First we will start with some of the most popular tourist spots and attractions in Tampa. If you are planning to visit multiple attractions, there is a great way to save money on admission prices.
CityPass offers passes that include the following attractions for one price:
- Busch Gardens
- Florida Aquarium
- Clearwater Aquarium or Chihuly Collection
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park
- Museum of Science and Industry or The Tropics Boat Tour
CityPass will sometimes run specials, but the normal price for one adult pass is $119 and a child's pass (ages 3-9) is $109. The admission to Busch Gardens for one day alone covers almost that entire cost, so even if you are only able to do Busch Gardens and one other attraction, it has paid for itself. https://www.citypass.com/tampa
Now, on to the attractions!
Busch Gardens - https://buschgardens.com/tampa/
Florida Aquarium - https://www.flaquarium.org/
ZooTampa at Lowry Park - https://zootampa.org/
Adventure Island Waterpark (Part of Busch Gardens, combo tickets available on BG's website - https://adventureisland.com/
Big Cat Rescue - https://bigcatrescue.org/ (Yes, this is the park run by Carole Baskin as featured in Tiger King, but it's the good park that cares for their animals!)
Riverwalk - https://thetampariverwalk.com/ (Boat rides, sightseeing, walking paths)
Museum of Science and Industry - https://www.mosi.org/ (More for younger children, but there are hands-on activities that teens may find interesting)
Glazer Children's Museum - https://glazermuseum.org/ (LOTS of fun for kids, many different hands-on activities to keep them busy!)
Tampa Museum of Art - https://tampamuseum.org/
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - https://www.seminolehardrocktampa.com/ (Great shows and food, gambling not required!) I like to go to the Hard Rock inside of the casino for the happy hour specials.
Croc Encounters - http://www.crocencounters.com/ Both guided and self-guided tours are available (although right now it's guided tours only due to the pandemic). You will get to see crocs and other wildlife up close and personal and even get to hold a baby alligator!
Off-The-Beaten-Path
Wat Mongkolratanaram Thai Temple - https://wattampainenglish.com/ They host food markets in the morning so you can try traditional Thai food. You can also immerse yourself in the culture of the Thai monks and religions.
Centro Ybor - https://centroybor.com/ Ybor City is a small section of Tampa that is located just outside of downtown Tampa. You can easily get there by car (there are many parking lots available along the main road) and by TECO (Trolley system running from downtown Tampa through Ybor, see below for link to TECO site). Centro Ybor houses restaurants, an AMAZING gourmet popsicle shop called The Hyppo (try the horchata popsicle and the Mexican chocolate ones. You won't be disappointed!) a salon, and even an improv comedy theater.
Dysfunctional Grace Art Co. - https://dysfunctional-grace.mybigcommerce.com/ This spot may not be everyone's taste, but I found it to be absolutely fascinating! They host a collection of vintage medical equipment, organs (real ones) in jars, jewelry with things like octopus tentacles in a vial, and even a casket. It's definitely a little on the macabre side, but if you like that kind of thing, pop in and take a look around!
Hindu Temple of Florida - https://www.htfl.org/ If you are interested in different religions and cultures or architecture from around the world, this is a great place to visit! You can take a tour through the temple on certain days with an experienced guide. You can also attend festivals and services. Please be advised that to enter the temple in order to respect the culture, you must wear modest clothing and you will have to take your shoes off before you step onto the temple stairs (so wear socks or have some in your pocket/purse if you are wearing flip flops)
Hong Kong Willie's - http://hongkongwillie.blogspot.com/2010/06/red-worms-tampa.html Now this is one of those fun little tourist spots that really makes you appreciate junk-turned-into-art. He collects different things like buoys and nets and decorates the building with them. It's a hodgepodge of sea items that is really fun to look at, and if you are a photographer, is a goldmine for creative shots.
South Howard Ave Murals - A walk or drive along South Howard Ave, located off of Bayshore Blvd, will provide a cornucopia of murals that are perfect backdrops for fun photos!
Public Transportation:
There are many different types of public transportation in Tampa. You have the usual taxis, ride shares (Uber, Lyft, etc), public buses, and the TECO streetcar.
