The city has a children's museum (Great Explorations), Museum of Fine Arts, a History Museum (which has a full-size replica of the Benois seaplane and is located near the approximate spot by the St. Petersburg Pier where the first flight took place), a Holocaust Museum, and the Salvador Dali Museum, which houses the largest collection of Dali's work outside of Europe, including a number of famous and large-scale paintings such as The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. There are also various other smaller art galleries and entertainment venues (such as the Arts Center, Florida Craftsmen, and Mahaffey Theater), especially in the Downtown area, which has seen a boom in development since the mid 1990s.
The St. Petersburg Pier is a popular tourist attraction. It contains a small aquarium open to the public, retail shopping, adventure activities, and dining, most notably the historic Columbia Restaurant. Various sightseeing boat rides are also offered. Frequently docked at The Pier is the replica of the HMS Bounty used in the 1962 MGM movie starring Marlon Brando. The Bounty charges a fee for tours, and has recently returned from filming the sequels to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean.
Downtown is the location of the Baywalk shopping complex, home to a Muvico 20 screen movie theater, as well as many chain restaurants and retail shops, catering to more of a middle and upper class audience. North of downtown is Great Explorations, The Children's Museum, a fun, interactive museum with many new exhibits, including a children's village with giant pretend stores, Fire House and Pet Vet Clinic, and preschool, science, music, art, and water exhibits. Local produce farmers can be found selling their fruits up and down the downtown region, as well as live bands, barbecue vendors, and artists of all kinds. The locally renowned "Ringside Cafe" features live Blues music every night from various musicians, and is always a hotspot among the locals. Most of the nightlife downtown can be found on/near Central Avenue. Perhaps the most notable fixture of this nightlife strip is Jannus Landing, a huge open-air concert venue that also has its own nightclub.
Florida's Beaches
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