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Public Events

Sept. 14th, 2026


Tampa, 1898 · The Gathering Storm

Where TR Forged
the Liberation of Cuba

Roosevelt’s Rough Riders mustered right here in Tampa — just blocks from where we preserve their story today.

Explore the Museum The 1898 Story →
Tampa’s Role in History
The City That Launched a War

In the summer of 1898, Tampa became the staging ground for the United States’ campaign to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule. Roosevelt’s Rough Riders — the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment — trained, camped, and embarked from Tampa’s port, charging into one of America’s defining military moments. Since 1978, we have kept that story alive.

Tampa · Summer 1898
May 1898

Roosevelt arrives in Tampa. The regiment trains across the city as thousands of troops mass at the Tampa Bay Hotel — military headquarters for the Cuba expedition.

June 7

Rough Riders march to Port Tampa. The regiment secures passage aboard the S.S. Yucatan after a chaotic scramble at the docks, just miles from our Ybor City headquarters.

June 14

The fleet departs Tampa Bay — the largest amphibious operation in U.S. history to that point. Seventeen thousand American troops bound for Cuba.

July 1

San Juan Hill. Roosevelt leads the charge. Cuba is liberated. The legend of the Rough Riders is born — and Tampa was where it all began.

Ybor City Headquarters
The Teddy Roosevelt Museum & Library

The only place in the world with this concentration of original Rough Rider artifacts — just blocks from where Roosevelt’s regiment mustered in 1898.

Original Artifacts

Uniforms, edged weapons, firearms, photographs, and personal effects from the men who rode with Roosevelt. The world’s foremost private collection.

Historical Documents

Letters, orders, and records connecting Tampa’s streets to the fields of Cuba. Primary sources preserved for researchers, students, and the public.

🌙

Night at the Museum

An after-hours evening inside the collection — artifacts up close, stories from our volunteer staff, and the history of 1898 brought to life. Open to the public.

🎓

School & Civic Group Tours

Guided tours for school groups, civic organizations, and community visitors. We connect Tampa’s students to history that happened in their own backyard.

📍 601 N. 19th Street, Tampa FL 33605
Free admission · Open by appointment · Mon–Fri, 11AM–3PM
📞 813-248-1898  ·  ✉ office@tamparoughriders.org
Schedule a Visit Full Museum →
Community Programs
Out in Tampa Bay Every Week

We are not a historical society that meets once a year. Troopers are active in the community year-round — in hospitals, at airports, in school hallways, and on parade routes across the Bay.

🧸

Teddy Bear Runs

Thousands of Teddy Bears delivered every year to children’s hospitals, veterans’ homes, assisted living facilities, women’s shelters, and families in need across Tampa Bay — rooted in the 1902 origin of the Teddy Bear itself.

Thousands of bears · Every year
🥁

Parades & Public Appearances

Hundreds of members in uniform march in parades throughout the region, carrying the colors and keeping the memory of TR and the Rough Riders in the public eye year-round.

100s of members · Year-round
✈️

Honor Flight Welcome Home

When veterans return from their Honor Flight to Washington D.C., Rough Riders stand in formation at St. Pete-Clearwater Airport to give them the welcome they deserve.

🎓

Roosevelt Elementary Clap-In

Each August, Troopers line the hallways of the school named for our colonel-in-chief to cheer incoming kindergartners on their very first day. A Tampa tradition that never gets old.

Major Fundraisers
How We Fund the Mission

Two signature annual events power our charitable giving and museum preservation. Every dollar stays in Tampa Bay.

⛳ Golf · Annual

Charity Golf Tournament

One of Tampa’s longest-running charity events. Open to members and the public. Sponsor packages available — see our Public Events for current dates.

🎯 Clays · Annual

Sporting Clays Tournament

Competition and camaraderie on the range, with proceeds supporting our charitable programs and museum preservation.

Also supporting the mission: Salute to Service · Charity Fishing Tournament · BBQ Contest & Food Drive · Teddy Bear Runs · Honor Flights

Support the Regiment

501(c)(3) nonprofit · Tax-deductible · Every dollar stays in Tampa Bay

Donate Now Donate a Bear
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
— Theodore Roosevelt

Interested in joining the regiment? Applications are accepted once a year. Follow our events, attend as a guest, or support us through a donation in the meantime.

Application Window
May 1 – June 30

The 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment – Rough Riders, Inc was founded in 1978 to create and perpetuate a living memorial to the unique accomplishments of President Theodore Roosevelt and the members of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, known as the Rough Riders.

It is the intent of the members of the organization to develop ways to celebrate this great moment in American History; to collect and display artifacts of the era; to educate and emphasize to generations to come the importance of this feat by military forces; and to create other memorials as shall be appropriate from time to time.

Our Regimental Headquarters is located at 601 N 19th Street, Tampa, Florida and houses our Museum, our meeting facilities, our float barn and administrative offices. The Museum is available to be visited by appointment at no cost Monday-Friday, 11AM-3PM. Please coordinate with our Administrative Assistant in advance at 813-248-1898, or office@tamparoughriders.org for an appointment. One of our several volunteer staff members will provide a tour.


 The Theordore Roosevelt and Rought Riders museum is a Proud Member of
      

Organization

Historical

Contact Us

📍 601 N. 19th Street
Tampa, FL 33605
📞 813-248-1898
✉️ office@tamparoughriders.org
🕐 Museum Tours by Appointment
Mon–Fri, 11AM–3PM
Make a Donation
© 2026 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment – Rough Riders, Inc.
501(c)(3) Non-Profit Charitable Organization · All rights reserved · Site development by Robin Conn
Privacy Policy Contact Donate EIN on file · Tax-deductible donations
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