Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg

Situated on the waterfront in St. Petersburg, Florida, the Salvador Dali Museum houses the most extensive collection of Dali paintings outside of Europe. It may seem odd this highly specialized artist’s museum exists in a city known for its year-round sunshine and beachfront tourism. But it was the city’s love of Dali that brought his collection to the area.

Art lovers A. Reynolds and Eleanor Morse first visited a Dali retrospective in 1942 and instantly became enamored with the artist’s work. They soon acquired numerous works before deciding to donate their collection and started looking for a new home to house it all. The St. Petersburg community rallied to bring the artist’s work to its city, and the Dali Museum officially opened its doors in 1982. The collection includes more than 2,400 of Dali’s works from oil paintings to prints, sculptures, documents and more.

Step inside the cozy museum and spend an hour or two seeing some of Dali’s most significant collections, including the iconic melting clock painting. There’s a free audio tour with admission, and even a kid-friendly version where Dali’s famous mustache plays the role of the guide. It’s also worth taking a moment to download the Dali Museum’s official app to take advantage of the augmented reality. The technology helps bring Dali’s complex canvases to life and turns your museum visit into a unique and interactive experience.

After checking out the Dali collection indoors, head outside to the lush gardens to find a melting bench and surrealist sculptures dotting the landscape. You can spend just an hour or so in the museum, or make the most of your time with a docent-led garden or architecture tour. Although the Dali Museum feels small in comparison to expansive museums that walk you through centuries of art history, it’s well worth the visit.