Salvador Dalí Museum

Largest Dalí collection outside Europe in striking modern building

Address 1 Dalí Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Admission $24 adults, $22 seniors, $17 students, under 6 free
Opening Hours Mon–Sat 10:00am–5:30pm, Thu until 8:00pm, Sun 12:00pm–5:30pm
Phone +1 727-823-3767
Website www.thedali.org

The largest collection of Dalí's work outside of Europe — around 2,400 works ranging from early academic paintings to the monumental late canvases. The building itself is worth the visit: a striking 2011 structure by architect Yann Weymouth, with a geodesic glass bubble erupting from one end. Inside, the permanent collection is arranged chronologically, which makes it unusually easy to follow Dalí's evolution from conventional Spanish painter to full Surrealist assault on sense. The late masterworks, some of them over 14 feet wide, dominate the top floor.

Allow two hours minimum. The audio guide is genuinely good and adds context that the labels alone don't provide.

things to do museum
A story
The collection came to St. Petersburg through a friendship between Dalí and Cleveland industrialist A. Reynolds Morse, who began buying Dalí's work in 1943. By the 1970s the Morses owned nearly 100 paintings and over 2,000 works on paper — too much to keep at home. St. Petersburg won a competition among several cities by pledging a dedicated museum and community support. Dalí visited the museum and reportedly approved.