October marks the beginning of St. Petersburg Preservation’s (SPP) 2016-2017 walking tour season. Tours will be offered every Saturday through April. Tours are free to SPP members and just $10 for non-members. Tours start at 10 a.m., except for the Historic Gulfport tour (3pm) and the lunch time tour (noon). Saturday tours, last approximately two hours and the Friday lunchtime tour lasts approximately one hour. Tour starting locations vary, depending upon the tour. Tour details, including starting time and location are listed below.
Tour participants see the jewels of St. Pete’s past while learning about the founding of the city, its historic architecture, and some of its newest architectural gems. SPP will be offering a wide choice of walking tours for the fall season. Tours, times and locations can be verified by checking the SPP website calendar, www.stpetepreservation.org/page-1326448 or by calling the SPP event line at 727 824 7802.
Saturday, October 1 & November 5 – The “Original” Downtown Walking Tour – starts at 10 a.m. at the corner of 1 st St and 1 st Ave. S.E., next to the entrance to the Saturday Morning Market (100 1 st St. S.E., St. Petersburg 33701). Tour participants will take a trip through the heart of downtown St. Pete, seeing grand hotels, stately churches, and architectural treasures like the Snell Arcade and the Open Air Post Office as well as seeing many examples of how historic buildings have been successfully reused. Additionally, participants will learn about how the city started and became one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations in the 1920’s. Much of the walk will be thru the Downtown National Register Historic District.
Friday Lunchtime Tour – Oct. 7 & Nov. 18 – starts at noon in front of Mickey’s Café & Organics, 318 Central Ave. The Friday lunchtime tour is led by architectural historian and St. Petersburg Preservation President Emily Elwyn. Tour goers will see some of the best of the city’s architecture, including the Open Air Post Office and the adjacent Snell Building, while being led by a historian offering a unique perspective on the growth of the ‘Burg. The tour will last approximately one hour, offering a great introduction to the city for visitors and a fun way for residents to learn something new about their city.
Saturday, October 8 &November 12 – The Waterfront Tour – starts at 10 a.m. at the corner of 1 st St and 1 st Ave. S.E., next to the entrance to the Saturday Morning Market (100 1 st St. S.E., St. Petersburg 33701). The waterfront has a great history, ranging from being the site of the fountain of youth to the departure point for the world’s first airline. Tour participants will get to visit the fountain of youth and learn about the history of the city, including the civic visionaries who transformed a working waterfront into one of the largest waterfront park systems in the country. In addition to seeing some of the best of the past tour goers will also have a chance to learn about some of the newest buildings gracing the waterfront and what the city has done to encourage good design in those buildings.
Saturday, October 15 & November 19 – Historic Gulfport – starts at 3 p.m. at the Gulfport Historical Museum, 5301 28 th Ave. S., Gulfport, FL. The Gulfport tour offers a stroll in the "suburbs" of funky and artsy Gulfport. Tour participants will get a look at this former fishing village on Boca Ceiga Bay and its collection of historic commercial and residential structures, including the National Register listed Gulfport Casino. With the introduction of the streetcar connecting it to St. Pete, Gulfport began to grow and to attract tourists in the 1920’s. The tour will be led by Cathy Salustri, a Gulfport local, author and the arts & entertainment editor for Creative Loafing.
Saturday, October 22 & November 26 – Westward Ho to Historic Kenwood – starts at 10 a.m. at Craftsman House Gallery, 2955 Central Ave. The tour offers a chance for participants to enjoy the feel & character of Historic Kenwood, one of the country’s premier bungalow neighborhoods and a National Register listed historic district. The tour is led by neighborhood residents proud to “show off” their neighborhood and excited to explain how hard work and reusing history changed a declining neighborhood into one of the ‘Burg’s most desirable neighborhoods. The tour will include a brief look inside one of the neighborhood’s restored bungalows. After the tour, guests can choose to enjoy a drink or lunch on the wonderful front deck at the Craftsman House, an “airplane” bungalow, the neighborhood’s original model home and a locally listed landmark.