HENRY B. PLANT MUSEUM
401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
This museum houses the story and character of America’s Gilded Age and the life of Henry Bradley Plant, who developed the area with railroads, steamships and hotels. Originally the Tampa Bay Hotel, this architectural marvel was built by Plant with the intention of establishing a sort-of palace in Tampa. The hotel served as the hub for balls, tea parties and the organization of other recreational activities such as hunting trips. This icon now tells the story of Tampa’s past in the city’s skyline.
TAMPA THEATRE
711 N. Franklin St.
Built in 1926, this movie palace serves as a film and cultural center for Tampa. When it was first established, the theatre was one of the country’s most elaborate movie palaces, adorned in gargoyles and filled with audiences that had to pay a mere 25 cents to escape the day-to-day struggle. In 1973, the theatre was slated for demolition as the cost of luxury exploded, but it was saved by the Tampa City Council. Today, the nonprofit theatre hosts tours, movies and events throughout the year.
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
509 N. Florida Ave.
The church, constructed by Jesuits in 1905, is one of the oldest churches in the city. Sacred Heart was erected with a granite and marble exterior and 70 stained glass windows. The church is now home to the Sacred Heart parish and hosts masses, weddings and more.
YBOR FACTORY BUILDING
1901 N. 13th St.
This three-story structure — built by Vicente Martinez Ybor in 1886 — was the first brick cigar factory in Tampa and was once the largest cigar factory in the world. Hundreds of millions of cigars were rolled within its walls as Ybor City’s economy boomed at the hand of the cigar industry. When the industry declined, the factory was converted into an art gallery, then a festival marketplace, then office spaces, and it was most recently purchased by the Church of Scientology in 2010.
EL CENTRO ESPAÑOL DE TAMPA
E. 7th Ave.
Once an ethnic and cultural hub for Spanish immi-grants, El Centro Español de Tampa is now part of the shopping and entertainment complex of Centro Ybor. Built in 1912, the mutual aid society served as a welcoming center for immigrants to the area and featured a theater, dance hall, classrooms for English classes and more. It is one of the last standing structures specific to Spanish immigration to the U.S. during the time period.
100 NORTH TAMPA
100 N. Tampa St.
Rising 579 feet above sea level, 100 North Tampa is currently the tallest structure in Tampa and houses multiple offices for various corporations. Before its present name, the tower was once the AmSouth Building; it was then renamed the Regions Building when the two companies merged in 2005. The building sits on a nine-foot thick foundation that weighs more than 35 million pounds.
