ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg will close on July 22 while it undergoes the first part of a renovation and expansion project, staff announced Thursday.
The museum will temporarily close through the end of 2024 for the project, which will include an expanded gallery with space for the Danish rescue boat Thor, which will arrive in the fall. According to the museum, it was one of multiple fishing boats used to evacuate Jewish people from Nazi-occupied Denmark to Sweden in late 1943, an operation that saved more than 7,000 lives.
Staff added that the project will also include a new entrance, an open-air second-story balcony and a temporary installation featuring elements from Elie Wiesel's personal collection.
Wiesel was a writer, activist, and Holocaust survivor. He also cut the ribbon at the museum's opening in 1998 and was a professor at St. Petersburg’s Eckerd College for nearly 30 years.
The full exhibit, featuring his unfinished manuscripts, letters and more, will come during a later phase of the expansion.
“The Museum may be closing temporarily, but that won’t stop us from continuing to deliver our mission to the world,” said Interim CEO and Chair Emeritus Michael Igel. “As disturbing antisemitism continues to plague our communities, on behalf of all Holocaust victims and Survivors, we can’t afford to pause our work in confronting this plague with passion and education. We will be out in the community more than ever, helping people of all ages benefit from the lessons of the Holocaust. Thank you to all the members, donors, and elected officials who make all of this possible.”
The museum plans to reopen in early 2025, but its virtual library and educator resources will still be available during its closure.
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