October 27, 2025

Great Explorations Children’s Museum plans new Discovery Center with focus on STEAM education

October 27, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After nearly four decades of inspiring young minds, Great Explorations Children’s Museum is dreaming bigger.

The beloved St. Petersburg institution, located at 1925 4th Street North next to Sunken Gardens, is searching for a larger home to keep pace with its expanding programs, growing preschool, and community impact.

Founded in 1986 as The Hands-On Museum, Great Explorations has evolved into a 24,000-square-foot center for imagination and discovery.

Children can shop in a mini grocery store, role-play as doctors, build, tinker, and experiment, all while learning through play.

In 2013, Angeline Howell joined the museum as its CEO.

A year later, the museum became the first mid-sized children’s museum in the country to earn accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, an honor that few children’s museums have achieved.

September 08, 2025

City plans $51 million expansion of Enoch D. Davis Center and Johnson Library in south St. Pete

September 08, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The City of St. Petersburg is preparing to embark on a $51 million project to reimagine the Enoch D. Davis Center and James Weldon Johnson Community Library in south St. Pete.

The city is seeking a qualified construction manager to oversee the creation of a new 53,000-square-foot shared facility at 1111 18th Avenue South.

The request for qualifications (RFQ) was advertised on August 18, with proposals due by September 25.

The 18,000-square-foot Enoch D. Davis Center, opened in 1981, currently offers human services, multipurpose halls, a fitness center, and other amenities.

Next door, the 14,000-square-foot James Weldon Johnson Community Library provides study and reading areas, a makerspace with tech equipment, and upgraded computer programs. Originally housed within the Davis Center, the library relocated to its current site in 2002.

September 03, 2025

St. Pete announces reopening date of the reimagined President Barack Obama Main Library

September 03, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After four years of renovations and construction delays, St. Petersburg is finally ready to welcome the community back to its reimagined 61-year-old library.

The City has completed a $16.8 million renovation of the President Barack Obama Main Library at 3745 9th Avenue North.

Mayor Ken Welch will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 27 at 9 a.m., followed by the public reopening at 10 a.m.

The library was originally designed in 1964 by noted St. Pete architect William Harvard.

In February 2018, the City announced the library would be renamed in honor of President Obama, and a sign was unveiled in February 2021.