Tampa is well-known for its golf courses, including The Tournament Players Club of Tampa Bay, which earned 4 1/2 stars from "Golf Digest" in 2005. For non-golfers or golfers looking for something to do after hitting the links, the city has many other activities, ranging from Busch Gardens, where giant roller coasters await you, to the Lowry Park Zoo to the wildlife showcased at the Florida Aquarium.
Lowry Park Zoo
A favorite of locals and tourists, Lowry Park Zoo is great for a group outing. Discount tickets are available for parties of 15 or more. And if it's your birthday you get in free. The zoo's 2,000-plus animal collection includes tigers, elephants, zebras, giraffes and cheetahs. Check out the manatees in the aquatics center. The Tampa Zoo has the only non-profit hospital that cares for manatees. There's also a sub-tropical aviary with toucans and a Purple Swamp Hen. The zoo's Florida Boardwalk features wildlife from around the state. You can feed and touch live sting rays, see endangered Florida panthers in their habitat or watch alligators and crocodiles. Kid-friendly amusement park rides include the Gator Falls Flume Ride, Boomer's Flyin' Bananas and the Taz Tiger Family Coaster.
Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W. Sligh Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33604
(813) 935-8552
Busch Gardens Tampa
Just north of downtown and close to many golf courses, Busch Gardens welcomes thousands of visitors daily. Jungala is the park's four-acre answer to the Congo, where you can have close encounters with birds, gorillas, rhinos and more. Also check out Broadway-style shows, including: "KaTonga," a fun-filled half hour of African music and dance; "Dance to the Music," a '70s music show and "Critters Castaway," a show featuring rescued pets. Roller coasters include SheiKra, Tanganyika Tidal Wave and Kumba.
Busch Gardens
1701 E. Busch Blvd.
Tampa, Florida 33674
(888) 800-5447
Florida Aquarium
Located in downtown Tampa, the aquarium offers group rates for parties of 15 or more. Inside the aquarium are more than 20,000 animals and plants from Florida and around the globe. Dive with sharks. Check out the penguins. Or visit Explore a Shore, the aquarium's two-acre water park.
The Coral Reef Gallery provides a look (60 feet below the surface) of a diverse and picturesque ecosystem, while the Wetlands Gallery showcases local wildlife, from stingrays to alligators to river otters.
Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Drive
Tampa, Florida 33602
(813) 273-4000
About The Author
Tim Bodamer is a freelance writer based in Seminole, Florida. He attended Edinboro Univerity of Pennsylvania where he studied journalism. He has 15 years of writing experience and specializes in sports, business and general interest topics.
