A huge thank you @TeslaCoilFan ! I just bought a condo in Madeira Beach (at John's Pass) for investment purposes and figure to be in MB 6-8 weeks per year. Hopefully get to see a couple Bolts game this year.
This information was so insightful and helpful. Can't thank you enough!!
*** BEACHES ***
From downtown Tampa, you are about a half hour drive away from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Since all these beaches have wide stretches of soft white sand meeting the warm calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, your choice will depend on the location and amenities that you desire. During the early part of hockey season, the beaches are still active but the attendence does thin out as the 'winter' progresses.
From North to South along the barrier islands...
Clearwater Beach - this very popular and very busy beach has all the amenities such as cabanas, some of the best seafood restaurants in the Bay area, a variety water sports, entertainment and a sunset celebration. Fishing, dolphin-watching and leisure charters are also available close-by. It has the largest crowds although they will thin out considerably during the middle of hockey season when we actually do have a little bit of 'winter' chill to deal with.
Indian Rocks Beach - less emphasis on commercial development. A quiet, less crowed alternative to some of the more popular beaches but amenities are minimal with showers, restrooms and parking. The surrounding area features a mixture of residential and vacation rentals with plenty of restaurants and bars to choose from when you want to take a break from the beach.
Madeira Beach - features a funky, retro vibe and offers plenty of wide, white sand beaches and fun activities. At the south end is St. John's Pass that replicates a quaint fishing village and serves as a hub for charter boats, an eclectic variety of souvenir and apparel shops, and a variety of bistros, bars and restaurants. Treasure Island is just south of Madeira Beach and has similar beach amenities.
St. Pete Beach - plenty of beach-side amenities including restaurants, Tiki bars, cabana rentals, jet ski rentals and other adventure opportunities. If you're staying overnight there are plenty of full-service resorts and boutique hotels lining the beach including the beautiful Don Cesar Resort. This huge pink Mediterranean-style hotel was built during the jazz-age and has been the standard of luxury ever since.
Ben T. Davis Beach - the closest beach to downtown Tampa, it offers ideal proximity to the airport for travelers who value efficiency. Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings see the beach populated by local volleyball players. This is one of the best spots in town to watch the sunset and is located adjacent to the new Courtney Campbell Trail, a four-mile biking and pedestrian bridge.
*** ATTRACTIONS ***
Busch Gardens - this 335-acre Africa-inspired theme park has thrilling roller coasters, animals, entertaining live shows, 2,000-plus animals including free-roaming giraffes, zebras and white rhinos visible on the Serengeti Railway. Plan to spend an entire day here. Short drive east of downtown.
Florida Theme Park & Animal Encounters | Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Florida Aquarium - features more than 20,000 plants and animals in both fresh and saltwater environments including a million-gallon coral reef display that houses over 200 species of fish. Other areas of the aquarium showcase river otters, alligators, deep sea fish as well as "touch" experiences where kids can get up close with stingrays, horseshoe crabs, urchins, and other sea life. A gift shop and restaurant are on the premises. On the streetcar route that connects Amalie Arena to Ybor City.
The Florida Aquarium : Connect With The Sea
ZooTampa at Lowry Park aka Lowry Park Zoo - featuring 1,300 animals with an emphasis on regional endangered species and those in similar climates. Has a Manatee Hospital that rehabilitates injured manatees. New Australian-themed children's area includes rides and other games geared for the little ones. Went through a stupid name change/rebranding as ZooTampa in March 2018.
Home
Dinosaur World - home to over 150 life-size dinosaurs realistically set amidst lush native vegetation, including an animatronic scene featuring a Brachiosaurus, Triceratops and Pterodactyl among others. Kids can also become paleontologists and sift through a dig in search of fossils to take home or take part in a gem hunter's mining/excavation experience. Guests are also invited to bring lunch or coolers of food to munch on in the subterranean picnic area. Located about a half hour east of downtown Tampa in Plant City.
Florida – Dinosaur World
*** MUSEUMS ***
TAMPA
Tampa Bay History Center - a 60,000-square-foot waterfront museum, presents 12,000 years of Tampa Bay history through innovative, interactive exhibits that engage visitors of all ages. Visitors can explore a vast array of Seminole artifacts, learn about the Spanish conquistadors, browse a 1920s-era cigar store, and view over 1,000 Tampa cigar industry-related objects. Next to Amalie Arena on the streetcar route.
Tampa Bay History Center | Visit today and learn about the history of the
Tampa Museum of Art - a boldly designed riverfront museum housing six temporary exhibits and an extensive permanent collection of Greek and Roman antiquities and 20th-century sculpture as well as a serene riverfront sculpture garden. The museum offers an extensive program of events from art classes to Buddhist meditation. Located along the Riverwalk as part of the Waterfront Arts District.
Tampa Museum of Art
Glazer Children's Museum - There are many hands-on exhibits designed for exploration, such as a kid-sized grocery store, airplane, and cruise ship. The best strategy is to let them guide you around the facility. Fun for the whole family, but kids under 11 or so will enjoy it the most. Located along the Riverwalk as part of the Waterfront Arts District.
