Florida Holocaust Museum reopens Tuesday. Here’s a look at what’s new

The Brief

• The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg officially reopens Tuesday.

• The museum closed in July 2024 for $8 million in upgrades.

• New exhibits and enhanced security measures are in place.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – More than a year after closing for $8 million in upgrades, the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg officially reopens Tuesday.

What we know

The building along 5th St. South now has bulletproof glass and enhanced metal detectors for improved security.

There are new exhibits, as well, including “Dimensions in Testimony.” Four Holocaust survivors were interviewed, and technology picks up keywords in visitors’ questions to play the appropriate answer through a video screen.

An installation from the Elie Wiesel collection is another new exhibit. It’s temporary until the permanent one is built on the third floor.

Dig deeper

Exhibits Manager Caitlin Cranfill says the renovations centered on Thor, a Danish fishing boat used in 1943 to rescue Jews, adding that the upgrades are designed to create a more immersive, visitor-focused experience.

“That was a big piece that we wanted to incorporate with the museum,” Cranfill told FOX 13 last week. “After we brought it in and had it set up, we realized that our old exhibit wasn’t really working with the flow of how we currently have our new security system and where we have Thor. So, we decided to completely reimagine our core exhibit at the same time.”

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What’s next

The museum reopens Tuesday from 2-5 p.m. On Wednesday, you can get in for free from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. thanks to Duke Energy.

The Source

Information for this story was provided by the Florida Holocaust Museum staff.