Safety Harbor Museum, Tampa Bay Area, Florida
On the morning of May 25, 1539, Hernando de Soto sailed into what is now Tampa Bay, Florida. On the shore where the town of Safety Harbor now stands he discovered natural mineral springs that were revered by the local Indians, perhaps leading him to name the area Espiritu Santo (Holy Spirit). De Soto spent four years searching fruitlessly for gold and silver across the southeast, in the process spreading diseases like smallpox and typhoid fever that wiped out the indigenous tribes. Today, only shell middens – huge mounds composed of discarded oyster shells – remain to tell of civilizations that inhabited the area as far back as 20,000 BC.
Safety Harbor Museum
While de Soto may not have found the precious metals he so desperately sought, excavations of the mounds, as well as trenches dug to install utility lines and build home foundations, have yielded a modern day treasure trove. Prehistoric arrowheads, stone scrapers and knives, and partial skeletons of now extinct species like the woolly mammoth and giant sloth have been unearthed and placed on permanent display in the Safety Harbor Museum, considered to be one of Florida’s preeminent Native American museums.
Along with Indian artifacts, the museum houses a collection of antique equipment used in a bottling operation once located at the mineral springs and an intriguing historical perspective on Odet Philippe, the first non-native permanent resident of the area, who is credited with introducing citrus to Florida.
Displays feature bones of extinct giant mammals and arrowheads
In addition to permanent displays, rotating exhibits feature aspects of regional history three to four times per year. Recent rotating exhibits have included: “Take Me Out To the Ballgame,” which honored the minor league team and spring training camps located throughout Florida; “Evolution of Communications – From Smoke Signals to Verizon Fios,” “Seminole Nation,” and the “Highwaymen Art Exhibit,” which displayed present-day artwork of the famous African-American painters from Florida’s east coast.
Safety Harbor Museum is located in the village of Safety Harbor, located on the northwest corner of Tampa Bay on the east side of Pinellas peninsula. Admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and children ages 7-18, and free for children under six. Hours of operation Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Photo credit: Barbara Weibel
Article by Barbara Weibel at Hole In The Donut Travels
