Things to Do in Tampa With a Baby
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Table of Contents [Hibernate] [Show]
- one. Swimming Mermaids
- 2. Thrill Rides
- three. Tampa Riverwalk
- 4. Gasparilla Pirate Transport
- 5. MOSI
- 6. Adventure Island
- 7. ZooTampa
- 8. The Florida Aquarium
- ix. Paleo Discoveries
- 10. Baseball game Spring Training Camps
- xi. Professional Sports
- 12. Free TECO Streetcar Trolleys
- xiii. Manatee Viewing Middle
- 14. Glazer Children's Museum
- 15. Cute Beaches
- 16. Columbia Restaurant
- 17. Jose Marti Park
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Where to Stay in Tampa+ −
- Want to know more about Florida - beyond Orlando? Read about these smashing Florida destinations!
Think Florida is all well-nigh Orlando, Mickey Mouse and theme parks? Think again. There are a multitude of fun things to exercise with kids in Tampa, from theme park thrill rides to exploring Cuban civilisation to swimming mermaids (really).
Orlando, Florida, gets all the love. Sure, it has the House of Mouse and a bevy of other attractions, and so I get information technology. Only just an hour abroad lies the rich cultural center of Tampa.
Incorporated in 1855, Tampa has a colorful history and sweet secrets to share. And it tin can agree its own in the decorated tourism belt of Florida. Whether you lot are a fan of entertainment parks, quiet paths through the city, beast life, night life, or a culinary adventure (or, if you're like our family, all of the above), there are lots of fun things to exercise in Tampa with kids.
From the Bay to the lakes dotting the surface area, you'll discover everything you want in a family unit vacation. Hither are some of our favorite things to do in Tampa with kids:
1. Swimming Mermaids
When I was a kid, my grandmother lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Every yr for Christmas, nosotros spent two glorious weeks of family fun in the sunday, taking a break from the snow-laden streets in Indiana. There was a regularly-aired commercial for a magical identify with mermaids – mermaids! – at a park called Weeki Wachee due north of Tampa. I tried to get my parents to brand the 4-60 minutes drive up that style to see them. No die.
Believe it or not, Weeki Wachee is notwithstanding open and thriving almost 45 minutes north of downtown Tampa. The oldest roadside attraction in Florida, it is a state park and h2o park in one. And it's ane of the best things to do in Tampa with kids. This Gulf-Coast stop is a great choice on your manner in or out of Tampa.
The mermaids still perform three times a day, 365 days a year. Even Elvis Presley made a trip to Weeki Wachee, which should surprise no one.
2. Thrill Rides
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay amusement park houses thrill rides and roller coasters similar the swooping and dipping, 200-foot-dropping SheiKra. The newest coaster, Tigris, is Florida'south tallest launch coaster and it's designed for excitement.
Just wait, there's more than…Atomic number 26 Gwazi, Northward America's tallest steel-and-wooden hybrid coaster and will be the fastest and steepest hybrid coaster in the world when it opens.
If thrill rides aren't your matter, y'all'll exist happy to know that Busch Gardens is as well dwelling house to more than 200 species of animals, family unit-friendly shows, and a Sesame Street-themed kids' area. It'due south a great choice for the whole family unit.
3. Tampa Riverwalk
The Tampa Riverwalk is 2.6 miles of broad open spaces, developed along the Hillsborough River. And information technology's one of the best things to do in Tampa with kids! Jump in the Pirate H2o Taxi for breathtaking views of the waterways, or accept a ride to ZooTampa (formerly Lowry Park Zoo) on a longer route.
At Christmas time, the Riverwalk features calorie-free shows and the Winter Village, with an water ice skating rink and vacation sand sculptures. Want to go a little practise? Rent ane of the cycle shares at a rental kiosk on the Riverwalk or downtown Tampa. You could also opt to hop in a canoe or kayak to admire the skyline, or stop past the Tampa Bay Waterbike Visitor to pedal downwardly the river in style. Tampa Bay SUP offers paddle boards for a relaxing cruise for a fee.
