Join us on Thursday, December 8th as the Museum of History and UPC Insurance welcome Niles Laughner and his presentation on “The Vinoy: From a Wager to a Waterfront Jewel.”

Niles James Laughner is a native Floridian, born in St. Petersburg in 1963 with family roots stretching to New Hampshire, Pittsburgh and beyond.  He is the grandson of hotel builder and developer  Aymer Vinoy Laughner I, and is a graduate of Pennsylvania’s Grove City College where he earned a  degree in History and Economics. An antique dealer since 1987, he specializes in military antiques and historical Americana.  He is also a writer, having had articles published in journals in the US and UK, focusing on what the UK’s Military History Monthly magazine described as “the intersection of military and social history”. Additionally, he was featured for several years on Pittsburgh’s Hidden Treasures, a PBS roadshow event. He has authored two books, one of which is a family history of the Vinoy Park Hotel. Consultant to several museums, he also does appraisal work for institutions and estates. He and his partner Tara have turned their backs on the snowy north, and reside in Great Pinellas Point, only 2 miles from where he was born.

Registration opens to Museum Members via email 11/17 and not-yet-members 11/24.

Check back 11/24 for the registration link!

Presented by UPC Insurance, Happy Hour with the Historian is frequently sold out, so reservations are required. Admission without a reservation cannot be guaranteed. Reservations close the day of the event.  

Members: FREE | Not-yet-members: $10

Cash bar provided.

Doors open at 6pm. Program begins at 6:30pm.

Seating is limited, reserve your seats today!