Due to the amazing art museums in St. Petersburg, FL, it is the #1 art-destination of mid-sized cities in the United States. With museums like the Chihuly Collection and the Dali Museum, visitors flock to the Tampa Bay area.
Both Dale Chihuly and Salvador Dali are world-renown artists and have beautiful and unique perspectives for their art. We visited both museums on a trip to St. Pete with kids, and they loved them! Each museum offered many ways to encourage the kids to explore and appreciate art in various mediums.
If you’re visiting St. Pete on a family vacation, or maybe a spring break getaway, add the Dali Museum and Chihuly Collection to your list of things to do! You won’t be disappointed. We share our thoughts and experiences on both of the museums below;
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We received complimentary admission to both the Chihuly Collection and Dali Museum in exchange for our review. As always, all opinions are our own!
The Chihuly Collection
After experiencing some of Chihuly’s work at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY, we wanted to see more! Luckily, we were in St. Pete and could visit the Chihuly Collection.
The new location of the museum opened in 2016 and it is the perfect space to display Dale Chihuly’s beautiful glass art. Darkened rooms and strategically placed lighting illuminate and showcase the vast array of colors and styles of glass Chihuly created. Kids will love the crazy shapes Chihuly has created!
Chihuly Collection Location
The Chihuly Collection is located on 720 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, Fl, about a 30-40 minute drive from Tampa.
Paid parking is available both on the street and in a garage. If you are already parked somewhere else in the city, you can take the free Downtown Looper Trolley to stop #6 and walk a few blocks to the museum.
The museum is located directly across from the Morean Arts Center, the organization responsible for the Chihuly Collection.
Admission to the Chihuly Collection
Admission to the Chihuly collection ranges from $13-$20, depending on age, however children 5 and under are FREE! On occasion, free admission is offered to certain people throughout the year. For example, mothers are free when they visit on Mother’s Day and active military members and their families are able to visit the museum for FREE during the summer months.
What You’ll Experience at the Chihuly Collection
Plan to spend about an hour in this gorgeous museum. In addition to the incredible collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass art, visitors can a watch short film about Dale Chihuly and his creative process.
Also included with admission to the museum is the opportunity to watch a glass-blowing demonstration at the Morean Arts Center. Information about times will be given to you upon arrival.
Lastly, make sure to bring your wallet as the gift shop has some amazing Chihuly inspired pieces. Beautiful glass ornaments, wine stoppers, and other household goods are available for purchase!
The Morean Arts Center
Directly across the street from the Chihuly Collection is the Morean Arts Center. While the center offers classes and instructions, it also features and sells the work of local artists!
The Morean Arts Center is the location of the glass-blowing demonstration, though the entrance is on the opposite of the building.
In addition to the art gallery, the center has a small, attached café that offers sandwiches, breakfast items, and other goodies.
The Dali Museum
Salvador Dali is one of the most famous artists of all time. The word “surrealism” conjures up images of melting clocks and distorted bodies, all due to his work. Founded by A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse, avid Dali collectors, the Dali Museum showcases many works from the artist’s early life.
The Dali Museum Location
The Dali Museum is located on One Dali Blvd., in St. Petersburg, FL. Its location along the Tampa Bay affords the museum beautiful view, both inside and out!
The Dali Museum shares a paid parking lot adjacent to the museum. However, if you are taking the free Downtown Looper Trolley, get off at stop #14. The trolley drops riders off directly in front of the museum during its operational hours.
Admission to the Dali Museum
Admission to the Dali Museum varies depending on age. Kids 5 and under are FREE! Discounted admission is offered on Thursday evenings, when the museum is open later.
The museum collection is on the 3rd floor and proof of admission is required to access the collection either via elevator or spiral staircase. If you would like to shop or get a bite to eat, the store and café are accessible to everyone, no admission required.
What to Expect at the Dali Museum
The Dali Museum has so much to offer before you even enter the museum. By the entrance to the museum is the Fountain of Youth. The Fountain has beautiful, large, metal sculptures of ants and other insects “crawling” all over.
On the bay side of the museum is a maze made of hedges and a wishing a tree. Visitors can attach their wristbands or ribbons and make a wish before they leave. Lastly, kids will love the “melting clock” bench, as well as the Dali mustache! It is a fun and funky garden for everyone to enjoy.
Inside the museum, visitors will travel in time, learning about Dali’s early life, and correspondingly, early works. Visitors are provided with iPods and headphones to listen to an audio tour at their leisure.
Children have their own version of the audio tour, hosted by Mr. Mustache. Information about each piece, what inspired it, and how it ties to Dali’s personal life, are provided through the audio tours.
Docent tours are also offered with admission and visitors are notified of the schedule when they arrive at the museum. In addition to the galleries, there is a children’s art room on the first floor. Kids of all ages can color and recreate Dali’s famous paintings. The Dali is a very family-friendly museum!
Art Museums in St. Petersburg, FL
The Chihuly Collection and the Dali Museum are not the only art museums in St. Pete.
In addition to the famous artist’s museums, museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts and the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art showcase numerous artists of varying styles. They are some of the fun places to see when you’re visiting St. Pete with kids.
St. Petersburg is truly an art lover’s town and is a perfect place to show your kids many different types of art.
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