Florida

Signature City St. Petersburg

Program No. 20429RJ
Experience world-class museums and art, historic architecture, unique bay ecology, a beautiful city botanical garden and more. St. Petersburg delights the eyes and inspires the soul.

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Protecting the Environment

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At a Glance

Beautiful Tampa Bay, colorful Florida landscapes and buildings, world-class museums and galleries and a bustling cultural scene beckon you to this lively city. Visit the magnificent Salvador Dalí Museum, a beacon of the downtown arts scene. Enjoy the murals which have earned St. Pete a reputation as one of the best arts and cultural communities in the country. Encounter a botanical paradise at Sunken Gardens and stroll in the third-largest downtown waterfront park in North America, behind only Chicago and Vancouver. Gain a new appreciation for St. Pete’s rich history and culture and experience this unique city everyone is talking about.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
1-2 miles each day over varied terrain including cobblestone streets; standing while on field trips.

What You'll Learn

  • Discuss historic preservation and this city’s unique story.
  • Discover the breathtaking Dali Museum and the largest collection of the surrealist’s work outside Spain, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, and world-renowned glass art.
  • Learn about the unique ecology of the bay and the importance of its health to the region.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Rui Farias
Rui Farias is the executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History. He is a lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, having grown up downtown. Rui is also a former journalist and an educator who created the course in Florida history that he teaches at St. Petersburg High School.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Adele Visaggio
Adele Visaggio View biography
Adele Visaggio serves as a professional expert and docent for the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. She has conducted over 900 presentations of the permanent collection and special exhibits, and visits schools and community groups on behalf of the museum. Adele recently served as regional director with the National Docent Symposium Council. Adele has led both adult and school groups locally and nationwide, and loves sharing her knowledge of the area with others.
Profile Image of Savannah Gandee
Savannah Gandee View biography
Savannah Gandee joined Tampa Bay Watch in 2021 as the lead environmental educator aboard the Discovery eco-vessel. She has a B.S. in marine science from the University of South Florida and a M.S. in fisheries and aquatic sciences from the University of Florida. Savannah has extensive experience working on eco-vessels conducting environmental education and various research projects. She specializes in trawl fisheries research and wild bottlenose dolphin dorsal identification studies, and was recently permitted to conduct dorsal identification through NOAA.
Profile Image of Joey Vars
Joey Vars View biography
Joey Vars is curator-in-residence at the Gulf Beaches Historical Museum in Pass-a-Grille and chief historian of the famous Belleview Inn near Clearwater. He is an alumnus of USF St. Petersburg where he is also currently earning his M.A. in Florida studies. In addition to Tampa Bay’s Gilded Age history, Joey also studies the U.S. space program, world expositions, and lighter-than-air travel. He has visited two world’s fairs and documented over 50 rocket launches.
Profile Image of Rui Farias
Rui Farias View biography
Rui Farias is the executive director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History. He is a lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, having grown up downtown. Rui is also a former journalist and an educator who created the course in Florida history that he teaches at St. Petersburg High School.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.





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