(credit: thedali.org)

The Royal Inheritance: Dalí Works From the Spanish National Collection
The Dali Museum
1 Dali Blvd.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 823-3767
www.thedali.org

If you never plan on visiting Spain, chances are that this exhibit is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view some of Salvador Dali’s earliest works. Twelve of Dali’s paintings are on loan from the National Collection of Modern Art in Spain and have never before been shown in the United States. The paintings, which span the years 1918 to 1983, reveal an artist searching for his unique style. This exhibit features paintings in the style of Renaissance form, cubism and abstract black and white. One of the paintings on display, the “Desnudo en el Agua” (“Nude in the Water”), shows the beginnings of Dali’s use of surrealism, the style for which he is most celebrated. The paintings will be on loan to The Dali Museum until March 31, 2012, before going back to Spain.

Related: The Best Art Museums In Tampa Bay

This annual exhibit takes place from January 19 through the 21 and is touted as Florida’s largest chocolate tasting, shopping and interactive experience. This educational, family-friendly event takes guests of all ages on a tour through a chocolate-themed museum that is hosted on-site at MOSI. Follow the journey of a cacao bean as it leaves a cacao farm and transforms into the magic we know as chocolate. There were also be an exhibit about the science and history behind chocolate. Plenty of tasty samples will be provided as well as a chocolate raffle.

Hernando de Soto was a Spanish conquistador who, in his search for gold, made his way to Tampa Bay. The De Soto National Memorial is based on this gold-driven traveler. This multimedia exhibit showcases historical and traditional artifacts of the Chickasaw people. Beyond just museum exhibits, expect to find plenty of interesting and informative components to make this visit a full-day event. The Chickasaw exhibit will be on display in the visitor center museum until April of 2013.

Related: Best Ways To Celebrate Native American History And Culture In Tampa Bay

(credit: tampamuseum.org)

To See As Artists See: American Art from the Phillips Collection
Tampa Museum of Art
120 W. Gasparilla Plaza
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 274-8130
www.tampamuseum.org

“To See as Artists See,” organized by The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., is the “first large-scale, traveling presentation of the Phillips collection of modern American art.” The exhibit showcases about 100 paintings from over 60 artists that span the years 1850 to 1960. Tampa is one of only three United States museums to host this exhibition, which has also been on display in Madrid, Tokyo and Rovereto, Italy. Guests will view masterworks from modern artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Jacob Lawrence, Arthur Dove, Thomas Eakins and many more. The exhibit will be at the museum from February 2 until April 28.

(credit: ybormuseum.org)

Buildings Alive! Architecture Hop
Ybor City Museum State Park
18oo E. 9th Ave.
Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 248-3712
www.ybormuseum.org

This one-day event made its debut in March of 2012 and was so wildly popular that the Ybor City Museum Society decided to bring it back for another run on March 8, 2013. Historic Ybor City is packed with beautiful buildings that date back almost 100 years. If you’ve ever wondered what the inside of these amazing structures look like, this is your opportunity to find out. This one-of-a-kind tour also provides guests with food and drinks, a scavenger hunt, tours and an after party in the garden of the Ybor City Museum State Park. Feel free to walk or hop on the Jolley Trolleys that will be running throughout the evening.