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are an NHL (ice hockey) team who have won the Stanley Cup in 2004, 2020, and 2021. Their home ice is at Amalie Arena in the Channelside area of downtown. Season includes 41 home games and lasts October-June.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play their home games at Benchmark International Arena in Downtown Tampa. The Lightning are one of two NHL franchises based in Florida, with the other being the Florida Panthers.
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).
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.
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.
Built at the turn of the 20th century as the Tampa Bay Hotel by railroad magnate H.B. Plant, the beautiful old building is now used as the administration building and classrooms for the University of Tampa. It has been lovingly restored to most of its prior glory; the ballroom is a showpiece with its domed ceiling under brilliant silver minarets. There is a small, but very interesting museum in the building that recreates a large portion of Tampa's early history, as well as giving visitors a peek into how the hotel appeared when it first opened.
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.