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  • Saturdays: 10:00 am-4:30 pm
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Tin Can Tourists - Car and trailer photo

The Florida Historic Capitol Museum invites you to join us as we Travel to Paradise with the Tin Can Tourists!

The beautiful grounds surrounding the Florida Historic Capitol Museum are the perfect setting to view vintage vehicles, trailers and historic campers owned by members of the Tin Can Tourists Organization, which began in 1919 at DeSoto Park in Tampa, Florida. Avid collectors of these restored trailers will set up camp around the Historic Capitol on Saturday, November 5, 2011, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. to showcase their “mini traveling museums.” In conjunction with the current exhibit, Remembering Paradise: Souvenirs of Historic Florida Attractions, visitors will get a chance to tour the interiors of these vehicles, talk with the owners and learn more about what it was like to travel to Florida during the golden era of Florida tourism through post-WWII. The parade of vintage vehicles will include a 1950 Spartanette, a 1954 Holiday, a 1968 Serro Scotty, plus many more.

For more information on the history of Tin Can Tourists and their Pioneer Automobile Campers Organization, please visit www.tincantourists.com.

Secretary of State Kurt S. Browning and the Florida Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services recently announced the latest edition to its Florida Memory online photo exhibits. “Tin Can Tourism” features a short historical narrative on the origins and development of custom vehicles and campers in the United States as well as numerous photographs depicting the culture of Tin Can Tourists (TCT) in Florida. The photographs included in the exhibit range from the 1920s to the 1970s.

View the Press Release

Tin Can Tourist Photo Gallery

Tin Can Tourists - 1955 Trotwood camper photo

1955 Trotwood

Tin Can Tourists - 1964 Airstream Bambi II camper photo

1964 Airstream Bambi II

Tin Can Tourists - 1955 Wally Byam Holiday camper photo

1955 Wally Byam Holiday

Tin Can Tourists - 1949 Little Caesar and 1953 Chevy Truck photo

1949 Little Caesar and 1953 Chevy Truck

Tin Can Tourists - 1965 Aristocrat camper photo

1965 Aristocrat Mainliner

Tin Can Tourists - Tim Heintz camper photo

Tim Heintz, proud owner, standing inside his 1950 Spartanette Tandem Trailer, which he restored.
The Spartanette was made by the Spartan Aircraft Company.

Tin Can Tourists - Interior 0f 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner camper photo

Interior of 1965 Aristocrat Mainliner owned by Alex Alexander

Tin Can Tourists - Municipal Tourist camp Ponta Gorda, Florida

Municipal Tourist Camp and Community Hall on Charlotte Harbor, Ponta Gorda, Florida

Tin Can Tourists - Bathing Beauties camper photo

Bathing Beauties promote Florida travel atop a Tin Can Tourist trailer

Tin Can Tourists - TCT on the road photo

TCT on the road to Florida

Tin Can Tourists - Let the vacation begin camper photo

Let the vacation begin!

Tin Can Tourists - Tin Can Tourists seek respite along the way - camper photo

Tin Can Tourists seek respite along the way to Florida

Vintage Video Shorts Featuring Travel Trailers