For more than 100 years visitors have traveled to St. Petersburg, Florida to soak up the rays of the Sunshine City. This rich history shapes the city landscape that greets tourists today.

Local historian and tour guide, Monica Kile, has created a tour guide to help travellers explore our beautiful city’s historic architecture, urban design, and cultural history.

Kile’s passionate approach to St. Petersburg’s history helps the reader understand the city’s evolution, from a place ridiculed as “God’s Waiting Room” in the 1960s to one of the most desirable downtowns in the country today.

Join Monica Kile for the launch of St. Petersburg: A Walk Through History at Tombolo Books! You’ll learn about the city’s most colorful characters and most beautiful buildings, and discover hidden stories that often go untold.

Purchase your copy of the book here!

Monica Kile is a St. Petersburg historian and tour guide. A long-time St. Pete resident, she holds a Master’s of Liberal Arts degree in Florida Studies from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg and a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from Florida State University. Monica has been guiding historic and cultural tours throughout Florida since 2001, and currently writes and guides tours for I Love the Burg. Previously she has served as the Executive Director of St. Petersburg Preservation (now Preserve the ‘Burg,) the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Eckerd College, and the Suncoast Tiger Bay Club, as well as the Special Projects Director at the Florida Humanities Council where she was in charge of the cultural tourism program. When she’s not absorbed in historic St. Pete newspapers and photos, she can be found running or road-tripping with her family.