The St. Petersburg Museum of History, situated at the entrance to the St. Petersburg Pier, announced a Request for Proposals from qualified respondents for the development and operation of a café located in the St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 2nd Ave NE.

The ideal proponent should represent a café/restaurant that compliments the St. Petersburg Museum of History, the history and culture of St. Petersburg and the bay area. The Museum’s goal is to secure a local partner that can provide a memorable and notable experience for visitors and residents as they explore downtown St. Pete’s waterfront and cultural icons.

Offering 1,200 square feet of outdoor space

The waterfront café space is located on the west side of the Museum and offers approximately 1,500 square feet of indoor space and 1,200 square feet of outdoor space located at the entrance to the original museum. The space is currently occupied by Hops & Props.

Hops & Props, the incredibly popular waterfront bar and food hub, will move into the former Pour House spot next to Green Light Cinema at 225 2nd Avenue North.

A 501(c)3 non-profit entity, the St. Petersburg Museum of History is the oldest museum in Pinellas County and has been on its current location since 1922. Ninety-nine years after opening its doors, the Museum of History will edit its story by embarking on a multi-million-dollar expansion project that will usher in a world-class visitor experience.

Major expansion in the works for the Museum of History

The expansion includes:

• Visit St. Pete/Clearwater Welcome Center
• Florida-themed gift shop
• Explore Florida! – 4,000-sq-foot main exhibition of the Sunshine State’s history
• Flight Deck – a rooftop terrace overlooking the Pier District and the downtown skyline

The expansion will include an extra 8,000-square-feet of space, a new exhibit gallery, a visitor’s center and a roof-top terrace overlooking the bay.

“For 150 years, dreamers and schemers have made their way to St. Petersburg to create fortunes and own a piece of the Florida Dream,” wrote Museum officials in a release.

Deadline for the completed RFPs is March 15, 2021. Paper copies of the proposal guidelines and application are available for pickup at the Museum of History or digitally via email by contacting Rui Farias at rui@spmoh.org.

Experience the Odditorium

Also new on exhibit in the Museum is the Odditorium – a gallery filled with unique and unusual artifacts that make St. Pete, well, St. Pete.

The Egyptian mummy and two-headed calf are joined by rarely seen collections items such as President William Howard Taft’s pajamas, Lt. Col. George Custer’s reading glasses, iconic historical figure Geronimo’s autograph as well as a baby’s “Don’t Kiss Me!” necklace worn during the early 1900s turberculosis pandemic.

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