St. Petersburg, Florida
The Masonic Home of Florida is situated on 18 acres of lush landscaping on the shores of Coffee Pot Bayou. Named by Spanish explorers, this picturesque inlet off Old Tampa Bay is flanked by some of the finest neighborhoods in the area and right next door to a major shopping center and downtown St. Petersburg.
This choice waterfront location has been owned and operated by the Grand Lodge of Florida since the early 1900’s and shares a century old tradition with the City of St. Petersburg. The Home was originally set aside for children slowly turning over to the needs of senior Masons and their wives/widows as aging demographics changed. A series of building expansions beginning in 1973 brought us to the present 150,000 square foot Home which can accommodate up to 187 Residents in a state-of-the-art setting.
There are gracious lobbies, an elegant dining room overlooking the grounds and water, a 5,000 volume library, billiards and activities rooms, gift shop, community kitchenettes and lounges, a chapel, waterside pavilion and fishing pier plus a host of other amenities which make the Masonic Home one of the premiere facilities of its kind in Pinellas County. Recently, the City of St. Petersburg presented The Masonic Home a Mayors First Place Award for Building and Grounds Beautification.
Walk though the Home on any day and you’ll find it buzzing with activities. Residents are playing cards, billiards or bingo; working on their crafts; shopping in the resident operated boutique; tuning up at choir practice or fishing in the Bayou. Some may be getting pampered in the beauty and barber shops or dressing up for country western cook-outs and other parties that mark special events and holidays. Others are taking the van to a doctor or dental appointment or heading out to a dinner show at local theaters.
The highlight of each day is mealtime where Residents gather in the waterside dining room for a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our chefs pride themselves on the variety and wholesomeness of their menus. There is always a wide selection of entrees, side dishes and desserts plus fresh fruits, vegetables, homemade soups and breads from which to choose. And oh those desserts! Cheesecake with raspberry sauce, old-fashioned rice pudding, chocolate brownies, strawberry shortcake and much more. Foods to tempt even the most finicky appetites served in a sweeping panorama equal to some of the finest restaurants in town.
We invite you to visit The Masonic Home of Florida next time you’re in the St. Petersburg area. We know you will take as much pride as we do in this fine facility and in our plans to meet the growing needs for the Masonic seniors in the 21st century.