AAA's guide to visiting Tampa, #Florida. It includes top attractions, restaurants, and things to do. Spend a day at Busch Gardens, MOSI, The Glazer Children's Museum, or Lowry Park Zoo and when you're done, grab a bite to eat at Bern's Steak House, The Colonade, Lee Roy Selmons, or The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City.
About AAA
The American Automobile Association (the "AAA" or "Triple-A") was founded on March 4, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois when, in response to a lack of roads and highways suitable for automobiles, Nine motor clubs with a total of 1,500 members banded together to form the Triple-A. Those individual motor clubs included the Chicago Automobile Club, Automobile Club of America, Automobile Club of New Jersey, and others.
Visit at aaa.com
1Â
  Â
AAA Destination Guide: Official AAA maps,
travel information and top picks
AAA Destination Guide: Tampa includes trip-planning information
covering AAA recommended attractions and restaurants, exclusive
member discounts, maps and more. Â
Historical preservation and a good measure
of civic pride have contributed to a cultural
richness that makes Tampa comparable in
Florida to Miami. Consider vibrant, historic
Ybor City, birthplace of Tampa’s cigar
industry and now it’s hot-hot-hot Latin-
infused nightspot. Or an eclectic mix of art,
history and science museums that inspire
adults and children to explore new horizons
together while having loads of fun.
When it comes to family-oriented entertainment, animals figure
prominently in the mix at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and such top-notch
attractions as Big Cat Rescue and Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo.
Nearby Gulf Coast beaches sing a siren’s song to visitors who can’t resist
superfine sand and gently lapping waters. And while the area’s parks,
rivers and other natural attributes are conducive to active participation,
there’s plenty of spectator action for those who like a good game.
Tampa’s championship football, arena football and hockey teams provide
seasonal sports excitement, but baseball rules in March when the Tampa
Bay Rays and fellow “boys of summerâ€â€”the New York Yankees, Toronto
Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies—suit up for spring training. Family
outings don’t get any better than a day at the ballpark.
And when you’ve seen all there is to see, Tampa can be an ideal starting
point for a cruise to Caribbean ports of call, or maybe just a drive trip
down Florida’s scenic west coast to Bradenton, Sarasota, Sanibel or Fort
Myers.
Essentials
Guide the family on a safari through Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. You’ll
be transported to the countries and landscapes of Africa the moment you
walk through the arches of this extraordinary 335-acre animal preserve
and theme park.
Immerse yourself in the Cuban culture of Ybor City: Learn about this
district’s historic cigar industry at Centro Ybor Museum; take a walking
tour offered by the Ybor City Museum State Park; sample traditional café
con leche and guava pastry for breakfast at La Tropicana Café; buy a
painting executed in coffee or tobacco extract by local artist Arnold
Martinez; and watch sensuous flamenco dancers while dining at the 100-
year-old Columbia Restaurant. On weekends, live la vida loca (the crazy
life) among thousands of club-hoppers along Seventh Avenue.
Don your beach attire and head to the Gulf Coast beaches on the
Pinellas Peninsula. These are some of the best sandy shores in the
nation when it comes to climate, water, sand and safety.
Get acquainted with the man who turned Tampa into a winter resort at
the Henry Plant Museum, which occupies a wing of the railroad
magnate’s luxury 1891 hotel. The preserved Victorian-era building, with
its sprawling veranda, ornate gingerbread trim and signature silver
minarets, is part of the University of Tampa.
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
2Â
  Â
Root for the home team or cheer on a favorite at baseball exhibition
games during March. On the Grapefruit League’s one-month spring
training circuit you can catch the New York Yankees in Tampa, the
Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater,
and Tampa Bay’s own Rays in Port Charlotte. Even the workouts draw
crowds. If you miss spring training, keep in mind that the Rays play their
St. Pete home games April through October.
Talk to the animals at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, or spend the day among
lions, tigers and leopards, just some of the 140 residents of Big Cat
Rescue.
