From the Detroit the tour heads to the waterfront where you will learn about the historic Soreno Hotel (demolished), baseball coming to St. Petersburg (the Phillies won the 1915 pennant after training for their first spring in St. Pete) and William Straub and the creation of our waterfront park system. We will leave the park on 4th Avenue with its eclectic mix of historic buildings and where some of St. Pete’s most threatened historic homes are found, before passing the Flori-de-Leon Apartments where Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig lived during spring training.
You get to rest your feet as we hop upon one of PSTA’s trolley/buses to the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood, one of the most intact bungalow neighborhoods in the country. Our tour stops inside a restored bungalow, offering an opportunity to visit a historic Kenwood home not normally open to the public. In Kenwood, St. Petersburg Preservation is also pleased to have as our special guide City Council Chair Jeff Danner.
After continuing our walk through historic Kenwood with Jeff, the tour ends at the Craftsman House Gallery, originally built as the 1918 model home for the Kenwood neighborhood, where you will have the option of taking the next trolley/bus to return downtown or ordering lunch at the Gallery & Cafe or maybe picking out a gift from their incredible offerings of local and national artists and craftsmen.
For non-members, a ten dollar donation is requested and for members a five dollar donation which includes your round trip bus fare and a refreshing iced tea or water at the Gallery.
