Well… sort of. It still feels like summer here in West Central Florida, with daytime temps lingering in the mid-90s °F. Thankfully, the early mornings and evenings have started to cool down, dipping into the low 70s, which feels great.
This past weekend, St. Pete hosted a Free Museum Day, with eight local museums participating. You can check out the full list here.
The Imagine Museum offered free admission for two days instead of just one. We decided to skip the Saturday crowds and visit on Sunday instead—and it turned out to be a lovely day.
The Imagine Museum offers a truly breathtaking collection of contemporary glass art. Featuring works by artists from around the globe, the museum showcases a wide range of styles, techniques, and creative expressions in glass. We were amazed by the artistry and innovation on display — as you can see in the photos below.
Before our visit, the only glass artist we were familiar with was Dale Chihuly. During our time at the museum, we learned a little more about him and his mentor, Lino Tagliapietra — a Venetian glass master whose influence can be seen in the exquisite glass boats that seem to float from the ceiling at the museum's entrance. These delicate, gondola-like forms are a stunning tribute to Venice’s rich glassblowing heritage and set the tone for the incredible experience that awaits inside.
glass boats hanging in the ceiling greet you at the entrance
Japanese glass art
Venetian glass
Chihuly's signature blown glass
Amazing number of Buddha heads
Next time you’re headed to the popular Clearwater Beach, consider making a quick detour to nearby St. Pete for an arts fix — the city is packed with amazing museums, including the Dali Museum and the Florida Holocaust Museum, just to name a couple. If you’re a fan of glass art, you’re in for a treat: the Imagine Museum and the Chihuly Collection are both must-visits. They’re just a few blocks apart, so it’s easy to see both in one trip.
Fun fact: the Chihuly Collection is less than a mile from downtown St. Pete, and you can either walk or hop on the free Looper Trolley to get there.
Downtown St Pete has grown leaps and bounds since we discovered this little gem about a dozen years ago. High rises continue to sprout all over town. There are restaurants galore. With a new ferry service connecting St Pete and Tampa, you can visit both cities without worrying about traffic and parking. We have fond memories of the iconic inverted pyramid at The Pier, which met its wrecking ball in 2015.
Inverted pyramid at The Pier
The new pier opened in July of 2020. In the height of the pandemic, this outdoor space was the perfect place to roam and explore. More about the new pier in this post.
This past weekend, we were thrilled to catch a glimpse (albeit through the chain link fence) of the Grand Prix in action (see video below). After strolling around the waterfront, we went to check out Chihuly's new location on Central Ave.
Later, we wandered into an alley of cute shops, and as we walked out the back, we were greeted with some creative murals.
Eye of the storm by Ricky Watts
Further up, we ran into some artists creating works of arts on dumpsters. You can read more about the murals here.
Woo Tribute mural, and artist at work
Faces by BASK
Every time we visit downtown St Pete, we come away feeling happy and grateful to have a neat place like this near us.
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