85 Best Sights in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

Hernando de Soto, one of the first Spanish explorers to land in North America, came ashore with his men and 200 horses near what is now Bradenton in 1539. This federal park commemorates De Soto's expedition and the Native Americans he and his crew encountered.

During the height of tourist season, from mid-December to late April, park staff and volunteers dress in period costumes at Camp Uzita, demonstrate the use of 16th-century weapons, and show how European explorers prepared and preserved food for their overland journeys. The season ends with a reenactment of the explorer's landing. The site also offers a film and short nature trail through the mangroves.

In the middle of the mouth of Tampa Bay lies the small (350 acres), largely unspoiled but critically eroding island Egmont Key, now a state park, national wildlife refuge, national historic site, and bird sanctuary. On the island are the ruins of Ft. De Soto's sister fortification, Ft. Dade, built during the Spanish-American War to protect Tampa Bay. The primary inhabitants of the less-than-2-mile-long island are the threatened gopher tortoise and box turtles.

The only way to get here is by boat, and you can catch a ferry from Ft. De Soto, among other places; area operators include Hubbard's Marina, Dolphin Landings, and Island Boat Adventures. It's well worth the trip—the beach here is excellent for shelling, secluded beach bathing, wildlife viewing, and snorkeling.

This beach is popular with teenagers, although beachgoers of all ages frequent it. Though it attracts crowds, it's easy to find your own patch of beach. Parking can be tough on busy weekends. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming.

Set on 6.5 acres in the burgeoning Warehouse Arts District, this ambitious project consists of eight converted factories and warehouses that provide 91,000 square feet of creative space for galleries, studios, and arts organizations and businesses (including a record store). Events–from workshops to markets to festivals—are held here, too. It's also home to the Fairgrounds, an immersive art-and-technology experience.

Although eels, sharks, and stingrays are the headliners, this aquarium is much more than a giant fishbowl. The architectural landmark features an 83-foot-high, tiered glass dome; 250,000 square feet of air-conditioned exhibit space; and more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals—from blacktip sharks to leafy sea dragons—from Florida and elsewhere in the world. Interactive displays, behind-the-scenes tours, and in-water adventures let you get hands-on—and get your feet wet.

The 500,000-gallon Coral Reef Gallery has a 43-foot-wide panoramic opening, viewing windows, and a walk-through tunnel where you feel as if you've entered the depths. A thicket of elkhorn coral teems with tropical fish, a dark cave reveals sea life normally seen only on night dives, and South African penguins make daily appearances. Another highlight is the Indian Ocean coral reef at the Journey to Madagascar exhibit, which also features ring-tailed lemurs and hissing cockroaches.

Younger kids love the Explore a Shore, an aquatic playground with a waterslide, water-jet sprays, and a climbable replica pirate ship. If you have an extra 90 minutes, try the Wild Dolphin Cruise, which takes up to 130 passengers onto Tampa Bay in a 72-foot catamaran to see bottlenose dolphins and other wildlife. 

Florida flora and fauna shine in more than a dozen gardens and natural areas at these botanical gardens, open to visitors for free nearly every day of the year. You can wander through areas devoted to native plants, cacti and succulents, and a butterfly garden. You never know what sort of wildlife you might encounter–alligators, birds, and turtles–in the Aquatic Habitat, consisting of a gorgeous retention pond and McKay’s Creek.

Downtown St. Petersburg's Florida Holocaust Museum is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. In addition to hosting rotating exhibits, it has the permanent History, Heritage, and Hope exhibit; an original boxcar; and an extensive collection of photographs, art, and artifacts. One compelling display includes portraits and biographies of Holocaust survivors.

The museum was conceived as a learning center for children, so many of the displays avoid overly graphic content. Signs are posted outside galleries where the subject matter might be too intense for kids.

This museum, now housed in new digs in historic Ybor City, is the epicenter for the photographic arts in the region. With a series of rotating exhibits that runs the gamut, there’s something for everyone, from historic images to contemporary works.

