Ever been curious how Ybor City began?

If so, this $3 tour is for you.

Located near the weekend farmer’s market, the Ybor City Museum (1818 E. 9th Avenue, www.ybormuseum.org) is a good value if you have a half hour to kill and want to learn more about Ybor. With a focus on the multiple ethnic backgrounds of it’s first residents and the cigar culture that built the town, the museum offers several displays and a video room to share the history of the city with you.

When you walk in, you’re surrounded by information walls talking about the cigar rolling process. From there, you take a turn to see several sections of inset wall displays, each dedicated to a different faction of residents from Ybor’s early days. Everyone knows the Cuban influence here, but what about the German? or Italian? or Jewish influences? Walking around Ybor today, you can still see several of these original buildings. The short film played for museum attendees is a little dry, but all around very educational.

The really interesting parts are near the end of the museum. Sectioned off is a cigar-rollers station with the original tools on display. It amazes me that anyone could work so efficiently with what I’d consider to be incapable tools (by today’s standards, anyway). In this display, you also get a good look at the reader’s chair. In the video tour, the explain the importance of the reader and the democratic process used to elect these highly respected actors/anchorman.

If you like the atmosphere of Ybor and are looking for a special place to hold your next wedding, reunion or other event, you’ll want to inquire about using their outdoor facility. It’s a beautiful outdoor garden, infusing classic cigar styling and brick architecture with a beautiful fountain and lush greenscapes.

Here’s a few pictures of the museum:

Uncategorized ybor museum