME.DURING THIS YEAR WE CONTINUED TO MANAGE UNDER THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE PANDEMIC, ALTHOUGH NEVER CLOSING OUR DOORS COMPLETELY. THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AREAS OF TBHC WERE MODIFIED TO ENSURE THE MAXIMUM SAFETY FOR ALL. IN ADDITION TO SAFETY BARRIERS, NEW SIGNAGE, TOUCHLESS ENTRANCES, THE ON-SITE GUIDED TOURS AND FIELD TRIPS WERE ADJUSTED. GROUP TOURS WERE REDUCED IN SIZE, MASK POLICIES REFLECTED THE MOST CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE CITY AND PROGRAM FACILITATORS WERE TRAINED ON HEALTH SAFETY.MANY OF THE PROGRAMS WERE REASSESSED AND OFFERED IN THE PLATFORM MOST CONVENIENT FOR TBHC GUESTS. SOME PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO BE OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE VIRTUAL PLATFORM, AND OTHERS IN A HYBRID FASHION, ALLOWING GUESTS TO ATTEND IN PERSON, THROUGH FACEBOOK LIVE, OR TO VIEW THE PROGRAM AT A LATER TIME THROUGH YOUTUBE. THE MUSEUM AT HOME DIGITAL-BASED PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO RESIDE ON OUR WEBSITE AND ARE FREQUENTLY ENHANCED WITH NEW VIDEO LESSONS AND PROGRAMS.