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Tampa

Tampa, or 'Trampa' as some locals say, is gritty in spots, but also home to a bunch of museums, parks and ambitious restaurants, many of which have popped up recently and brought the city dangerously close to becoming stylish. In the heart of downtown, the revitalized Riverwalk along the Hillsborough River glitters with contemporary architecture and scenic spaces. Plus, between the zoo, the aquarium, the children's museums and the theme parks, families have enough top-shelf entertainment to last a week. By evening Ybor City's streets transform into southwest Florida's hottest bar and nightclub scene.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Florida Aquarium
Tampa
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…
Busch Gardens
Tampa
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…
Wat Mongkolratanaram
Tampa
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…
Adventure Island
Tampa
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…
Ybor City Museum State Park
Tampa
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…
Tampa Bay History Center
Tampa
This first-rate history museum presents the region's Seminole and Miccosukee people, Cracker pioneers and cattle breeders, and Tampa's Cuban community and…
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
Tampa
This small, intimate photography museum is housed on the 2nd and 3rd stories of the Cube, a five-story atrium in downtown Tampa. In addition to a…
Lowry Park Zoo
Tampa
North of downtown, Tampa's zoo gets you as close to the animals as possible, with several free-flight aviaries, giraffe feeding, a wallaby enclosure and a…