Home - Glazer Children's Museum
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts - one of only a few museums in the US dedicated solely to photography. The museum is located downtown in the architecturally significant Cube, a soaring six-story atrium building. Promoting photographic art as central to our culture, the museum hosts exhibits of both historic and contemporary photography. The museum also offers gallery talks, "Photography at 5" happy hours, inventive family activities and a myriad of photography classes for all ages. Located along the Riverwalk as part of the Waterfront Arts District.
FMoPA | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts | Tampa, Florida
Henry B. Plant Museum - this history museum is located in what was originally the Tampa Bay Hotel built in 1891 by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant. It was an extravagant resort that drew such guests as Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth. The hotel's striking minarets architecture, lavish furnishings and vibrant gardens provide a rare glimpse into the early years of Florida tourism. Part of the University of Tampa campus near downtown and across the Hillsborough River from the Riverwalk and the Waterfront Arts District.
Henry B. Plant Museum - Home
Ybor City Museum and State Park - housed in the renovated historic Ferlita Bakery, the museum boasts both temporary and permanent exhibits that illustrate how the immigrant cigar workers and their families lived and worked, creating a unique social life and community institutions. Outside you can explore the peaceful 19th-century-style garden and tour a "casita," representative of a typical cigar worker's home. Located in Ybor City on the streetcar route.
Welcome to Ybor City Museum
American Victory Ship and Museum - conveniently located close to downtown and adjacent to the Florida Aquarium, the American Victory Ship is one of only four WWII ships that are still fully-functioning. The Ship is a memorial to the dedicated men and women of the American Merchant Fleet. Almost all areas of the Ship are open to investigation, including the bridge, weaponry, galley and mess halls, crew cabins and Captain's quarters, radio and gyro rooms, and much more. Visitors are given the unique opportunity to experience the living and working conditions of the sailors. Interpretive exhibits fill in the blanks through the display of artifacts, photos, uniforms and medals.
American Victory Ship | Mariners Memorial Museum
Tampa Firefighters Museum - located in downtown Tampa next to Tampa Fire Rescue Station One. Built in 1911, the beautifully restored building served as the Fire Department Headquarters until 1974. The 18,000 square foot facility is designed to preserve the history of the fire department and to promote fire safety and prevention throughout the community. Included among the historical exhibits and interactive educational displays is an early fire wagon looking as bright and shiny as the day it was made, and a piece of metal recovered from the World Trade Towers on 9/11.
ST.PETE/CLEARWATER
Great Explorations Children's Museum - Spread throughout its 24,000 feet of "learning space," are exhibits and programs encouraging kids to follow the museum mantra: "Make a discovery, make a mess and even make a new friend." The Critter Cave allows them to peek into the intriguing world of arachnids and reptiles.
Great Explorations Children's Museum - St. Petersburg, Florida
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg - thousands of art objects spanning early antiquity to the present are showcased in one of the finest art collections on Florida's West Coast. It features a comprehensive permanent exhibit as well as varied slate of traveling shows. Art, artifacts and majestic sculptures hail from ancient Greece, Rome, Asia and South America. Masterpieces by Monet, Renoir, Whistler, Cézanne, O'Keeffe and others lead the list of artists on display. Located on the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg.
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
Salvador Dali Museum - home to an important collection of Salvador Dali's art, spanning his lifetime. The dazzling building itself is a masterpiece with more than 1,000 triangular-shaped glass panels encasing it. Inside, you'll find more than 2,000 works - the largest collection outside of Europe - including oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, photographs, sculptures and other objects d'art. In addition to the permanent exhibit, a host of rotating artists and photographers are featured throughout the year. Located on the waterfront in downtown St. Petersburg.
https://thedali.org/
St. Petersburg Museum of History - the oldest museum in the city, it houses a collection of historical artifacts and a poignant tribute to the first commercial flight on Jan. 1, 1914, along with a host of traveling exhibits featured throughout the year. Baseball fans will be impressed by the collection of autographed baseballs - the largest in the country. Of special note is the Lady of the Nile, a 3,000 year-old mummy tucked into an ancient sarcophagus.
St. Petersburg Museum of History | St. Petersburg, Florida
Florida Holocaust Museum - founded in 1989 by Holocaust survivor Walter P. Loebenberg, the poignant museum showcases the tragic plight of Holocaust victims via a series of personal histories, photographs and artifacts. Tattered clothing - including camp uniforms and tiny shoes worn by young victims of the atrocity - and movie clips offering narratives by Holocaust survivors and a boxcar once used to haul prisoners to concentration camps are also part of the sobering exhibit.
Homepage - Florida Holocaust Museum
Tampa Bay Automobile Museum - automobile enthusiasts of all ages will appreciate the display of 70 vintage cars on parade as part of the private collection of French entrepreneur Alain Cerf and his family. Amassed over a period of 30 years, the exhibit contains mainly European-built vehicles (there are 11 from the US) and is focused on cars which demonstrate "special creativity and imagination in their history and engineering." All cars are in running shape and are taken on the road regularly. Vehicles range from the 1930s to 1990s models in addition to a replica of a 1770 steam carriage.
******REST OF THIS AREA UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!********
Performing Arts/Music
Seminole Hard Rock Casino
Outdoor Experiences
GASPARILLA!
