Liquid to Land: Boat Tour Celebrates History and Nature

St. Pete Museum of History has a mission “to share Florida’s stories as the hub of scholarship and learning – to inspire, entertain, and promote civic engagement.” It’s no small order, but the museum makes it happen through thoughtful, creative exhibits, special events, and various history tours. One newer offering is a history lesson by boat titled, Liquid to Land: Discover St. Pete’s Waterfront History. This tour, touted as the city’s only historic boat tour, is in partnership with the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the bay’s natural habitats. Liquid to Land promises to take guests back in time while experiencing the beautiful nature of Tampa Bay and its shorelines. 

The tour departs from the St. Pete Pier and immediately gives guests the opportunity to learn about St. Pete’s history from a very different perspective. Museum Executive Director Rui Farias leads the tour and takes us back to the beginning of St. Pete as the “city that was never meant to be,” from its original purpose as an industrial port city. Farias covers an immense amount of history during the two-hour ride, and he does so in a most entertaining way. Covering the 1800s to today, the tour includes topics such as aviation, our waterfront parks, segregation, St. Pete pop culture through the years, architecture, war, historic myths and truths, prohibition, and the list goes on. One of the highlights is seeing some of St. Pete’s special landmarks from the water, such as the Pier, the historic Vinoy Hotel, the beautiful Snell mansion, along with stunning water views of the bay’s natural environment. 

Unfortunately, the beautiful history and development of our city comes with a price, and the partnership with Tampa Bay Watch allows us to understand more. Education Specialist Dakoeta Pinto discussed the various ways that the dredge-and-fill practices that created our current waterfront has affected its habitats. He also provided invaluable expertise on the bay’s ecology and discussed the importance of preserving Tampa Bay’s delicate ecosystem. 

As the tour explored various areas of the bay, Pinto pointed out the different mangroves, various bird species and other wildlife – including a dolphin cameo, to the delight of the guests. Pinto also explained how oyster reef balls can stabilize the shoreline, showing how humans can make a positive impact on the bay’s health.

The boat tour invites visitors to learn our city’s abundant human history while highlighting the importance of conservation of Tampa Bay’s natural environment. The partnership between the Museum of History and Tampa Bay Watch caters to both history and nature enthusiasts, and reminds visitors that our past is always interwoven with the present, and future, of Tampa Bay. 

Find the next tour and many other Museum of History events at spmoh.com/events.