Florida’s gulf coast is more than just white sandy beaches and beautifully manicured golf courses, it’s also known for its eclectic mixture of parks! Next time you’re in the Tampa Bay area, save a little time for exploration and recreation with these scenic spots!
- Busch Gardens: Let your inner explorer run wild at this African theme park! High-impact thrill rides combine with exotic African animals and captivating performers to get everyone’s heart racing.
- Big Cat Rescue: Go on the prowl at this private park, its home to about 80 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars, and more!
- Sunken Gardens: A botanical paradise in the midst of St. Petersburg; this park houses cascading waterfalls, more than 50000 plants and flowers, gardens, butterflies, etc.
- Dade City's Wild Things ZOO: Explore your wild side at this incredible park featuring some really crazy critters! This zoo delivers both educational and positive animal-human interactions for visitors of all ages.
- Giraffe Ranch Farm: This park houses 47 acres of intimate safari expeditions and petting experiences, so you can experience these gentle giants up close and personal!
- Lowry Park Zoo: This fantastic 56-acre zoo features exhibits focusing on endangered, threatened and vulnerable species. With incredible animal shows, demonstrations and rides, it’s no wonder the park is such a popular Florida attraction.
- Clearwater Marine Aquarium: Here you can immerse yourself in the wonderful world of marine life. This aquarium is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of injured marine animals. They even house two super-star dolphins, Winter and Hope of Dolphin Tale!
- Florida Aquarium: This aquarium is found in Channelside close to Tampa’s downtown district. It is home to over 20,000 aquatic plants and animals. Their most popular exhibits include the Ocean Commotion and Coral Reefs!
- Adventure Island Tampa: Adventure Island Water Park is a great way to cool off as you head down corkscrew slides and waterfalls! If water rides aren’t your speed, you can kick back in an inner tube and relax by floating along a lazy river.
- Tanked Immersion: At this incredible aquatic experience, located at the RumFish Grill on St. Pete Beach, anyone over 8 years of age can swim with more than 31 species of fish! The star of the tank is most certainly the electric green moray eel Frankie, who frequently pops out of his favorite piece of coral to greet diners and swimmers alike!
