March 24, 2004

TOURING DOWNTOWN:
THE UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

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Tampa is a town filled with architectural marvels - both good and bad. I work across the street from an amazing structure, Plant Hall at the University of Tampa.

Plant Hall is the university's main classroom and administration building and has earned designation as a national historic landmark. A stunning example of Moorish architecture, it was built in 1891 by railroad magnate Henry Plant as the luxurious Tampa Bay Hotel. Today, it's the centerpiece of UT's 85-acre campus along the Hillsborough river.

On Tuesday, I got to take a tour of Plant Hall, including a chance to climb up through one of its signature minarets.

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The tour started on the fourth floor of the hotel. It's like something out of Scooby Doo up there, all dark and creaky. Former hotel rooms in the building now serve as faculty offices and classrooms.

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Our tour guide, Jan, took us to a side hallway that featured a door that looked very much like a closet. C.S. Lewis would have loved this one. The only thing that was missing was a lion and a witch.

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The door opened into this impossible staircase, which was, at best, only 18 inches wide. Note the handles on the wall. There was no room for bannisters.

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That staircase led to this room. Looks like a great interrogation room, if you ask me.

Next to that room was a ladder that led to...

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...this level. Which then led...

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..up another ladder. (Note the iron grate you had to pass through.)

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...and another...

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...going up?

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Someone's been here before.

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One last ladder through a trap door that opens into the portico of the minaret, after which you see...

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This. It's the southern wing of Plant Hall.

The view up there is amazing. The minaret at the center is identical to the one we're standing in.

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As you can see, I was a tad intimidated by my surroundings.

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This is looking north across the river.

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A shot of the north wing of Plant Hall.

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Looking southeast toward downtown.

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Just below us on the east side of the hotel was a 100-year-old fountain that Henry Plant installed.

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A shot of Henry Plant Park. At one time, it was the home for a zoo that entertained hotel guests.

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Gotta show a little love to the News Center.

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Again, looking east toward the Museum of Art.

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One more look downtown.

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Time to crawl back down.


Posted by Jeff at March 24, 2004 01:55 PM | TrackBack
Comments

I remember looking over there and imagining which people I'd like to see impaled on those things.

Posted by: tom at March 25, 2004 12:46 PM