If you need to relax after a long day of playing in the water, this remote beach is it, and getting here is half the fun. Situated at the terminus of Fort Island Trail, the same road where you'll find the Plantation on Crystal River, the beach is a 9-mile drive through wetlands with sweeping views along the way (though the Crystal River nuclear plant looms to the north). The beach itself is raw and subdued, with few frills, though there are picnic shelters, barbecues, and a fishing pier. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset.

It comes in two parts: a shady mainland picnic area with barbecues and a white-sand beach island. The causeway is a popular hangout for windsurfers, and the entire area is great for birding. The beach itself is very relaxed and family-friendly, and you can find kayak rentals on the island's eastern side. Amenities: parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; windsurfing.

It's all about play here, and, with 53,000 square feet, more than a dozen themed areas, and over 170 interactive exhibits, there's plenty of opportunity for it. In areas designed to nurture imagination and strengthen confidence children and families can experience everything from flying an airplane to shopping for groceries. Kids can also create art, control the weather, navigate a mini-shipping channel, and "drive" a miniature (stationary) fire truck through Tampa. The Water's Journey Tree mimics the water cycle and lets kids climb to the second floor.

"Don't touch" are words never spoken here. The museum is hands-on through and through, with an art studio, replica vet's office and grocery store, a "beach" with real sand, a touch tunnel, and other interactive play areas. Kids and grown-ups alike will marvel at Reefscape, a brilliantly colorful fabric and yarn interpretation of Florida's underwater ecosystems.

Just across the inlet on the northern tip of Longboat Key, Greer Island Beach is accessible by boat or by car via North Shore Boulevard (you can walk here at low tide, but be sure to leave before the tide comes in). You'll also hear this place referred to as Beer Can Island. The secluded peninsula has a wide beach and excellent shelling, but no facilities. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.

If you're seeking an almost completely undeveloped beach that's still easily accessible by car, this is one of your best bets. Northwest of Clearwater, this large state park offers some of the best shell hunting you'll find, as well as thousands of feet of serene beachfront. If you head north along the park road, you find extensive hiking trails, along which you'll see an astonishing array of birds. You can also catch a ferry to Caladesi Island from here. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Explore more than 500 contemporary works of glass art at this gorgeous, world-class museum. The 34,000-square-foot gallery space features stunning translucent pieces that play with color, light, and shape by standout American and international artists, including Harvey Littleton, an early 1960s pioneer in the medium, as well as modern artists who have taken glass-blowing, glass-casting, and sand-casting techniques to the next level.

When entering this Gulf Coast town, the road narrows to two lanes and is lined with upscale residential condos instead of busy hotels. There are quite a few beach access points, though your best bet is a landscaped facility offering ample parking, nearby food and drink, and an occasional event. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This colorful museum is dedicated to preserving the heritage of American traveling shows and carnivals. Located in the winter home of many performers and circus employees, the more than 52,000-square-foot facility houses old-time artifacts—glittery burlesque costumes, historic photographs and posters, refurbished railway cars and antique wagons, and a working vintage Ferris wheel—that transport you to a bygone era.

One of St. Petersburg’s newest museums has hundreds of paintings and sculptures that portray the history, culture, and lifestyles of the American West, Native Americans, and wildlife that spans the globe. Founded by philanthropists Tom and Mary James, the museum is divided into themed galleries—Early West, Native Life, Native Artists, Frontier, Wildlife and New West—in a cohesive and easy-to-navigate layout. Rotating special exhibits regularly bring new works to the museum.

Known to locals as "Mad Beach," this lively barrier island town occupies the southern tip of Shell Key. The beachfront consists of a long stretch of soft, shell-strewn sand, and it's often crowded with families as well as clusters of twentysomethings. You can here via numerous public access points, but your best bet is to park at the municipal beach parking lot and head to the sand from there. It's easily accessible from Treasure Island, northern St. Petersburg, and Clearwater Beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; swimming; walking.

