In partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, I Love the ‘Burg is now able to offer its monthly virtual history tours free to everyone.

The History Half Hour is a Master Class all about the Sunshine City. This series of LIVE tours through prominent St. Petersburg landmarks, as well as lesser known cultural gems, will help tell the myriad stories that have shaped St. Pete.

Did you miss the first tour? Watch it back online here.

Designed for both entertainment and enlightenment, these tours won’t shy away from discussing the Sunshine City’s own checkered history. These well-rounded sessions will illuminate the importance of past and current social justice movements in the ‘Burg.

These live broadcasts will be available on Facebook. All interested guests have to do is visit I Love the ‘Burg’s Facebook page at the appropriate time to watch. Live tours will also be streamed on Zoom.

Share, comment, ask questions and engage, this series is all about sponging up knowledge and getting curious about the city you call home. Our on-air historians are more than happy to humor and answer any and all salient questions.

Each tour will be led by a local historian with an encyclopedic knowledge of the Sunshine City. The tours will mix live footage on foot around St. Pete, as well as historic photos to further enhance the experience.

Once again, these tours are being made available for free to the public by I Love the ‘Burg in partnership with the City of St. Petersburg. We wanted to extend our thanks to the City for recognizing the importance of educating every resident and visitor on the history of St. Petersburg.

The next tour is set for Thursday, April 22 at 6:00pm.

Here’s what the new 2nd Avenue South: A Snapshot of St. Pete Tour will cover, and why you should tune in:

Did you know you can get a taco in the city’s first fire station? Or a steak in one of its first funeral homes? Or that two of our most stunning downtown buildings sit empty and unused, remnants of past real estate booms that await revitalization and reuse? A secluded stretch of Second Avenue South, unnoticed as drivers whiz by on the adjacent one-way First Avenue South, holds a concentration of historical treasures unmatched elsewhere in the city.

Join historian Monica Kile as she strolls Second Avenue South and provides a glimpse into St. Petersburg’s past. Learn about the original YMCA building with its swimming pool and indoor track, the funeral home that’s now a fine-dining restaurant, the Masonic Temple that is slated for demolition, and the cafeteria that evokes Mediterranean skies. Enjoy historic photos, maps, and documents as Monica and the I Love the ‘Burg team take you on a virtual tour of this under-appreciated part of downtown.

We’ve also launched the NEW Becoming the ‘Burg video series. Check out our first installment in the series all about the hidden history of Central Avenue.