On our trip to Florida this year we did some Orlando activities like visiting Universal, as one should do; we went to Tampa for several activities there, and then we moved to the coast and did a tour through Clearwater and St Petersburg (or as it is usually called St Pete). In there we visited an attraction that is a must visit: The Dali Museum, a big musuem showcasing original works from one of the biggest artists of the twentieth century, a big influence on culture and a namesake of surrealism. The Dali Museum has the largest art collection outside of Europe of Salvador Dali works.

The Dali Museum has two main showing areas: one dedicated wxclusively to the artist and his own works on permanent display, and one which is a temporary collection. These days, it´s Dali & Disney telling both their stories and their collaborative work. Being that Walt Disney is probably one of the people I admire the most, I was excited to see the exhibition.

The Dali Museum XX

When you see this painting from afar, you see Abraham Lincoln.
The Dali Museum.
Photo Credit: Guillermo Paz – seriesandtv.com

There are several of the paintings that are very very famous, as well as some artifacts, but the experience of visiting The Dali Museum is one of discovering. Moving around, looking things up close, looking things from afar.

The Dali Museum XX

But when you see it up close it is Salvador Dali´s wife and muse Gala.
The Dali Museum.
Photo Credit: Guillermo Paz – seriesandtv.com

There are moments where you can learn about Dali´s early years, and how we evolved and transitioned between styles, experimenting with ways of manipulating forms, figures and elements.

And then there are those wow moments when you will be in awe in front of one of the mega paintings Dali made.

The Dali Museum Painting

You will probably be a while in front of this painting taking it all in.
Photo Credit: Dayana Barrionuevo – dayanabarrionuevo.com

During your visit you will be guided by an audio tour with an Ipod like device where you will select the language of the audio tour and then click on what you want to know according to where you are in the museum.

You will see the style of Dali everywhere; even in the gaden where you may be seated on a melted bench or take a selfie with the most famous mustaches.

There is a coffe shop and a Souvenir store you can visit while you are in the museum. Both areas are very neat and the store is a place where you will be able to find tons of cool stuff from tees to magnets, cups to paintings. The Art books were amazing and what we generally do when visiting museums like this is we end up buying one of the collection books instead of taking too many pictures, as we will hardly ever get in perfect position with no one in front of us to take good pics. Normally we take a few so we can add them to our coverage and that´s it. We sit back and enjoy the art.

Who will like the visit to The Dali Museum in St Pete?

  • Anyone who loves art.
  • Anyone who studied or studies a career related to art, design, film or communications. After all, Dali made contributions to all of those with his works.
  • Anyone who enjoys museums or history in whatever form; as you will see the works of one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.
  • Anyone visiting St Pete who wants to do the “Must do attractions” of the area. Even if you don´t “know art” or are a Dali fan, you will probably enjoy the day.

Some Travel Tips for visiting The Dali Museum:

  • I wouldn´t recommend bringing kids or teens unless they are inclined to art, or is a special kids/teens/school activity. It is a quiet visit that lasts 4 hours minimum. During our visit it was mostly adults.
  • The audio guided tour will take you probably three to four hours; but if you want to enjoy everything there is, like the garden, the store, the coffee shop, the labyrinth, you will end up four to five hours in the museum. Allot your time and set your schedule according to that.
  • Try to go in the morning as you will have all day to enjoy the museum. As late as 1 PM and you will still have a good tour. Later than that you will be missing a lot.
  • Be alert to the parking areas. If there is a race in the circuit next to the museum, you will need to do a slight detour compared to what your GPS will tell you.

All in all, if you are in St Pete, visiting The Dali Museum is a must do activity. I´ll even go as far as telling you that if you are in Tampa Bay you should do a few extra miles and go check it out. For more information about The Dali Museum visit its official website.

I hope this is useful to you, and please, let me know your thoughts if you went there. You can follow me on Twitter or other social media for more travel tips and reviews.

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