Henry B. Plant Museum

Tucked into the south wing of the original Tampa Bay Hotel, the museum preserves the Gilded Age world Henry Plant created. Most of the original furnishings are still there.

The Henry B. Plant Museum occupies the southeast wing of what was the magnificent Tampa Bay Hotel, built in 1891 by railroad magnate Henry Plant after three years of construction costing $3 million. The hotel featured Florida's first elevator (still operating), and its 511 suites were the first in the state with telephones and electric lights. Guests included Theodore Roosevelt, the Queen of England, and Babe Ruth. The hotel became the University of Tampa's Plant Hall in 1933 after the 1930 economic downturn forced closure. Now a National Historic Landmark, it is one of Tampa's most haunted locations. The most notorious ghost is The Brown Man, believed to be Henry Plant himself, appearing as a shadowy figure in brown with glowing red eyes. One student encountered him—when she tried to speak, he lifted his hat revealing glowing red eyes before vanishing. Her professor calmly asked if that was why she was tardy, suggesting The Brown Man is well-known on campus. Professors and staff avoid making eye contact with him. Students report flickering lights, mysteriously moving objects, and footsteps echoing through empty halls late at night. Victorian-era servants are occasionally seen still going about their duties. A tall gentleman in bib overalls pushing a janitor's cart has been spotted in the museum hallways. The University of Tampa is considered one of America's most haunted campuses.