Dalí Museum announces $65M expansion

The Dalí Museum has announced plans for a $65 million expansion, with a proposed opening date of 2028.

The approximately 35,000-square-foot expansion, on the south side of the current museum, will include flexible gallery environments for “experiential exhibitions that blend art and technology, a dedicated learning center serving K-12 students and lifelong learners and community-focused spaces.”

In a prepared statement, Executive Director Hank Hine said the expansion is “not about being bigger; it’s about being bolder … this next chapter allows us to move beyond existing limitations and create space, intellectually and physically, for deeper learning, more ambitious experiences and broader access.”

In the statement, museum representatives said much of the money came from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater’s “From Visitors With Love” program, reinvesting tourist development tax (hotel bed tax) funds.

The expanded facility is being designed and built by The Beck Group, which constructed the existing museum building in 2011, from a design by architect Yann Weymouth, who has consulted with the organization on the new design.

A 3D model of the proposed expansion will go on display in May; groundbreaking is expected to take place in the fall.

Since it debuted (in a converted warehouse) in 1982, the Dalí Museum has consistently ranked among the top visitor draws in Pinellas County; according to the museum, more than 10 million people have toured its permanent and temporary exhibits.

“The Dalí Museum,” said Visit St. Pete-Clearwater CEO Brian Lowack, “is a cultural engine for this community and a cornerstone of St. Petersburg’s global identity.”