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.

Henry B. Plant Museum
Originally built in 1891 by railroad tycoon Henry B. Plant as the super-chichi 511-room Tampa Bay Hotel, this ornate building is worth a short trip across the river from downtown to the University of Tampa campus. Its 13 silver minarets and distinctive Moorish architecture, modeled after the Alhambra in Spain, make this National Historic Landmark a focal point of the Tampa skyline. Although the building is the highlight of a visit, don't skip its contents: art and furnishings from Europe and Asia, plus exhibits that explain the history of the original railroad resort, Florida's early tourist industry, and the hotel's role as a staging point for Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War.

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.

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites TAMPA STADIUM AIRPORT AREA
Stay SMART at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Stadium Airport Area, Tampa®s newest Express hotel.We are the closest Tampa hotel to Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Legend®s Field, the spring training site of the New York Yankees.Our hotel is close to Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Westshore business district. Downtown Tampa, Port of Tampa, the Convention Center and St. Pete Times Forum, are just a 5 minute drive. The Holiday Inn Express Tampa ...

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites TAMPA-FAIRGROUNDS-CASINO
The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Fairgrounds is Tampa's newest hotel located across the entrance of both the Florida State Fairgrounds and The Ford Ampitheatre. Our neighbors also include the nearby Hard Rock Casino, and the Sabal Park Corporate area. The hotel is minutes away from I-75 and the closest Sabal Park Hotel to Tampa International Airport. If shopping is your pleasure, we are easily accessible to Brandon Town Center mall (7 miles), Westshore Mall (12 miles) and International ...

Quality Inn Tampa
Easy access off I-275. Minutes away from, malls, shopping, major attractions and Corporate Centers. Close to Busch Gardens, Raymond James ...