Its abundant history is uniquely told with a leisurely stroll through the city's historic cemeteries. Oaklawn Cemetery, Tampa's first public burial ground, was created in 1850 when Tampa had only 500 residents. By the late 1800s, some of Tampa's most prominent citizens were buried in newly formed cultural and social club burial grounds.

Human history in the Tampa Bay area goes back thousands of years, long before the first European visitors landed in “La Florida,” before Florida became the 27th US state, before Henry Plant and others brought railroads and hotels to the area, and before Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to a Superbowl. Oldest Tampa Bay is your invitation to explore how one of the fastest growing and changing areas in the United States evolved from “Tampa Town” that sprung up around Fort Brooke to “Cigar City” which is home to the country’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker, to a major metropolitan area. Visit a shipyard older than the state of Florida, take a ride on Florida’s oldest restored streetcar and have a tropical drink at one of the oldest tiki bars in the country. Catch a movie at the Tampa Bay area’s oldest drive-in theater or an exhibit at the oldest museum in St. Petersburg. Along the way you’ll meet some of the pioneering men and women that shaped the area, from the McMullen and Beall families to West Tampa developer Hugh MacFarlane, Kate Jackson who was the driving force behind the area’s first playground, John Ringling, Mary Wheeler Eaton, Madame Fortune Taylor, and a great many others. In 90 chapters spanning over a thousand years and multiple cities including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton and Sarasota, author Joshua Ginsberg has endeavored to capture the unique character of the Tampa Bay area.

Like treasured family heirlooms, the historic churches and temples of Tampa are lovingly cared for by their devoted congregations. With more than 200 vintage images, Historic Tampa Churches shares stories of tragedy and triumph, from St. Peter Claver Church, whose congregation watched the first church burn to the ground 10 days after its dedication, to the Sisters of St. Joseph at St. Benedict School, who found themselves jailed for teaching students in the African American community. Many of these churches, like Ybor City's Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, West Tampa's St. Joseph Church, and downtown's Greater Bethel Baptist Church, are found at the center of Tampa's ethnically diverse communities. Passed down from generation to generation, these architectural gems serve as a reminder of the countless men and women who selflessly labored for the growth of their churches, leaving a lasting legacy of faith and good works.

Where can you join in a pirate parade, see live mermaids, and catch a flamenco dance performance at the oldest and largest Spanish restaurant in America? Where does the spirit of an ancient Tocobaga shaman allegedly continue to protect the area from the forces of nature? Where can you wander through secret gardens, listen to bagpipe music, take a class in fire spinning, and sample a seemingly endless variety of local craft beers, all on the same day? The answer, of course, is Tampa Bay. Secret Tampa Bay: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure provides a deeper dive into the local culture, history, art, and one-of-a-kind attractions as alternatives to the usual beaches and theme parks. Whether it’s an abandoned island fort from the Spanish-American War, a dolphin famous for its prosthetic tail, a love story captured on a tombstone, or a town of circus sideshow performers, whatever natural or unnatural wonder you’re seeking, you are sure to find it here. Join author Joshua Ginsberg as he explores Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and the surrounding areas in search of hidden history, strange monuments, museums, oddities, antiques, and the very best Cuban sandwich. From gangsters to gators to ghost stories, it’s sure to be a memorable experience.

Tampa Bay Magazine is the area's lifestyle magazine. For over 25 years it has been featuring the places, people and pleasures of Tampa Bay Florida, that includes Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. You won't know Tampa Bay until you read Tampa Bay Magazine.

“A rare and compassionate look into the lives of Americans who go unclaimed when they die and those who dedicate their lives to burying them with dignity.”—Matthew Desmond, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Poverty, by America For centuries, people who died destitute or alone were buried in potters’ fields—a Dickensian end that even the most hard-pressed families tried to avoid. Today, more and more relatives are abandoning their dead, leaving it to local governments to dispose of the bodies. Up to 150,000 Americans now go unclaimed each year. Who are they? Why are they being forgotten? And what is the meaning of life if your death doesn’t matter to others? In this extraordinary work of narrative nonfiction, eight years in the making, sociologists Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans uncover a hidden social world. They follow four individuals in Los Angeles, tracing the twisting, poignant paths that put each at risk of going unclaimed, and introducing us to the scene investigators, notification officers, and crematorium workers who care for them when no one else will. The Unclaimed lays bare the difficult truth that anyone can be abandoned. It forces us to confront a variety of social ills, from the fracturing of families and the loneliness of cities to the toll of rising inequality. But it is also filled with unexpected moments of tenderness. In Boyle Heights, a Mexican American neighborhood not far from the glitter of Hollywood, hundreds of strangers come together each year to mourn the deaths of people they never knew. These ceremonies, springing up across the country, reaffirm our shared humanity and help mend our frayed social fabric. Beautifully crafted and profoundly empathetic, The Unclaimed urges us to expand our circle of caring—in death and in life.