//
Photo: Christopher Hollis, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Three floors of permanent and temporary exhibition space covering 12,000 years of Florida history, with a special focus on Tampa Bay and the Gulf Coast. It has a museum store, classrooms, the Witt Research Center (a branch of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System), a map gallery, an event hall and the Columbia Cafe (a branch of Ybor City's Columbia Restaurant).
Tampa Bay History Center is a history museum in Tampa, Florida, United States. It is a Smithsonian Affiliate and has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 2015. Exhibits include coverage of the Tampa Bay area's first native inhabitants, Spanish conquistadores, and historical figures who shaped the area's history, as well as a reproduction of a 1920s cigar store. The museum is on the waterfront at 801 Water Street in Tampa's Channelside District. It opened on January 17, 2009. The History Center building is 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) with 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) of exhibit space.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Fabulous aquarium following a drop of rain from a swamp through Florida's aquifer, to its rivers and out into the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. Restaurant, gift shop, children's play area, touch tank, interactive dive experiences, and eco-tours of Tampa Bay. The aquarium also has a great outdoor water play area (included with admission), so on hotter days bring swim attire and towels for the kids - bathrooms are located adjacent for changing. There is a fee for parking at the main lot, but on busier days/times only members are allowed to use it - others will be directed to the parking garages nearby.
The Convention Center always has activities. National and international groups rent space for meetings and conventions. Regional and local groups rent space. Some of the activities require fees for entrance, but many are open to the general public either free or for a small fee. The Tampa Riverwalk passes along the south and west sides of the building. Just north of the Convention Center is the Convention Center parking garage for visitors. On the Tampa Bay side is a boat dock area where for a fee private boats may be docked. Several outlets inside the Center sell food and drinks. On the east side of the center property is the Sail Pavilion, which has some food but mainly sells alcoholic beverages.
The Channel District has many shops, restaurants, and is one of the beginnings of the Tampa River Walk. Formerly home to a shopping center named Channelside Bay Plaza, this area is now completely remodeled and opened in late 2018 as Sparkman Wharf, with many take away eateries and a beer garden, along with a lively lawn beside the waterfront. The area also serves as a major cruise hub with five lines embarking or stopping in Tampa. The Florida Aquarium is also here (see entry below).
Tampa Riverwalk has been nearly 30 years in the making, and finally connects the vibrant Tampa Heights district with the heart of Downtown, all the way to the Florida Aquarium in the Channel District. Along the 2.4-mile walkway are many parks, including the incredibly popular Curtis Hixon, the Tampa Performing Arts Center, the Amalie Arena where the Tampa Bay Lightning play, and multiple hotels, bars, and restaurants.
Opened in 1926 in downtown, the Tampa Theatre is a historic movie palace featuring a wide range of independent, foreign, and documentary films on a daily basis. Architecturally stunning inside and out, it is no wonder that the Tampa Theatre has become a city and national landmark. It has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. It is Tampa's only non-profit theatre and operating costs are largely covered by its membership program, various corporate sponsors, and ticket sales.