Consisting of both Gulf and Intracoastal Waterway frontage, this beach is best reached on foot from Caspersen Beach. By road, it's a lot less direct. Features include a boardwalk, boat launch, and picnic shelters. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

In the middle of Anna Maria Island, Manatee County Beach is popular with beachgoers of all ages. Paid parking is in the gravel lot next to the beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Orchids make up nearly a third of the 20,000 species of flowers and plants here. You can stroll through the Tropical Display House, home of orchids and colorful bromeliads gathered from rain forests, and wander the garden pathway past plantings of bamboo, ancient banyans, and mangrove forests along Little Sarasota Bay. Although spring sees the best blooms, the greenhouses make this an attraction for all seasons. A bonus is a spectacular view of downtown.

There are rotating exhibits of botanical art and photography in a 1934 restored Southern Colonial mansion. Enjoy lunch at the Selby House Cafe. The Historic Spanish Point campus in Osprey is home to the region's only butterfly experience.

A gorgeous, Mediterranean-revival structure houses outstanding collections of Asian, African, Native American, European, and American art. Although American artists such as Hassam, O'Keeffe, Bellows, and Morisot are represented, the museum is known more for its pieces by French artists, including Cézanne, Monet, Rodin, Gauguin, and Renoir. In addition, photography exhibits draw from a permanent collection of more than 14,000 works. Docents give narrated gallery tours, and you can grab lunch at a café that has a beautiful bay view.

At this state-of-the-art facility near the University of South Florida's main campus, you learn about weather, anatomy, flight, space, and more by seeing and by doing. Explore a lunar colony in Mission: Moonbase, a NASA-funded exhibit. Challenge yourself on the multilevel, 36-foot-high Sky Trail ropes course. Discover innovative technologies not yet on the market at ConnectUs, or get creative in the Idea Zone makers space. The virtual-reality simulator lets you experience everything from spacewalks to run-ins with prehistoric creatures, and the 23-seat Saunders Planetarium has daily shows featuring astronomy experts.

The world's only museum dedicated solely to the American Arts and Crafts movement, which saw a range of beautiful yet functional works created in the United States between 1890 and 1930, was funded by a local philanthropist and collector. Displays in the 137,000 square feet of gallery space feature everything from architecture and furniture to prints, photographs, and paintings.

The building is a masterpiece, too, with a grand atrium, skylights, and the drama of a central spiral staircase. In addition to a reference library and a theater, the museum also has a gift shop, a graphic studio, an upscale café, a children’s gallery, and green space.

This beach is on the island just north of Venice Beach, across the pass near North Jetty Park. It's frequented more by sunbathing retirees than young partiers. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

At the south end of Casey Key, this beach is a favorite for family outings and fishermen. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

This spot is the terminus of State Road 60 (hence the name), which runs under various names between Vero Beach on the east coast and Clearwater Beach on the west coast. Around 3:30 each day, weather permitting, the area surrounding the pier starts to liven up.

Local artists and craftspeople fill their folding tables with beaded jewelry, handmade skin-care products, and beach landscape paintings. Jugglers, musicians, break-dancers, and fire breathers perform. And the grand finale is the sun setting over the Gulf of Mexico. On weekends when the weather is mild, there are also free, family-friendly movie screenings.

Anna Maria Island's "Main Street" features numerous upscale mom-and-pop boutiques, including beach-appropriate clothiers, beach-inspired home decor stores, and antique furniture shops. You can also find shops offering items such as quality jewelry and infused olive oil. The Anna Maria City Pier, which overlooks the southern end of Tampa Bay, sits at the end of the street. If you're here in the morning, check out Anna Maria Donuts, which offers made-to-order custom doughnuts, some with interesting ingredients such as sriracha sauce.

Sand Key, the landmass that is home to Madeira Beach at the south end and Belleaire Beach in the north, is spotted with public beach access points. This particular spot has a bigger parking area than the others, though it's not free. It's also within walking distance of the Redington Pier, one of the most popular areas for fishing. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.