The Salvador Dalí Museum – St. Petersburg, Florida

On a trip to St. Petersburg/Tampa in May of 1999,  we visited the Salvador Dali Museum. For those of you who are not familiar with Dali, he has been called The man, The master, and The marvel. Whatever you called him, he was a surrealist artist who was born in Figueres, Spain, on May 11, 1904. He always took great risks and proved how rich the world can be when you dare to embrace pure, boundless creativity.

One of his most famous works to this day is his Persistence of Time, and I have always liked Dali’s work. Thus I was very happy to visit his museum in St. Petersburg. The museum itself opened in January of 2011 and contains 95 original oils, over 100 watercolors and drawings, nearly 1,300 graphics and sculptures. We opted to take a tour, which was very informative. The docent was well educated in the life of Salvador Dali and had an incredibly great understanding of the man and his works.

There was a lot to see, but the museum was laid out very well. It was divided into different periods called: Early Works, Transitional Period, Surrealism, Classical Period, and his Masterworks. Among his early works and transitional periods were Cadaques-1923, Self Portrait (Figueres) – 1921, and Beigneuse (sic) – 1928.

In the Surrealist exhibit we saw such paintings as Ouefs Sur Plat sans le Plat- 1932 (Eggs on a plate without the Plate), The Weaning of Furniture-Nutrition-1934, Archeological Reminiscence of Millet’s Angelus-1933-1935, Old Age Adolescence, Infancy(The Three Ages) -1940, and Slave Market with the Disappearing Bust of Voltaire – 1940.

There was also the Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory-1952-1954, which is also considered part of the classical period. The most exciting part of the whole Dali Museum was his masterworks. They were absolutely incredible. Nature Morte Vivante – 1956 (Still-Life-Fast Moving), Velazquez Painting the Infanta Margarita with the Lights and Shadows of His Own Glory – 1958, The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus – 1958, Ecumenical Council – 1960, Galacidalaesoxiribunucleicacid – 1963, and Hallucinogenic Toreador – 1969-70.

These pieces are amazing and well worth taking a tour to hear and learn about. Dali was exceptional at double images or hidden images in his work. This complexity is what sets him apart from other creative artists. Some of his works could take a while to decipher and we wished that it was closer to us so we could get a yearly pass to really analyze his work. It was a great museum that I would love to go back to the next time we’re in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area.

They also have the Avant-Gardens which were created to promote a time of quiet reflection and soulful contemplation. It is open 30 minutes prior to opening and remains open for 30 minutes after the galleries close.   Sounds like a great way to start or end your visit.  Anyway, they have a garden labyrinth structure that is made of hedges with a single, swirling pathway that always leads to the center of the labyrinth.

With that said, I would like to end this post, with a quote from Dali himself: “Each morning when I awake, I experience again a supreme pleasure – that of being Salvador Dali.” Here is a link if you would like to check out his museum. Hope you can visit someday if you haven’t been. It is quite impressive.

While you are in the area, you definitely also need to check out the Sunshine Bridge. It is truly amazing and a great way to end your day after running around the museum.

Salvador Dali Museum Visitor Information

Address:

One Dalí Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Phone:

1-727-823-3767

Hours:

Daily 10 am – 5:30 pm

Prices: (Valid as of October 2019)

Adults (age 18-64): $25 | $22
Seniors (age 65+): $23 | $20
Students (age 6-12): $10 | $7
Students (age 13-17): $18 | $14
College Students: $17 | $14
Children age 5 or younger: Free | Free
Members: Free | Free

Tours:

Gallery Public Tours (free with admission)
Experience our comprehensive collection of Salvador Dalí works under the guidance of one of our expert tour guides. You’ll learn all about the man, the art and the legend that is Salvador Dalí. Perfecte!

• Monday – Friday: 10:30am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm
  Thursday Evening (Museum open late):  5:30pm, 6:30pm
• Saturday: 10:30am, 11:30am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm
• Sunday: 12:00pm, 12:30pm, 1pm (en Espanol*), 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm
• *Spanish Gallery Public Tours
  Experience a special tour of the collection of Dalí works led by a Spanish-speaking tour guide. Sundays at 1pm.

