Dalí Museum plans $65 million expansion in St. Petersburg

The Dalí Museum in downtown St. Petersburg unveiled plans Wednesday for a $65 million expansion that will add roughly 35,000 square feet to its waterfront campus, with construction expected to begin in fall 2026 and the new space opening in 2028.

The project will introduce new galleries designed for immersive exhibitions that combine art and technology, along with a learning center serving K-12 students and adult education programs. Plans also include flexible event space designed for corporate gatherings, community programming and cultural events.

Dalí Museum expansion rendering in downtown St. Petersburg — Complementing the existing material, the façade is inspired by Dalí’s works (view from the south). Credit: Designed by Beck Architecture and Harvard

Design team and expansion plans

Since opening in St. Petersburg in 1982, the museum has welcomed more than 10 million visitors. Officials estimate the current building, completed in 2011, has generated more than $1 billion in economic impact for the region through tourism, programming and visitor spending.

The Beck Group, the Dallas-based design-build firm that constructed the museum’s current building, will design and build the expansion. The firm worked with architect Yann Weymouth of PBK, who designed the existing structure, to ensure the new addition connects architecturally with the waterfront landmark.

Executive director Hank Hine said the expansion will allow the museum to expand its educational programming while introducing new types of exhibitions that blend art, technology and scholarship.

Dalí Museum immersive digital gallery rendering in St. Petersburg expansion — By day, expansive new gallery space extends Dalí’s story through innovative, interactive art experiences. Designed by Beck Architecture and Harvard Jolly/PBK with Yann Weymouth FAIA.

“We are creating a museum that will stand with the great cultural institutions of the world,” Hine said. “For more than four decades, The Dalí has led through innovation, empowering visitors to see differently and think expansively. This next chapter allows us to move beyond existing limitations and create space for deeper learning, more ambitious experiences and broader access.”

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Design plans call for an exterior concept referred to as “Reveal,” which reinterprets the existing building’s materials while introducing new architectural elements that extend the structure along the waterfront campus.

Trevor Lamphier, design principal at The Beck Group, said the architecture builds on the visual language of the current building while creating moments of discovery for visitors moving through the expanded space.

“It extends and reinterprets the existing building, using familiar materials in new ways to create moments of discovery,” Lamphier said. “Like Dalí’s work, the architecture invites visitors to slow down and look again.”

Funding for the expansion includes early support from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater through its From Visitors with Love initiative, which reinvests tourist development tax revenue into tourism infrastructure and cultural institutions across Pinellas County.

Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, said the museum continues to play a central role in attracting visitors to the region.

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

The museum will remain open throughout construction.

Visitors will be able to see a 3D model of the proposed expansion beginning May 2 as part of an exhibition titled The Architecture of The Dalí, which explores the museum’s architectural history and future plans.

Located along St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront, The Dalí Museum holds more than 2,400 works by Salvador Dalí and remains one of the largest collections of the artist’s work outside Spain.