TECO runs daily. It has a short route, but it a nice scenic ride that brings you to downtown Tampa, the cruise ports, and Ybor City. They even have live music concerts on the streetcars on the first Saturday of each month! http://www.tecolinestreetcar.org/#/home
Public Buses - http://www.gohart.org/ Maps and routes available
Water Taxis:
Tampa Water Taxi - https://tampawatertaxico.com/
Pirate Water Taxi - https://www.piratewatertaxi.com/
Eats & Drinks:
Looking for places to eat? Here are some of my favorites in the city:
Mr. Empanada - The pizza empanada, beef & cheese, apple & caramel, and guava & cream cheese are the BOMB. Highly recommend!! https://www.mrempanada.com/
Whiskey Joe's - The view from this restaurant is amazing. You are right on Ben T Davis Beach off of the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Relax out on the beach under tiki torches with a drink in hand, listen to live music on the stage while the sun sets as the oceans waves lap at your feet. The coconut rum chicken is flavorful and the portions are huge! Alligator bites are an interesting appetizer if you are willing to try them (I am not very adventurous with my food but I did not mind these). The strawberry-guava BBQ ribs are to die for. For drinks the Gator Juice, Gator Killer, Raspberry Orange Cooler, and Passionfruit or Coconut margaritas are refreshing! Photo below was taken in the beach area of the restaurant. https://www.thewhiskeyjoes.com/
Tampa Bay Brewing Company - Located in Centro Ybor, TBBC is a hotspot at lunchtime with people coming in from downtown to enjoy a hearty meal, pub appetizers, or an ice cold beer. There are many different types of beer on tap that are brewed in-house. The Brewhouse Pretzel is a great partner for a flight of beer and the shrimp tacos are a fresh meal that will fill you up. My favorite of the ones that I sampled was the Double Coast Lager. Light and refreshing on a hot summer day! https://www.tbbc.beer/home
Mission BBQ - I know this is a chain, but we don't have any up here in NH and I wish we did! You can get a PILE of shredded meat, cornbread, mac n cheese, green beans & bacon, cole slaw, and so much more. When you sit at the table there are carriers that hold some of the best BBQ sauces I have ever tried. My favorite was the Tupelo Honey Heat. https://mission-bbq.com/
Datz - This place has a great variety of food and drinks and a little quirk thrown in. I enjoyed the street chicken tacos. Very generous portions. I was stuffed by the end! The Kelly Kapowski drink serves up a little sweet, a little tang, and a side of nostalgia for us 90s kids. To end the night we got Coral Cake to share and it was outstanding (and this is coming from someone that does not like cake)! https://datztampa.com/
Eddie & Sam's Pizza - Located in downtown Tampa, Eddie and Sam's dishes out monster slices of fresh pizza. There are so many different types to choose from, it's really hard to pick. I am a sucker for a good old slice of pepperoni, but they have pizzas for everyone from the most discerning meat lovers to vegetarians. You can dine in, but on a nice day I recommend taking your slices to go and making a quick walk over to the Curtis Hixson Waterfront park to take in the views and fresh air while you feast. https://www.eddieandsamspizza.com/
Revolution Ice Cream Co - Conveniently located right near ZooTampa (who wouldn't want ice cream after a hot day walking around the zoo?) is Revolution. A small craft ice cream shop in a strip mall with so many choices and delicious flavors you will need to go back often to try everything. They will let you sample flavors so you can get a feel for what you want a whole dish of. They have very interesting flavors such as Porky's Delight (vanilla with bacon and bacon brittle), Callie's Hotcakes (pancake flavored ice cream with maple syrup), and What's Up Nutter Fudger? (chocolate ice cream, crunchy peanut butter, and peanut butter wafers). They change their flavors constantly so keep an eye out on their website for the new ones that pop up every month. https://revicecream.com/pages/flavours
Karaoke
I am a HUGE karaoke diva, so I make sure I find places to sing when I am down there! These are a couple I have been to that were a really fun time.
Gaspar's Patio & Grill - This place was SO MUCH FUN. I went alone and didn't know anyone there, but by the end of the night had made friends, shared laughs, and had some fantastic and very reasonably priced drinks. The karaoke talent was out in full force and even those who may not have been the best singers had great energy. The crowd was really welcoming and supportive of every single person that had the guts to get up and sing. https://www.gasparspatio.com/
Pete's Place South - While the karaoke here was a lot of fun, the drinks were cheap and varied, and the karaoke DJ was really nice, the thing that I liked the most about this place was that it was non-smoking in the karaoke lounge area. My friend who was pregnant was out with us and we were having a really hard time finding somewhere smoke-free. This place was great and the crowd was really lively and so much fun! https://www.petesplacesouth.com/
I will update as I travel, so keep an eye out for new additions!
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