4. Gasparilla Pirate Ship
Channel your best Captain Jack Sparrow during your visit to this pop annual consequence. Since 1904, nearly every yr has been punctuated past a colorful, sometimes raucous pirate-themed parade in the name of Gasparilla, the modify ego of Jose Gaspar, a mythical Spanish Pirate. The children's portion of the Gasparilla Parade started in 1947, and kicks off at Bayshore Boulevard, following part of the Gasparilla Parade of the Pirates route. The party is on the final Sat in January each year. And it's one of my favorite things to do in Tampa with kids.
Hundreds of boats join the Jose Gasparilla, a 165-foot-long pirate send built in 1954, in the parade of watercraft across Tampa Bay. The boats dock downtown, and the pirate captain theatrically demands the key to the urban center from the mayor. The Jose Gasparilla is reportedly the globe's simply fully-rigged pirate ship. When it appears at the southward cease of Hillsborough Bay, the crowd goes wild.
v. MOSI
Tampa Bay'south Museum of Science and Industry (or MOSI for brusk) calls itself a "scientific playground" with fascinating easily-on activities for kids and parents alike. I telephone call it a fun thing to do in Tampa with kids!
Focused on STEAM (scientific discipline, technology, technology, arts, and math), MOSI'south goal is to make science existent for people of all ages and backgrounds. If you and your kids are into the written report of physics of space and planets, the Saunders Planetarium gives you lot a chance to experience the Mission: Moonbase lunar colony, funded by NASA, and gaze up at the stars.
6. Take chances Island
Just across from Busch Gardens, this 3-acre water theme park is part of a partnership with SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. You can enjoy two, three, or all iv parks for bundled ticket pricing and you lot'll find a whole lot of child-friendly fun at whatever of them.
Adventure Isle is focused on water features, including slides, lazy rivers, wave pools, and more. America'south first dual-tailspin h2o slide, Solar Vortex, opened in 2020.
7. ZooTampa
ZooTampa at Lowry Park (formerly known as Lowry Park Zoo) is a 63-acre nonprofit zoo in one case voted the #1 family-friendly zoo in the Usa past Parents magazine. Recognized by the State of Florida every bit the heart for Florida wildlife conservation and biodiversity, this incredible zoo receives almost a one thousand thousand visitors annually. It houses more than than one,300 animals, including simply nearly any you can think of off the height of your head.
The Lowry Park Zoological Gild operates ZooTampa, which also exists every bit a middle for conservation of endangered wildlife locally and effectually the world. One of the zoo's oldest sections, the Asian Gardens, hosts Indian rhinoceros, Malayan tigers, Komodo dragon, clouded leopards, sloth bears, and an Indonesian-themed aviary. The newest department, Safari Africa, provides acacia tree-shaded areas for meerkats, giraffes, zebras, elephants, African penguins and southern white rhinoceroses.
TravelingMom Tip: At ZooTampa during the holidays? Become your family photo taken with Santa at the holiday village.
eight. The Florida Aquarium
Sharks, alligators, penguins, fish, dolphins… the Florida Aquarium has them all. If sea creatures are your thing, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa is an all-24-hour interval chance in a giant 220,000 foursquare-foot facility.
It makes sense that a world-class aquarium is in Florida, merely this one blew me away. No pedestrian allure, this identify offers a risk to dive with sharks, get close to a penguin, or take a wild dolphin tour on a catamaran. Once you've seen all the sea life you lot can handle, grab the kids and take a interruption at the new water play surface area.
nine. Paleo Discoveries
Florida is one of the richest sources of fossil material available in terms of both quantity and quality. Whether you're a new fossil collector or an proficient, you lot'll discover something to love at Paleo Discoveries.
Nosotros loved that we could choose to sift sand and fossils through a screen or snorkel in one of Florida's shallow rivers or streams to find remains of prehistoric sharks, whales, dolphins, saber-tooth cats, jaguars, mammoths, mastodons, camels, tapirs, sloths, giant armadillos, and more. Your footling dinosaur hunter is going to become crazy for this place.
10. Baseball game Spring Grooming Camps
Desire to take hold of a Yankees game in a smaller, cozier ballpark? Tampa's George Grand. Steinbrenner Field hosts the striped uniforms for jump training in February and March.
Spring preparation games are tons of fun for families and much less pricey than games in their home parks. You might even walk away with a souvenir ball! If you lot're a Philadelphia Phillies or Toronto Blueish Jays fan, Clearwater and Dunedin host their parks, less than an 60 minutes away.
