Fairgrounds St. Pete
Fairgrounds St. Pete is described as an immersive art experience, but it feels like a millennial love text (not letter) to Florida. St. Pete, which is known for embracing art all around its downtown area seems like the perfect place to create an exhibit that is a feast for your senses. I can only dream of a universe where all office space is transformed into art.
When you drive up to what seems like an abandoned building partly under construction, you wonder if you are in the right spot, but you quickly spot the tent outside where you check-in.
The theme of the experience is entering a mysterious Florida motel. Upon entry, you get to choose which way you explore the motel, and in each area, there are clues to uncover. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you the result of finding each clue, but it adds another layer to the immersion beyond Instagram-worthy images and viral Tiktoks.
Some rooms carry on the motel theme from the lobby, guest rooms, a tiki lounge, a trippy pool deck that makes you feel like you are in the upside-down, and a seating area that puts you in the middle of a Florida thunderstorm (without the actual rain). Other areas feel like they are paying homage to quirky Florida favorites like the Strawberry room, and a very cool but easily missed lookout that takes you underneath a Florida highway overpass overlooking the city lights.
Other areas feel more like insta-worthy add ons, like the rooms of lamps, a vanity room, and maybe my favorite but also unexplainable orange juice, cat-themed spaceship. There is fantastic attention to detail inside, but I truly have no idea what it was, but I liked it, and it made me happy. And that’s the whole point of walking through this experience that some call otherworldly. It’s fun, visually satisfying, and takes you out of our painful reality for an hour or so.
What to know before you go:
Look for the pink signs that lead you into the parking area and keep following them.
Tickets can be purchased online for a specific time slot. Once you are in, no one ushers you around or gives you a time limit. Explore at your own pace and go in and out of areas as often as you want.
All staff was wearing masks, and while they were strongly encouraged, most patrons had them on, but of course not everyone.
Right now, the installation is permanent and will most likely rotate some art, so don’t feel rushed to go, it will be around.
It’s suitable for all ages, kids included.
The founders have stated that out of the over 60 artists—half are women or people of color, and part of the sales goes straight to those artists as long as their work is on display, so you are supporting local artists with your price of admission.
If you are in Orlando reading this and wondering if it’s really worth the 2 hour drive, I will tell you that a trip to St. Pete is always worth it to me, as there is going to be more to fill your day or weekend if you make the trek.
Fairgrounds St. Pete is located at Advanced tickets are $27, for entry times Thursday-Sunday Sept. 2-Oct. 3. Kids 4-13 are $22, 3 and under are free. Florida residents, seniors, active first responders and college students get in for $25.
This is not a sponsored post, admission was paid for personally.
