Are you planning a family vacation in Tampa Bay area and looking for fun Tamps attractions for families? In such case you need to know two things:
- You made the right choice – Tampa Bay is a great place for vacation with kids.
- The list of Tampa attractions for families is HUGE, so you might not be able to visit them all during one trip. But, hey, that’s a great reason to come back, right?
I have already published a list of Tampa attractions for families who love nature exploration – I created an itinerary in the footsteps of the movie “Dolphin Tale” featuring aquariums, botanical gardens, a zoo and a cool treasure island.
The list below is a compilation of all exciting and fun Tampa attractions for families including most famous attractions and some hidden gems.
# 1 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Busch Gardens is probably the most famous Tampa family attraction. It is an Africa-themed theme park that includes thrill rides, animal exhibits and various shows. It has a variety of attractions for all age groups. Busch Gardens has many special events throughout the year including several holiday celebrations. Elmo and the whole Sesame Street gang are frequent visitors at the park (the image below is courtesy of buschgardens.com).
# 2 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Legoland is located just about 50 miles East of Tampa which makes for an easy trip even with small kids. If you have Lego fans in your family, they will have a blast. I myself was absolutely fascinated by jaw dropping structures and scenes in this park engineered from Lego blocks. For your enjoyment there are many rides, play areas and even a water ski show in Legoland.
Want to learn more about Legoland? Check this article about Legoland parks around the world.
# 3 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Dinosaur World is totally worth 20 miles’ trip outside of Tampa if you have Jurassic Park fan in your clan. It is a small park compared to the first two on the list but it has tons of life-size dinosaurs, static and animated. Our favorite gig in this park is the fossil dig where kids can dig for REAL fossils and then keep 3 of their best finds to take home!
# 4 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Glazer Children’s Museum in downtown Tampa is great any time of year but especially when summer thunderstorms arrive and you need a cool attraction under a roof. The museum has lots of interactive exhibits and play spaces. Note, that this museum is located very close to Tampa Airport, so if you have an evening flight but have to check out of your hotel in the morning, Glazer Children’s museum is a great convenient place to spend a couple of hours before your flight.
# 5 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg may not be on your list of fun Tampa family attractions but it definitely should be. There is something captivating about Dali’s melting clocks and other surreal scenes for kids. My boys were totally fascinated by Dali’s art and the museum is not too big so there is no time for kids to get bored. There are several FREE guided tours available throughout the day. The Dali Museum also has a garden with unusual landscaping (to match the great painter’s character) and a labyrinth (the image below is courtesy of thedali.org).
# 6 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Dale Chihuly collection at the Morean Arts Center in St. Petersburg is another example of art that would be very appealing for kids. Giant bright glass objects (flowers, balls, fish, etc.) remind me of an enchanted forest. We were all truly mesmerized when we visited Chihuly collection. The exposition is not large so it will be perfect for children of all ages.
# 7 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
Morean Arts Center has several other great fun family attractions. Stop by their glass blowing studio to watch live glass blowing demonstrations by resident artists (the price of your visit to the studio is already included in the price of the Chihuly exhibit). On Saturdays Morean Arts Center houses 2 FREE art making workshops for kids (one in the morning, one in the afternoon). On Sundays Morean Center for Clay hosts FREE Clay Play Session for children (image below if courtesy of moreanartscented.org).
# 8 Fun Tampa Attraction for Families
The list of fun Tampa attractions for families would not be complete without Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise. This cruise is departing from Clearwater. What can be more fun for kids than a couple of hours on board a pirate ship with pirate stories, games, treasure hunt, face painting and water gun battles?
ADDITIONAL USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT FUN TAMPA ATTRACTIONS FOR FAMILIES
Where to stay in Tampa Bay Area.
We prefer to stay in St. Pete Beach area and then drive around (you will definitely need to rent a car to get to all attractions). St. Pete Beach is a perfect town for families. Most of the hotels are built right on the beach and most of them are affordable. Our favorite place is Sirata Beach Resort. You can book a decently priced suite here with 2 rooms and a kitchen. There are also lots of dining options right around this hotel area. So when you are in town, at you home base so to speak, you pretty much won’t need a car, you can walk to restaurants, grocery stores, etc.
Where to eat in Tampa Bay Area
Depending on which beach town you choose as you home base you will have a different choice of restaurants. A couple of areas I suggest to explore whether or not you are going to stay nearby: Pass-a-Grill area of St, Pete Beach and John’ Pass Village. The former is famous for great restaurants along the beach and the later is built as a tourist attraction in itself with multiple shopping and dining options.
When to visit Tampa Bay Area
May-June is the best time to visit Tampa Bay Area. The water has warmed up significantly by then and the hurricane season is not in full swing yet. Once we went to Tampa in November. The weather was very pleasant but the water temperature was in the 50s F, which was a total bummer. The water in the ocean stays cold throughout the winter. If you plan to visit just these attractions mention in this post than November and winter will be perfect, plus there will be special holiday season activities going on starting Thanksgiving weekend. For instance, Busch Gardens have a holiday extravaganza with decorations around the park and special shows. Second half of summer and September are very hot and humid and there are lots of tropical storms (and a full-blown hurricane may arrive too)
Must haves for your trip to Tampa
First of all, you definitely need to get Tampa City Pass as it will save you 50% on 5 major attractions (2 of which described in this article and 3 are highlighted in my previous Tampa Bay itinerary):
Second of all, here are my 4 must-haves that you need to pack four your Tampa vacation:
- A beach tent – much more practical and sturdy than a beach umbrella, will provide protection from the sun for the whole day. We never go to the beach without it.
- Kids hooded beach towels – so much more practical and easy to use for kids than just a regular towel
- Sun screen that is not harmful for marine life – I am sure you have your favorite sunscreen for everyday use but you need a special one to go to the beach to protect marine life from harmful chemicals
- Beach blanket, sand proof – enough said 🙂
If you are up for more fun in the vicinity of Tampa Bay Area, check out great things to do in Tarpoon Springs as well as Fort de Soto in St. Petersburg.
Here are other articles you may find useful for planning Florida vacation:
Things to do in Key Largo with Kids
Kennedy Space Center Review and Tips
Things to do in Sarasota with Kids
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