11. Professional person Sports
Tampa Bay offers a wealth of professional sports, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Tampa Bay Lightning hockey, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays baseball.
Depending on the time of year you're visiting the area, a game awaits. Never been to a professional person sports event? At that place are always family-friendly features, food, and fun.
12. Free TECO Streetcar Trolleys
The Tampa Electrical Company received a $2.seven meg grant from the Florida Department of Transportation in 2018, which allowed the organization that runs the TECO streetcars to operate fare-free.
In its heyday in the late 1800s, the streetcars took passengers all over town. Today, the historic cars run from Hyde Park to the Florida Aquarium or the celebrated part of town in Ybor City. I've never met someone who doesn't smile on a streetcar ride, so be certain to hop on board and accept a ride.
13. Manatee Viewing Center
When Tampa Bay reaches 68 degrees or colder, manatees flock to the Big Bay Ability Station. The Manatee Viewing Center was created to give visitors a chance to see these gentle giants up close. Big Bend's discharge canal is now a state- and federally-designated manatee sanctuary that provides disquisitional protection from the common cold. The middle welcomes nearly 300,000 visitors a year, including a butterfly garden and tidal walk.
Are y'all in Tampa in the off-manatee season when the mammals head back to the Bay? The Florida Aquarium lends cownose rays and horseshoe crabs for a giggle-inducing bear upon tank. If you've never pet a stingray, you will find they are velvety, sugariness creatures.
And don't miss the run a risk to go to the height of the l-foot observation tower. From there, yous can run into all the way beyond Tampa bay on clear days.
14. Glazer Children's Museum
The Glazer Children's Museum is in downtown Tampa, Florida, adjacent to the Tampa Museum of Fine art and almost the Tampa Riverwalk.
Everything at this museum is Tampa-themed. KidsPort includes a giant water table where kids navigate cargo through a shipping aqueduct just as real captains exercise in Tampa Bay. My personal favorite is the Firehouse, where kids tin don rubber gear, slide downwards a fireman'southward pole, and pretend to save the twenty-four hours in a child-sized Firehouse. They fifty-fifty get to drive a simulated fire truck through the streets of Tampa Bay, sounding the siren and lighting the lights.
fifteen. Beautiful Beaches
St. Petersburg embankment and Clearwater beach are less than an hour away from Tampa proper. These are 2 of my favorite beaches in the country.
This whole area offers family-friendly white sand and gorgeous blue h2o; Clearwater even boasts a Skyline Chili, which makes my Cincinnati-loving heart salivate. Nearby Treasure Isle has a selection of Greek restaurants and heritage that my family establish delightful. And Indian Shores beach offers up terrific angling!
16. Columbia Restaurant
My friend Justin used to live in Tampa with his family unit, and he introduced me to this culinary gem in the Ybor City neighborhood. The original Columbia Restaurant has the distinction of beingness the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Florida, the oldest Castilian restaurant in the U.Due south., and one of the largest Spanish restaurants in the globe. Even though it's huge – 1,700 seats, 15 dining rooms, and 52,000 foursquare feet over an entire urban center cake – this place is always hopping, and for expert reason.
Trust me when I tell y'all that you should non miss out on the 1905 salad. It'south tossed tableside with crisp iceberg lettuce, broiled ham, Swiss cheese, love apple, olives, grated Romano cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and their famous garlic dressing. Get the half and half with a Cuban sandwich and you'll be then glad y'all did. And desserts. Don't forget about the bread pudding, the flan, the fundamental lime pie… oh my.
17. Jose Marti Park
This tiny park in Tampa is about as shut as you tin get to Cuba without leaving the U.S.
Equally soon equally yous enter Parque Amigos de Jose Marti (Friends of Jose Marti Park), you're crossing into Cuban property. Not only does the Cuban government own this little piece of Tampa, the park actually contains soil from each of Cuba'due south provinces. Because of that, the park literally is function Cuban soil. It enjoys the aforementioned protections and laws as would be true for embassies or consulates.
Where to Stay in Tampa
In that location are many options for lodging in Tampa. You tin use this interactive map to locate both hotels and Airbnbs in the area.
Want to know more than near Florida – across Orlando? Read about these great Florida destinations!
Source: https://www.travelingmom.com/things-to-do-in-tampa-with-kids/
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