Garden Tour

• Monday: 10:30am
• Sunday: 10:30am

Architecture Tour: 

• Monday: 11:15am
• Tuesday: 11am
• Wednesday: 11am
• Thursday: 11am & 12:15pm
• Friday: 11:45am & 12:45pm
• Saturday: 12:45 pm & 1:45pm
• Sunday: 12:45pm & 1:45pm

Private Guided Tours (additional fee)
Private docent-led tours are available with 48 hours advanced notice. These tours are approximately 1-hour and can encompass The Works of Dalí; focus on specific areas on interest such as mathematics, science, psychology and religion; or try our popular “ProvocaTour” which delves into the more provocative subjects in Dalí’s works. We offer private tours in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian and Japanese.

Private tours are available for groups with up to 60 guests.
Less than 10 guests – Standard Admission + $100
10 or more guests – Discounted Group Admission + $10/person

Parking:

Convenient on-site parking is available for $10. Parking is free for members as available.  There are also various surface lots, street parking and city parking garages and the St. Petersburg Downtown Looper trolley. Parking fees vary.

Directions:

Approaching via Tampa
Take I-275 southbound across the Howard Frankland Bridge to St. Petersburg. Take exit #22 (I-175 E) towards Tropicana Field Follow I-175 until end, turns into Dalí Blvd (aka 5th Ave S) Dalí Museum will be on your left after 4th light.

Approaching via Clearwater
Take U.S. 19 southbound and follow to 1st Avenue South in St. Petersburg. Take a left onto 1st Avenue South. Follow 1st Ave S to 4th Street South. Take a right onto 4th Street South. Follow 4th St S to Dalí Blvd (aka: 5th Ave S) Take a left onto Dalí Blvd (aka: 5th Ave S) Dalí Museum will be on your left after 3rd light.

Approaching via Sarasota
Take I-75 N to I-275 northbound across the Sunshine Skyway (toll cost $1.50) to St. Petersburg. Take exit #22 (I-175 E) towards Tropicana Field Follow I-175 until end, turns into Dalí Blvd (aka 5th Ave S) Dalí Museum will be on your left after 4th light.

Accessibility Amenities

For Visitors Needing ADA Accessible Parking 
The Dali Museum offers 9 designated accessible parking spaces in the lot adjacent to the Museum, available on a first come, first served basis. Entrance to the parking lot is available off Dalí Blvd. A drop-off and loading zone is located adjacent to the parking lot and the Museum for visitors needing assistance.

The primary ADA accessible entrance to the Museum is located on the west side of the building, facing the parking area. Follow accessibility signage for entrance to the Museum. Ramps are available on the West side of the building from the accessibility drop-off/loading area marked in blue.

For Visitors with Mobility Needs
The Museum offers a limited number of wheelchairs for public use within the building. Visitors wishing to use a courtesy wheelchair can make a request at the App/Information Station located at the base of the spiral stairway. The courtesy wheelchairs are available on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations for wheelchairs are not available at this time.

The Museum’s galleries and the Will Raymund Theater are manual and electric mobility device accessible. Accessible doors are available at both the main entrance to the Museum and the entrance to the Avant Garden.

Tours require light walking with periods of rest and are wheelchair accessible.

For Visitors with Auditory Needs
Closed captioning is provided in the Will Raymund Theater for the Museum’s “An Unparalleled Collection” and “Surrealism: The Big Idea” films.

Free audio content can be accessed by downloading the Dalí Museum App. Audio descriptions of selected artworks are available within the app. A selection of these audio descriptions are available in five additional languages: French, German Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. App tours are also available in a variety of sizes. Printed large print booklets of tours are also available at the App/Information Station located at the base of the spiral stairway.

The Museum also offers a limited supply of courtesy Induction Neck loops (standard 3.5mm connection) for use with personal hearing aids that have a t-coil switch, headphones, or adaptive devices.

American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation can be requested (727-623-4706) two weeks in advance of your visit. There is no charge for this service. To request an ASL interpreter, please submit this request form.