In the 1920s, St. Petersburg was teeming with tourist traffic. Perry Snell created the 275-acre Snell Isle subdivision, and his interest in Mediterranean Revival architecture caught on. Practically the entire city was made over with a Mediterranean flair, which can still be seen at The Vinoy Hotel, the Princess Martha, the Jungle Country Club Hotel and the Snell Arcade. Original Spanish-style homes still pepper certain residential neighborhoods.

The Great Depression put an abrupt end to the city’s growth, but it would recover again toward the end of the 1930s. The next growth phase occurred in the 1940s, primarily due to the U.S. military. The Coast Guard Station on Bayboro Harbor was used as a World War II training base. St. Petersburg was also the site of one of the Army Air Corps’ major technical services training centers. This brought in a huge population of military trainees and their families, many of whom would return to St. Petersburg as residents or tourists after the war. The next decade would bring air conditioning – and a large retired population along with it – to St. Petersburg.

Currently, St. Petersburg is still growing and revitalizing itself. Historic neighborhoods are being restored, as residents are proud to invest in their communities. Retail shops, restaurants, live music and cultural venues, movie theaters and museums can be enjoyed in the downtown area. The waterfront offers sailing, boating, fishing and swimming opportunities.

Popular attractions include The Pier, Sunken Gardens, Fort DeSoto, Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Walk of Fame and Baseball Boulevard. The Pier is the landmark of St. Petersburg, stretching a half-mile into Tampa Bay from downtown. Shops and restaurants fill the five-story center, as well as The Pier Aquarium, Duck Boat tours, dining cruises and an observation deck. The Sunken Gardens is a four-acre botanical garden containing more than 50,000 exotic plants and flowers. Open every day, the Sunken Gardens also has a butterfly garden, an exotic bird aviary, a wedding lawn and an orchid arbor. Fort DeSoto is 900 acres of county preserve with seven miles of beaches, a campground, boat ramps and fitness trails.

Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay Walk of Fame and Baseball Boulevard are testaments to St. Petersburg’s love of baseball. Tropicana Field is the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. At the west entrance is the Walk of Fame, a tribute to the many sports legends who grew up in the Tampa Bay metro area. Baseball Boulevard is a series of plaques depicting St. Petersburg’s 87 years of baseball, beginning with the St. Louis Browns’ move to the city in 1914 for spring training.

While St. Petersburg residents love to watch baseball, they love to play golf even more. Mangrove Bay, Cypress Links and Twin Brooks are three municipally owned local courses. There are also many private, championship courses within St. Petersburg and the surrounding Tampa Bay area.

St. Petersburg hosts more than 900 events downtown or on the waterfront throughout the year. Annual events include The Festival of States, St. Anthony’s Triathlon, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Regata Del Sol al Sol, a yacht race from St. Petersburg to Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Smaller events include outdoor music concerts, food fests and Shakespeare festivals. For a more formal cultural experience, downtown is home to six major museums, including the famous Salvador Dali Museum. There are also many art galleries and several theater venues.