Essentials Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Take a drive. Here are two suggestions: Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard
meanders alongside Hillsborough Bay through picturesque Hyde Park—
Tampa’s first subdivision—and is lined with stately homes. Beyond
Greater Tampa, explore Bradenton, Sarasota and innumerable
attractions, parks, keys and small coastal communities lining Florida’s s
Sun Coast via I-75 or US 41. Return to Tampa via I-275 and the
Sunshine Skyway, a 15-mile causeway spanning the mouth of Tampa
Bay between the mainland north of Bradenton and the Pinellas
Peninsula.
Essentials Details - Get additional information on AAA.com
- GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members
- Exclusive AAA member discounts available
1. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3000 E Busch Blvd
Tampa, FL 33674
Phone: (888) 800-5447
2. Ybor City
1600 E Eighth Ave, Suite B-104
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 241-8838
3. Centro Ybor Museum
1600 E Eighth Ave, Suite B-104
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 241-8838
4. Ybor City Museum State Park
1818 E Ninth Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 247-6323
5. Henry Plant Museum
401 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 254-1891
6. University of Tampa
401 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 253-3333
7. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W Sligh Ave
Tampa, FL 33604
Phone: (813) 935-8552
8. Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy St
Tampa, FL 33625
Phone: (813) 920-4130
9. Sunshine Skyway
11101 34th St S
St. Petersburg, FL 33711
Phone: (727) 865-0668
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
3Â
  Â
Tampa in 3 Days – Day 1 Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Day 1 Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds
- GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members
- Exclusive AAA member discounts available
1. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3000 E Busch Blvd
Tampa, FL 33674
Phone: (888) 800-5447
2. Tampa Bay History Center
801 Old Water St
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 228-0097
3. Henry Plant Museum
401 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 254-1891
4. University of Tampa
401 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 253-3333
5. MOSI (Museum of
Science & Industry
4801 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 987-6300
6. Kids in Charge! The Children's
Science Center at MOSI
4801 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 987-6000
7. Bern's Steak House
1208 Howard Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 251-2421
8. SideBern's
2208 W Morrison Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 258-2233
9. The Colonnade
3401 Bayshore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: (813) 839-7558
Tampa in 3 Days
Three days is barely enough time to get to know any major destination.
But AAA travel editors suggest these activities to make the most of your
time in Tampa.
Day 1: Morning
You’ll want to set aside a full day to enjoy all the shows, rides and live
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
4Â
  Â
animal exhibits at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Roller-coaster fanatics
might need an extra day to do multiple laps on seven thrillers, including
Kumba, an inversion coaster; Montu, delivering 3.85 Gs; floorless
SheiKra; and Gwazi, a wooden classic.
In the alternative, devote the first day of your itinerary to Tampa’s
museum group. Begin with an introduction to the early days at the Tampa
Bay History Center. Four floors of interactive exhibits cover periods of
native habitation, Spanish exploration and events of the 20th century. A
satellite of the renowned Columbia Restaurant opens for lunch at 11.
Afternoon
Among Tampa’s milestones was the arrival of railroad tycoon and
developer Henry Plant in the late 1800s. Complement your history lesson
with a visit to the Henry Plant Museum, in the restored Tampa Bay Hotel
on the University of Tampa campus. With its exotic minarets, domes and
cupolas, Plant’s Moorish-design hotel overlooking the Hillsborough River
was a magnet for the Victorian-era’s well-heeled. Peer into lavishly
decorated rooms filled with antique furniture, period accessories and
vintage clothing.
Grasp the laws of physics on a high-wire bicycle, withstand the forces of
nature in a wind tunnel and experience aviation technology through a
flight simulator, all at MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry), another of
Tampa’s leading cultural attractions. Dozens of engaging exhibits appeal
to all ages, but youngsters really get to push their imaginations to the limit
at Kids in Charge! The Children’s Science Center at MOSI.
Evening
Head back to your hotel and freshen up for a gourmet repast at either the
Tampa landmark Bern’s Steak House or SideBern’s, in the Hyde Park
neighborhood. For a more casual dining atmosphere, opt for signature
seafood dishes and a view of Hillsborough Bay from a window seat at
The Colonnade; after dinner, walk across the street and enjoy a leisurely
moonlight stroll along Bayshore Boulevard.
