Historical Tour Stops

This is the point from which the Rough Riders and thousands of American soldiers boarded transport ships bound for Daiquirí, Cuba on June 13, 1898. The chaotic embarkation — marked by scrambled orders and horses left behind — marked the regiment's last moments on American soil before combat.

A dedicated memorial park in Port Tampa commemorating the men who departed from this area for the Spanish-American War. The site includes a gazebo, historical marker, and monument honoring the soldiers who launched the Cuban campaign from Tampa's shores.

The site where elements of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment established their encampment in Tampa in 1898. The men drilled here under the brutal Florida sun while awaiting orders to depart for Cuba. A historical marker commemorates the site today.

The opulent Tampa Bay Hotel — now the University of Tampa — served as the headquarters for U.S. Army officers during the Spanish-American War, including Theodore Roosevelt. Officers planned the Cuba campaign from its grand halls while reporters and dignitaries crowded the lobby. The adjacent United Spanish American War Veterans Cannon stands as a permanent tribute on the UT grounds.

A solemn memorial plaza honoring Hillsborough County veterans across all conflicts. The park includes a Spanish-American War marker recognizing the men from the Tampa area who served, many of them members of the original Rough Riders regiment.

Located in the heart of historic Ybor City, Rough Rider Park commemorates the regiment's presence in Tampa's most vibrant neighborhood in 1898. The Rough Riders marched through Ybor City's streets on their way to the port, cheered by the Cuban exile community who passionately supported their country's independence.

A historical marker denoting the route taken by the Rough Riders as they moved through Tampa toward the port in June 1898. The marker preserves the memory of the regiment's passage through the city and the community that witnessed it.