John's Pass Village and Boardwalk
For a break from the beach, check out John's Pass Village & Boardwalk in Madeira Beach. With more than 100 retailers, restaurants and attractions, your visit here can easily turn into a full day of fun.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Call: 727-394-0756
Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa Museum of Art provides the region with world-class traveling exhibitions, a growing collection of contemporary and classical art, expanded educational programs and access to scenic outdoor events in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Tampa's Riverwalk.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 813-274-8130
Boyd Hill Nature Preserve
This unspoiled nature park features 3 miles of trails and boardwalks on 245 acres along the shores of Lake Maggiore. Visitors can experience five Florida ecosystems: hardwood hammocks, sand pine scrub, pine flatwoods, willow marsh and lake shore.
Find out more: Visit Website | Call: 727-893-7326
Campbell Park & Recreation Center
Cambell Park Recreation Center has a rich history of youth activities in the South St. Petersburg area. Along with the E.H. McLin Pool, Oliver Baseball Field, Richard "Dick" Turner Baseball field, basketball courts and playground, the recreation center is the perfect place to grow up and stay active in the community.
Find out more: Visit Website | Call: 727-893-7733
Countryside Country Club
Established in 1977, Countryside Country Club provides a home away from home and offers 27 holes of golf, 14 lighted tennis courts, two outdoor pools, exquisite dining areas and a state-of-the-art fitness center with full spa services.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Call: 727-796-2153
The Dali Museum
Visit the most comprehensive collection of Dalí's paintings outside of Europe. The Dalí Museum houses more than 2,000 works of art in 20,000 square feet of gallery space, including numerous oils, watercolors, sketches, sculptures and other objects.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 727-823-3767
MOSI : Museum of Science & Industry
Explore a World of Possibilities at Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry with more than 450 hands-on activities, plus Florida’s only IMAX DOME Theatre, five-stories-tall and offering a higher resolution than any other theater in Tampa!
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 813-987-6000
The Florida Aquarium
Come see why The Florida Aquarium is one of the top aquariums in the country! Experience sharks, alligators, lemurs, penguins, otters, chameleons, stingrays, and more...
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 813-273-4000
Lowry Park Zoo
If fun is in your nature, spend some time at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo, named the #1 Zoo in the U.S. by both Parents and Child magazines!
Read part of Parents Magazine's review:
"It's unbelievable how close kids can get
to the animals here..."
In Wallaroo Station, the zoo's four-and-a-half-acre Australian-themed children's area, kids can brush a goat's fur, feed birdseed lollipops to parakeets, and walk down a path as kangaroos and wallabies hop in front of them. They can ride on a llama or, in another part of the zoo, a camel -- which makes the pony treks seem almost trite. In Lowry's expanded Safari Africa exhibit, your family can climb up on a platform to offer one of the giraffes a snack. "Kids squeal in delight when the giraffe sticks out its 18-inch-long tongue to snatch a cracker," says Craig Pugh, acting director. Other cool animals that your children can feed: a white rhino, stingrays, and lorikeets.
Lowry Park Zoo has been in the news for more than just their excellent childrens' attractions. They're also home to many endangered species, including a brand new baby Clouded Leopard.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 813-935-8552
Florida Botanical Gardens
The Florida Botanical Gardens inspires and educates visitors by showcasing 10,000 kinds of plants, as well as creatures and natural resources in motivational surroundings that promote environmentally friendly techniques.
Originally a mere 10 acres occupied by the Extension Service, Florida Botanical Gardens underwent extensive development from 1991 through 2000 to become the 182 acre showcase it is today. It is bisected by McKay Creek, a beautiful meandering stream that helps bring life to this natural reserve.
It's called "Gardens", plural, for a reason - within the natural reserve exist 10 topical gardens including The Butterfly Garden, The Herb Garden, The Native Plants Garden and more. In addition to these, there are three formal gardens - The Wedding Garden, The Tropical Walk and The Tropical Courtyard. The Florida Botanical Gardens also holds 60 acres of natural habitat, carefully preserved and still undergoing restoration.
Many locations within the gardens are also home to artistic expression - such as water fountains, murals, mosaics and other hand painted items. Paved paths and boardwalks make exploring the different garden areas a natural progression, and three bridges cross McKay's Creek.
Bring the family and spend a day. The Gardens are open almost every day of the year, and it's fun for the whole family. There are even fixed musical instruments throughout that the kids will love.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 727-582-2100
Busch Gardens
Busch Gardens Tampa is the ultimate family adventure, offering 300 acres of fascinating attractions based on exotic explorations around the world.
A unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country's premier zoos, live shows, restaurants and shops provides unrivaled excitement for all guests.
Among the more unique points of interest at Busch Gardens are Kasi - a cheetah raised at Busch Gardens from a cub due to his mother being unable to care for him - and Mtani, his life-long canine companion. Click the photo below to check out a video of the two, all grown up:
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 888-800-5447
Clearwater Marine Aquarium
While the primary mission of Clearwater Marine Aquarium is the rescue and rehabilitation of injured wildlife, it has come to mean a lot more - to not only the local community and the residents of the aquarium, but also to generations of visitors who discover an entire world of life and love beneath the waves.
Of course, the star attraction at Clearwater Marine Aquarium is Winter, a bottle nose dolphin rescued in 2005 after being caught in a crab trap at 3mo old. By the time she was found, the trap lines had entangled her tail and cut off circulation - resulting in the eventual loss of her tail flukes. Despite all odds, Winter managed to not only survive, but thrive.
Of course, a dolphin's tail is perhaps the single most vital tool used for swimming - normally dolphins propel themselves by moving their tail up and down. Winter adapted to the loss of her tail by learning to flex her body side to side (like a shark) - but after quite a lot of struggle and research, she has been fitted with a prosthetic tail. The first of its' kind, Winter's artificial tail enables her to swim normally, and play with the other dolphins at the aquarium.
Winter isn't the only permanent resident - there are sea turtles, pelicans, sharks, rays, and even a trio of river otters named Cooper, Oscar and Walle. All in all, it's a great time for the whole family, and a wonderful inspirational experience.
Find out more: Visit Website | Follow on Facebook | Follow on Twitter | Call: 727-441-1790