Historic Tour

Ybor City Trolley, by Joe Giannotti (Wikimedia Commons)

Friday, Oct. 7 ♦ Departing from hotel lobby at 1 p.m.
Additional charge

This year's historic tour has two stops, leaving tour-goers plenty of time to explore each location.

Tampa Bay History Center

A Smithsonian Affiliate organization, the Tampa Bay History Center is a 60,000-square-foot learning facility located in Tampa's Channelside District. Visitors learn about 12,000 years of Tampa Bay history via exhibits discussing the culture and characters that make the region unique, including cigar factories, sports legends, railroad tycoons, cattle drives, pioneers, Spanish conquistadors and Florida’s first native inhabitants. During AJHA's visit, the center will have a special exhibit on the black and white environmental photography of Clyde Butcher.

Historic Ybor City

The culturally-eclectic Ybor City was known as the Cigar Capital of the World from the late 19th century until the 1930s. Now Tampa's National Historic Landmark District features numerous restaurants, shops, art galleries, historic tours (both professional and self-guided), Ybor City Museum State Park, and the Tampa Baseball Museum.

Tour-goers are encouraged to enjoy dinner at one of Ybor City's many restaurants. Convention organizers recommend Columbia Restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Florida. Reservations are suggested at this popular spot, which serves Spanish and Cuban cuisine. Be sure to make an early enough reservation to enjoy a leisurely meal before boarding the 7 p.m. bus back to the hotel.

See the Ybor City restaurant page for additional dining options.