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Photo: Kirstin.albert, CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
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 Tampa Convention Center is a mid-sized convention center located in downtown Tampa, Florida at the mouth of the Hillsborough River. It has both waterfront views of Tampa Bay and views of the city's skyline. Harbour Island is across the eponymous bridge on the other side of the Garrison Channel. The center is connected to the neighboring Channelside District and Ybor City via the TECO Line Streetcar, which has a station across the street. The center opened in 1990 and encompasses 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) in total. It has a 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) exhibit hall, a ballroom capable of accommodating over 2,000 guests, and 36 meeting rooms that can be adjusted to various sizes. The facility hosts over 100 events per year.
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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.
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).
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.
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.