Tampa attractions

Stretching from the edge of the Channelside Drive to the Tampa Heights District, the Tampa Riverwalk is a 2.6-mile (4-kilometer) pedestrian trail that runs along the Hillsborough River. The project started in 1975 and continued through 2020. The main throughway connecting neighborhoods is lined with public parks and attractions among the city's most popular.

Opened in 1996 as the Ice Palace, Amalie Arena is a live event arena in downtown Tampa. Primarily the home of the Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team, the arena hosts more than 150 events each year, including sports games, concerts, and live performances. The main outdoor plaza, Thunder Alley, is a public pre-event gathering space that often stages live music.

The Port of Tampa Bay provides direct access to the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. One of the busiest ports in the state and serving multiple major cruise lines, the Port of Tampa Bay is more than just a launch point for international sailing. Luxury shops, fine dining, and local museums fill this waterside area in Tampa’s Channel District.

Evidence of Native American activity at Little Manatee River State Park dates back more than 10,000 years ago. The area attracted loggers, railroad workers, and other settlers in the 1800s, but most remnants of the past have since vanished, leaving the mostly-untouched natural park a quiet place for outdoor lovers to explore.

A haven for outdoor adventurers, Alafia River State Park is open year-round and has 20 miles of trails running through forests, flatwoods, and alongside lakes. This reclaimed phosphate mine comprising over 7,700 acres features elevation changes, unlike other state parks, offering a prime location for mountain biking.

The Museum of Science and Industry, known as MOSI, is an imaginative space designed for curiosity and interaction. Opened in 1982, it’s about 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside of Tampa and two blocks from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Its IMAX center was removed recently, but the museum still boasts hundreds of immersive permanent exhibits.

More than a museum, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a working animal hospital that rescues, rehabilitates, and, in many cases, returns marine creatures to the wild. The waterfront center gained fame when it successfully created a prosthetic tail for Winter, an injured baby dolphin that later starred in the Dolphin Tale movies. You’ll hear similar inspiring stories when visiting the aquarium’s resident sharks, sea turtles, and other creatures.

With expansive white-sand beaches and warm, turquoise waters, Florida's Clearwater Beach, a waterfront community on the Gulf of Mexico, is an ideal launching pad for kayaking, parasailing, boating, and biking. It's known as being more low-key than its southern neighbor, the bustling St. Pete Beach, and many consider Clearwater Beach to be among the best beaches in the United States.