New Dali Museum Debuts in Grand Fashion

  • January 11, 2011
New Dali Museum Debuts in Grand Fashion
The 66,450-square-foot facility, which sits on St. Pete’s palm-dappled downtown bayfront, was designed by world-renowned architect Yann Weymouth, who previously assisted with the renovation of the Louvre in Paris.

The public is invited to revel in a surreal procession that will depart from the old Dalí Museum (1000 3rd St. S.) at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at the new structure located eight blocks north at One Dalí Blvd.

The procession will include dignitaries, entertainers, musicians, the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago and a Dalí doppelganger in a horse-and-carriage.

A dedication program and a ribbon cutting ceremony led by the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Spain---S.A.R. la Infanta Cristina, Duchess of Palma de Mallorca---begins at 11 a.m. Roaming entertainment will continue outside the museum until 3 p.m.

Much like Dalí’s work, the building itself is visually iconic, with a geodesic glass structure enclosing the foyer, a grand “double-helix” staircase in the building’s center and an outlook to the east with magnificent views of yachts moored in Florida’s largest municipal marina.

The new Dalí is more than twice the size of the former museum and contains 50 percent more gallery space, which will be used to display both temporary exhibitions and its permanent collection of 96 oil paintings (including the 8 masterworks), 125 drawings and watercolors, 2,500 prints and photographs, 250 objets d’art, and a 5,000 book library.

The museum’s hours will be 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday; and Noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $21 for adults, $19 for seniors, $15 for students 18+ with identification and children ages 13-17, $7 for children 6-12 and free for ages 5 and under.

The Dalí Museum is the permanent home of the most comprehensive collection of the surreal artist’s works in the world. Dedicated solely to Dalí, the museum's mission is to protect and preserve this unique collection, making it available for the enjoyment and education of all people.