Museum of History Current Events and Exhibits
"Treasures of NOAA's Ark Now Open : Pioneers, People, and Technology"
Treasures of NOAA's Ark Opens!
It is difficult to talk about weather, water, climate and commerce without discussing NOAA and
its ancestor agencies, the U.S. Coast Survey, U.S. Weather Bureau, and U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries.
NOAA has in its care a wealth of resources that recall the agency's proud history and dedicated service to the Nation. These include maps, charts, photographs, books, scientific instruments and other artifacts -- some centuries old.
NOAA is also the steward of large-scale historic and cultural resources, such as buildings and shipwrecks. These resources are of immense value not only to NOAA but also to the American people -- their true owners.
In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed the law authorizing the Survey of the Coast. This is our oldest NOAA component and in fact, NOAA just celebrated the 200th anniversary of Coast Survey in 2007.
NOAA has deep roots that also include the establishment of the Weather Bureau in 1870 and the Commission on Fish and Fisheries in 1971.
Treasures of NOAA's Ark, which opened on June 14th, is a small example of how the history of NOAA and the Nation are intertwined. The exhibit highlights groundbreaking technologies developed by NOAA and its predecessors that have helped save lives, promote commerce, and expand our knowledge of the Earth.
NOAA plays a major role in the fascinating history of technologies and services we all take for
granted today, from Global Positioning Systems to weather satellite imagery.
But technology is just one of the stars of Treasures of NOAA's Ark. The exhibit highlights Pioneers: People and Technology. Eight pioneers, past and present, are featured whom have made significant contributions to our understanding of land, sea and sky.
Featured pioneers include:
· African-American innovator George Washington Carver, who provided weather data to the U.S. Weather Bureau;
· Silent Spring author Rachel Carson, who began her career as a writer and scientist with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries; and
· NOAA scientist Susan Solomon, who played a key role in identifying the cause of the Antarctic ozone hole.
· These inspiring pioneers are as diverse as NOAA itself. They are role models whose legacy of service to the nation is truly worth celebrating.
Treasures of NOAA's Ark further promotes the Administration's Preserve America Initiative calling on NOAA and other federal agencies to step up efforts to inventory, preserve, and showcase our nation's rich heritage and foster tourism in partnership with local communities.
St. Petersburg is the exhibit's third venue in three years; the first
taking place in Norfolk, Virginia and the second stop in Seattle, Washington. Partnering with institutions like the Museum allows NOAA to tell its story. NOAA is proud to be partnering with the Museum and the Pier Aquarium.
During its six month stay - the Museum, the Pier and NOAA will work together to bring a number of education programs to the public including "Meet the NOAA scientist" - a speaker series
Click Here to learn more about the City of St. Petersburg's involvement in the NOAA Preserve America Initiative.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History is pleased to partner with St. Anthony’s Hospital to present Mission and Medicine an exhibition exploring the history of St. Anthony’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. 
An exciting new exhibit, aptly named, “Royalty…Triumphs and Tragedies" opened February 9th 2008 at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. This is a living exhibit, in that the vast collection of memorabilia is constantly rotated to ensure the visitor has something new and exciting to see each visit.
including: Diana, Princess of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II, The Queen Mother, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (King Edward VIII and Mrs. Wallace Simpson), Prince Charles, The Princess Royal and Royalty.
For the first time ever, the exhibit will feature a collection of dresses from the “American Princess” her Serene Highness, Grace of Monaco, kindly loaned by Suzanne and Jess King of Austin, TX. To mark the 25th anniversary of her death, this stunning collection will include gowns and dresses that punctuated her life before her untimely death in 1982. For more on this exciting event, please visit 
and operated by the St. Petersburg Historical society (a non for profit charity) funded by local donations and admission fees and Hospice of the Florida Suncoast (a nonprofit charity). All proceeds will be used locally for breast cancer patients and their families. The exhibit curator Audrey Fournier is a long time volunteer with the Hospice of the Florida Suncoast and the Pink Ribbons Crusade. Gloria Bussey, Margaret Rogers-Kline and other Pink Ribbons and Hospice volunteers assembled this exhibit.
The St. Petersburg Museum of History and the patients and their families from 