Add the Florida International Museum to your to-do list

It's not new, and it's not that old, either. But the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg is evolving into one of the top tourist destinations in the Tampa Bay area.

The museum opened several years ago with the goal of staging blockbuster art exhibits. It scored big with exhibits from Egypt, Peru and China, to name a few. But last year's Kennedy exhibit marked a change in the museum's direction: The collection became a permanent fixture at the museum.

Now, Florida International is the home of the largest private collection of Kennedy artifacts in the world. Twenty themed galleries include full-size re-creations of the Rose Garden, Oval Office and other famous President Kennedy scenes. There are hundreds of personal items such as clothing, personal notes, letters, photographs, dresses worn by Jackie Kennedy and jewelry - many of which have never been displayed before.

Other highlights at the Florida International Museum:

-- America Through the CBS Eye - An exhibition of memorable images from the CBS Photo Archives dating from 1928 and featuring Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and others. Scenes from classic CBS series such as "Honeymooners," "I Love Lucy" and "All in the Family" are also included. The exhibit runs through Feb. 1, 2000.

-- The Cuban Missile Crisis: When the Cold War Got Hot - This 10,000 square foot exhibit opens on Dec. 15, 2000, and runs through the spring of 2001. It will highlight the tense events of October 1962 when the U.S. and Russia came close to nuclear war. Items on display will include photos, uniforms, military items, fallout shelter materials, evacuation plans, personal items, maps, diaries, flight logs and documents.

-- The museum is now affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and is planning a 15,000 square foot expansion that will feature permanent installations from the archives of the Smithsonian and other museums. The addition is to open in 2001.

The museum is located in a former department store in downtown St. Petersburg, close to the bay and several other museums. Across the street from the museum, the Bay Walk Entertainment Complex is opening this winter with restaurants, bars, stores and a theater.

Tickets to the Florida International are $11.95 for adults, $10.95 for seniors, $5.95 for students and $7.50 for groups over 20. Lower-priced tickets are offered if you just want to see one of the exhibits. Annual passes are available for $13.95, which entitles you to unlimited visits to all exhibits for a year.

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