Ybor City Museum

The Ybor City Museum Society is committed to its mission to preserve, promote and celebrate the unique cultural heritage of Ybor City, one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida. Established in 1982 as the first of more than 80 Citizen Support Organizations (CSO) for Florida's state parks, the Society supports the Ybor City Museum State Park by creating exhibits, programming, educational tours, cultural and historical resources, and research tools to ensure that Ybor City's significant history remains at the forefront of Tampa culture. The Society hosts the annual Cigar Heritage Festival and the Legacy Awards Brunch, exhibit openings and other member and community events.

In 2010, the Society will focus on making significant changes to the Museum's exhibits to make them more comprehensive, interactive and ADA compliant. Visit the Museum often to see our progress. Development of new children's activities and educational materials, walking tours and an oral histories project round out priorities for the year. Several other innovative projects are in the planning stages and will be announced as they materialize.

As a nonprofit organization, the Society depends on support from its members, corporate sponsors and donors to help fund its programming and activities. Other sources of support include garden rentals, sales from the Museum Store and leasing of the historic casitas in the Centennial Park 19th Street Retail Area

The Society's dedicated board of directors, staff and volunteers work together with Park Services personnel to provide an enjoyable learning environment for all generations and backgrounds, and encourage intergenerational experiences for Museum visitors and program participants. Extensive collaboration with other cultural and community organizations, schools, colleges, the business community and government agencies ensure that a broad range of programs and services are provided to local residents, as well as national and international visitors.

We invite you to get involved to help ensure that our important history is preserved for future generations and communicated to all who are interested in our rich cultural heritage.