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During your Tampa vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Tampa Museum of Art
Located on the east bank of the Hillsborough River, next to the round NationsBank building (locals facetiously call it the "Beer Can"), this fine-arts complex offers eight galleries with changing exhibits ranging from classical antiquities to contemporary Floridian art. There's also a 7-acre riverfront park and sculpture garden. Call or check the website for the schedule of temporary exhibits. However, if you have time for only one art museum on your trip, skip this one and head to St. Petersburg for the more innovative Salvador Dalí Museum.
Lowry Park Zoo
The opportunity to watch 3,000-pound manatees, Komodo dragons, Persian leopards, and rare red pandas makes this a worthwhile, albeit not entirely necessary, excursion after the kids have seen the plains of Africa at Busch Gardens. With lots of greenery, bubbling brooks, and cascading waterfalls, this 24-acre zoo displays animals in settings similar to their natural habitats. Other major exhibits include the Florida wildlife display, Asian Domain, Primate World, Aquatic Center, free-flight aviary with a birds-of-prey show, hands-on Discovery Center, and endangered-species carousel ride. The Wallaroo Station has kids' rides, a small water park, a kangaroo walk-about, and a petting zoo. Lowry Park has one of Florida's three manatee hospital and rehabilitation centers. The Eco Tour is very popular, featuring a cruise on the Hillsborough River, where you'll see turtles, herons, and manatees. The cost is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $7 for children 3 to 11. The zoo is also a sanctuary for Florida panthers and red wolves.
The Florida Aquarium
See more than 5,000 aquatic animals and plants that call Florida home at this entertaining and informative attraction. The exhibits follow a drop of water from the pristine springs of the Florida Wetlands Gallery, through a mangrove forest in the Bays and Beaches Gallery, and out onto the Coral Reefs, where an impressive 43-foot-wide, 14-foot-tall panoramic window lets you look out at schools of fish and lots of sharks and stingrays. Also worth visiting are the educational "Explore a Shore" playground, a deepwater exhibit, and a tank housing moray eels. You can look for birds and sea life on 90-minute Eco Tour cruises in the Bay Spirit, a 64-foot catamaran. The aquarium also offers a Dive with the Sharks program (tel. 813/367-4005) that gives certified scuba divers the chance to swim with blacktip reef, sand tiger, and nurse sharks for 30 minutes. The $150 price tag includes a souvenir photo and T-shirt.
Crowne Plaza Hotel TAMPA EAST
The Crowne Plaza Hotel Tampa is ideally located off of I-4 at I-75 in the center of Tampa's Financial District. Within minutes of Westfield Mall and world-class shopping, nightlife, Tampa Busch Gardens, Ybor City, Channelside District, sporting venues and an abundant selection of restaurants. Extensive 30,000 sq. ft. conf facilities, 269 guest rooms incl 41 suites, Panfilo's Bar and Grill with evening entertainment. Complimentary Airport shuttle available every 2 hours from 6:00AM to ...
Hilton Garden Inn Tampa East/Brandon
Located in Highland Oaks Business Park, across the street from Sabal Business Park, the largest business park in the Tampa area. Hotel is convenient to shopping, nightlife, downtown Tampa, Ybor City and Channelside Shopping ...
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