CoolHistory Archives - Page 4 of 11 - St. Petersburg Museum of History

Joe Madden wearing a baseball uniform and Tampa Bay Rays hat

CoolHistory September 8, 2026

Sticking with Joe

With the team struggling through another difficult season, the Rays picked up manager Joe Maddon’s option years through 2009. The Devil…

Painting of a mountain scene with a soldier in green uniform holding a gun and an Indian wearing a feather headdress floating in sky above

CoolHistory September 7, 2026

Noah Billie: Stories in Color

Noah Billie was born on September 14, 1948, and became one of the most acclaimed Seminole painters of his generation. After…

Aerial view of the Bayfront Center in 1988, a large blocky cream-colored building next to the bay

CoolHistory September 4, 2026

A Party for the Bayfront

On September 4, 1988, St. Petersburg celebrated the completion of a $25 million renovation of the Bayfront Center and Mahaffey Theater.

Baseball player Maddon stands in his uniform with his back to the photographer with another man pointing up, presumably at an instant reply video outside of view

CoolHistory September 3, 2026

A Home Run for Technology

On September 3, 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays faced the New York Yankees in St. Petersburg. In the ninth inning, Yankees…

A Seminole family with adults and children wearing traditional clothing

CoolHistory September 2, 2026

A Name, A People, A History

The ancestors of today’s Seminoles included Muscogee-speaking peoples whose communities were located primarily in present-day Alabama and Georgia. Beginning in the…

Artist Neverne Covington wears a blue dress while standing next to one of her expressive art pieces in reds and golds

CoolHistory September 1, 2026

Neverne Covington: Finding Expression Through Print

Neverne Covington has spent a lifetime exploring the power of line, color, and composition. After earning her degree from Eckerd College…

Four young women on a beach in swimsuits holding up inner tubes with the words

CoolHistory August 28, 2026

We Wish You Were Here!

Before high-rise luxury resorts, social media, and digital tourism commercials, how did St. Petersburg convince the world to visit? From the…

Several baseball players in white uniforms all running to a central spot on the baseball field

CoolHistory August 28, 2026

The Rays Break Through: From 66 Wins to the World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays had spent their first decade struggling to find their footing in Major League Baseball. That changed dramatically…

Photo of Leon Jackson, a young Black man in white police uniform with

CoolHistory August 28, 2026

A Fight for Equality: The Courageous 12

In 1965, St. Petersburg’s police department was segregated. Black officers were restricted to patrolling predominantly Black neighborhoods and could not arrest…

Woman with long dark hair stands in front of a colorful print made up of strokes of blues and greens

CoolHistory August 27, 2026

Christine Renc-Carter: A Life Dedicated to Art and Printmaking

Christine Renc-Carter has spent her career preserving, interpreting, and creating art. A second-generation Florida artist, she began making drypoints on her…