Every Map Tells a Story

About this event

Join docent Jim Dinsmore for a 30-minute guided tour at the gallery entrance on the second floor and learn how maps document the people, movement and conflicts that shaped Florida. Jim connects individual maps on topics such as Indigenous communities, European explorers, settlers, U.S. troops and Seminoles, showing how geography influenced encounters, transportation routes and the growth of communities across the state.

On this gallery tour, Jim discusses concepts such as Indigenous groups and foreign explorers, competition for territory during the 1800s and the military roads that connected Florida communities.

Jim previously worked in communications for local nonprofits. After moving to Tampa and spending time at the History Center, he developed a broader understanding of Florida history and an appreciation for maps as more than tools for finding a route. His tour presents them as graphic records of how people moved across the land, interacted and shaped the places Floridians know today.

About gallery tours

During docent-led gallery tours, guests view artifacts, maps, photographs and other historical materials from the History Center’s collections while hearing accurate, well-researched stories about the people, events and communities that shaped Tampa Bay.

Each tour centers on specific objects and displays, specifically maps for this series of gallery tours. The docent explains what these materials document, connects them to broader historical events and answers visitor questions. For first-time visitors, a gallery tour provides a focused introduction to the History Center’s collections and the major themes presented throughout the galleries. Tours are included with admission.

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From Tampa Bay History Center