Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast, Tampa, FL, is a cultural and family vacation destination where you will find a choice of museums, free attractions, family-friendly activities, flea markets, restaurants and famous attractions such as Busch Gardens Tampa, Lowry Park Zoo and the historic Ybor City neighborhood. Stroll along Tampa Riverwalk past romantic parks, hotels and romantic restaurants, visit the Tampa Museum of Art, the Tampa Bay History Center, great beaches, and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. Certain attractions may be temporarily closed or require advance reservations. Some restaurants are currently offering pickup only. Hours/availability may have changed.
The Straz Center for the Performing Arts provides world-class entertainment, ranging from lavish Broadway shows to classical music and rock concerts. It is the largest facility of its kind in the Southeastern United States.
The fourth largest performing arts institution in the country, the Straz Center is dedicated to enriching the lives of people living in and visiting Florida.
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo preserves, protects and rehabilitates some of the world’s most unusual creatures. Home to over 1,300 animals, including chimpanzees, Borneo orangutans, Florida Panthers, Queensland koalas, and Florida manatees, the Zoo focuses on endangered, threatened and vulnerable species from around the world, with an array of habitats devoted to Asia, Africa, Australia and Florida.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of educational experiences, such as animal encounters, behind-the-scene tours, keeper talks, and other special events that relate to the living planet. Lowry Park Zoo is also home to Florida’s premier manatee rescue and rehabilitation center and operates one of the world’s foremost breeding programs to save a range of endangered species from extinction.
The Florida Aquarium is located in downtown Tampa on the waterfront, conveniently on the streetcar line. The 200,000 sq. ft. air-conditioned space has more than 14,000 animals from Florida and beyond. Start in Wetlands Trail with its mangrove forest and large aviary with free flying birds. See river otters, alligators, sea turtles, stingrays, wondrous leafy sea dragons, reef fish, eels, sharks and more throughout the aquarium! In addition, Journey to Madagascar features animals endemic to that unique island such as ring tailed lemurs and hissing cockroaches. Enjoy three touch pools: Stingrays, Moon Jellies, and animals with no bones. Other highlights are the 500,000-gallon Coral Reef habitat, Waves of Wonder gallery that tells a conservation story, plus Penguin Meet & Greet.
Busch Gardens Tampa is a world-renowned amusement park and one of the best things to do in Tampa, Florida, that offers a wide variety of fun activities and adventures for the whole family. Operated by SeaWorld Entertainment, Busch Gardens Tampa features an array of exclusive park experiences, such as a Serengeti Safari and Guided Adventure Tours, live entertainment and shows, themed rides and special kids’ attractions.
Animal attractions include a Cheetah Run, Bird Gardens, Jambo Junction and Edge of Africa, and a variety of restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops provide all-day dining and shopping for park visitors.
Sunken Gardens is a botanical paradise in the midst of a bustling city. As St. Petersburg’s oldest living museum, this 100 year old garden is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Unwind as you stroll through meandering paths, lush with exotic plants from around the world. Explore cascading waterfalls, beautiful demonstration gardens, more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers and a walk through butterfly encounter. It’s a perfect way for families, couples and friends to spend some time in paradise.
Designed to inspire children and families by creating learning opportunities around innovative play and discovery, the 53,000 square foot Glazer Children’s Museum has a combination of permanent and traveling exhibits, comprehensive programs and special events.
This museum houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of Salvador Dalí’s art outside of Spain. The three-story structure sits on a beautiful bayside site along St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront.
Inspired by Dalí’s surrealist art and the practical need to shelter the collection from the hurricanes that threaten Florida’s west coast, HOK’s design draws directly from the building’s purpose.
Whether you are sitting on the beach or kayaking near the still water’s edge at Fort De Soto, you find yourself absorbed in the abundance of natural beauty for as far as the eye can see. The complexity of the ecology is not immediately apparent, but the park offers the greatest diversity of systems just about anywhere. Emerging from the wealth of bird life, sea life, wild life and plant life is the majestic tapestry called Fort De Soto.