Bobby Rennert / 500px
Tampa Bay
Surrounding the gorgeous deep-water Tampa Bay are two major cities and a seemingly endless expanse of urban-suburban sprawl – forming the state's second-largest metropolitan area – which along the Gulf Coast is edged by some 35 miles of barrier-island beaches. Not many places in the country offer as much big-city sophistication mere minutes from so much dazzling sand. Yet since Miami is one of those that does, the bay area is rarely given its due. Both Tampa and St Petersburg burble with cultural and culinary excitement as they spruce up their historic districts and polish their arts institutions. The range of adventures on offer – from fine arts to world-class aquariums to hot nightclubs and dolphin cruises – make this a compelling region to explore.
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Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Tampa Bay.
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Salvador Dalí Museum
The theatrical exterior of the Salvador Dalí Museum speaks of great things: out of a wound in the towering white shoe box oozes a 75ft geodesic glass atrium. Even better, what unfolds inside is like a blueprint of what a modern art museum, or at least one devoted to the life, art and impact of Salvador Dalí, should be. Even those who dismiss his dripping clocks and curlicue mustache will be awed by the museum and its grand works, especially the Hallucinogenic Toreador. The Dalí Museum's 20,000 sq ft of gallery space was designed to display all 96 oil paintings in the collection, along with key works of each era and medium: drawings, prints, sculptures, photos, manuscripts, movies and even a virtual reality exhibit in which guests enter Dalí's dreams. Everything is arranged chronologically and explained in context. The garden out back is also a delight, with a wish tree, a melting clock bench and a giant steel mustache sculpture. Excellent, free docent tours occur hourly (on the half hour); these are highly recommended to help crack open the rich symbolism in Dalí's monumental works. Audioguides are also free, and contain secret, deeply hilarious narration from a voice claiming to be Dalí's mustache. To top everything off, there's a Catalan-inspired cafe and a first-rate gift store. Up to 5000 people have been known to visit in a day, so get here early or wait for everything.
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Florida Aquarium
Tampa's excellent aquarium is among the state's best. Cleverly designed, the re-created swamp lets you walk among herons and ibis as they prowl the mangroves. Programs let you swim with the fishes (and the sharks) or take a catamaran ecotour in Tampa Bay. For better control of the crowds, tickets are priced by entry time.
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Weedon Island Preserve
Like a patchwork quilt of variegated greens tossed out over Tampa Bay, this 3700-acre preserve protects a diverse aquatic and wetland ecosystem. At the heart of the preserve is the excellent Cultural and Natural History Center (open from 11am to 4pm Thursday to Saturday) where you can browse exhibits about the natural environment and the early Weedon Island people. Sign-up also for interpretive hikes over miles of boardwalk or go it alone with the online map. Alternatively, rent a kayak from Sweetwater Kayaks and head out on the 4-mile South Trail loop through the idyllic mangrove islands. The preserve is located on Riviera Bay, south off I-92.
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Busch Gardens
This theme park has 10 loosely named African zones, which flow together without much fuss. The entire park is walkable. Admission includes three types of fun: epic roller coasters and rides, animal encounters, and various shows, performances and entertainment. All are spread throughout the park, so successful days require some planning: check show schedules before arriving and plan what rides and animals to visit around the shows. Coaster lines only get longer as the day goes on. Parking costs $25. Egypt Home to a unique spin coaster called Cobra's Curse featuring a 70ft vertical lift and an encounter with an 80ft snake. There's also Montu, one of the tallest and longest inverted roller coasters in the world. Pantopia The reimagined Pantopia drips with elaborate jewels and features animal- and travel-themed restaurants, entertainment, shopping, an indoor theater, and rides, of course. At its center is Falcon's Fury, a 335ft-high freestanding drop tower (America's tallest) that plunges riders earthward at 60mph. Serengeti Plain This 65-acre habitat mimics the African plains, with hundreds of free-roaming animals including reticulated giraffes, rhinos and wildebeests. You can view it from the Serengeti Railway train ride, a Skyride gondola, various walkways or the Serengeti Safari Tour (from $29 to $44 per person), which lets you out of the truck to feed giraffes. Edge of Africa A newer region offering a walking safari with sightings of hippopotamuses, lions, lemurs, meerkats and crocodiles in an apparently abandoned African fishing village. Also here is the ride Cheetah Hunt, a low-to-the-ground scream-fest meant to mimic a cheetah's acceleration. Morocco You'll find Gwazi, a huge but traditional wooden coaster, along with monkey and ape encounters and the Moroccan Palace Theater, which puts on Iceploration, the park's most impressive ice show, combining world-class skaters, larger-than-life puppets, original music and animal stars. It's close to the other main animal exhibits in Egypt and Nairobi. Nairobi Devoted mostly to animals, Nairobi features an elephant interaction area and a flamingo petting station at Animal Connections. It's also the location of the Animal Care Center, which offers educational behind-the-scenes tours of vets at work with some of the park's 12,000 animals. Congo The Kumba roller coaster is a long-standing favorite. It features three gulp-inducing loops and a 360-degree spiral. Recover on the Congo River Rapids, a water ride. Jungala Designed for younger kids, Jungala has a fantastic climbing structure, a splash area and a zipline ride, as well as encounters with tigers and orangutans. Stanleyville Another all-star coaster, SheiKra is North America's first dive coaster, which plunges straight down and even goes underground. Safari of Fun & Bird Gardens The Sesame Street –themed Safari of Fun has awesome fenced-in play and climbing structures and splash zones that will keep kids busy for hours. Don't miss the Elmo and Friends show; reserve ahead to dine with costumed characters. Adjacent Bird Gardens (the seed of the modern park) has the quintessential flock of flamingos and a walk-in aviary.
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Wat Mongkolratanaram
Why is there a Buddhist Thai temple in the middle of Tampa? Who cares, the noodle soup is amazing. On Sundays hundreds of people show up for the food and flower markets, lining up Busch Gardens–style for the beloved beef soup with fish balls. Visitors can also enter the temple barefoot and enjoy traditional music. Orchids and bonsai trees are for sale, as are Thai iced teas, egg rolls and a variety of strange and wonderful desserts (go for the pumpkin cake).
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Adventure Island
This 30-acre water park has everything a modern, top-flight water park requires: a long lazy river, a huge wave pool, bucket-dumping splash zones, a swimming pool, sandy lounge areas and enough twisting, plunging, adrenaline-fueled waterslides to keep teens lining up till closing. Adventure Island also features outdoor cafes, picnic and sunbathing areas, a gift shop and a championship sand volleyball complex for hours of fun in the sun.
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Chihuly Collection
Dale Chihuly's glass works are displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London and the Louvre in Paris. But his permanent collection resides here in St Petersburg, at a new location on Central Ave housing his principal exhibits, Ruby Red Icicle Chandelier and the multicolored Persians ceiling. The new space also contains a meditation garden and a theater that screens a rotation of documentary films. Tickets for the gallery include a glass-blowing demonstration across the street at the affiliated Morean Arts Center.
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Morean Arts Center
This lively community arts center hosts interesting rotating exhibits in all media. If you love glass, don't miss Morean's attached Hot Shop where full-blast glassmaking demonstrations occur every hour from 11am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 4pm Sunday. Reserve ahead for a one-on-one 'hot glass experience' ($75) and take home your own creation.
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Ybor City Museum State Park
This dusty, old-school history museum preserves a bygone era, with cigar-worker houses (open 10am to 3pm) and wonderful photos. The museum has information on a free, self-guided, multimedia tour of Ybor City, accessible with any internet-connected device. The tour includes 21 stops and narration from prominent characters within the community.