Day 2: Morning
This is your day to talk to the animals. Start out in west Tampa at
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, where you can feed giraffes, ride a camel, pet
a pony, interact with kangaroos, observe submerged manatees and
giggle over monkey shines in the primate exhibit. Arrive early for
breakfast at the Garden Grille.
If time allows, don’t miss an opportunity to see lions, tigers, ligers,
servals, snow leopards and other endangered cats living in harmony at
Big Cat Rescue. Bring a camera—photo ops are guaranteed on a tour of
this 45-acre sanctuary that lovingly shelters abused or abandoned cats
for their lifetime.
Afternoon
Get up close for a personal encounter with penguins at The Florida
Aquarium. Dive shows, animal feedings, touch tanks and a live coral reef
place you within reach of the secrets of the sea.
The aquarium is next to Channelside Bay Plaza, where you can grab a
bite and a brew at Channelside Bennigan’s or several casual eateries
serving everything from pizza and sushi to tapas and Thai.
After lunch explore Tampa’s Riverwalk, a waterfront linear park
punctuated with plazas. Walk from Fort Brooke Park (just south of
Channelside) on Ybor Channel to the Tampa Convention Center on
Garrison Channel to USF Park facing the Hillsborough River. On the way,
break for a snack at Sail Pavilion.
Evening
Don casual cocktail attire and step aboard Yacht Starship for a romantic
evening of dining, dancing and stargazing in luxury surroundings. The
ship departs from a berth near Channelside Bay Plaza and cruises the
scenic waterways bordering Tampa.
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
5Â
  Â
Tampa in 3 Days – Day 2 Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Day 2 Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds
- GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members
- Exclusive AAA member discounts available
1. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W Sligh Ave
Tampa, FL 33604
Phone: (813) 935-8552
2. The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Dr
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 273-4000
3. Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy St
Tampa, FL 33625
Phone: (813) 920-4130
4. Yacht Starship
223 S 12th St
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 223-7999
5. Garden Grille
1101 W Sligh Ave
Tampa, FL 33604
Phone: (813) 935-8552
6. Channelside Bennigan's
615 Channelside Dr, Suite 205
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 223-5108
Day 3: Morning
Spend the day in Ybor City, the 1886 birthplace of Florida’s once-
lucrative cigar industry. Transportation tip: Take the TECO streetcar from
your lodgings in downtown Tampa, or park your own car in Ybor’s pre-
pay, self-park lots or one of two parking garages.
Start with a breakfast of toasted Cuban bread, guava pastry and rich café
con leche at La Tropicana Café, on the corner of Seventh Avenue and
19th Street. Exit through the back door on Eighth Avenue and walk
through Centennial Park to Ybor City Museum State Park, on Ninth
Avenue. On Saturday mornings an outdoor produce and crafts market
enlivens this otherwise peaceful plaza.
After perusing the museum’s exhibits, walk over to Ybor’s bustling
shopping district on Seventh Avenue. Between 15th and 17th streets
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
6Â
  Â
you’ll find vintage clothing, Panama hats, jewelry, giftware, and artwork
plus cigar shops with wine and coffee bars (a few even offer cigar rolling
demonstrations).
Afternoon
Remain immersed in the Ybor cultural experience by sampling a
traditional Cuban sandwich or deviled crabs at Carmine’s, on Seventh
Avenue. You’ll taste why this family-owned restaurant and bar has served
the community for more than 60 years.
Walk off the calories while you work up an appetite for dinner on a self-
guiding tour of the cigar city. Look for old cigar factories, historic casitas
(frame houses rented to factory workers), benevolent society buildings,
statuary honoring prominent citizens and unique architectural features
such as wrought iron balconies and globe street lamps. Maps, brochures
and an orientation film are available at the visitor information center on
Eighth Avenue, just across from Centro Ybor, a popular entertainment
center in the heart of the district.
Tampa in 3 Days – Day 3 Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Evening
Start the evening with authentic Spanish-inspired cuisine and a flamenco
show at one of Florida’s oldest dining establishments. The Columbia
Restaurant had its start as a lunch counter for cigar rollers in 1905 and is
still operated by descendents of founder Casimiro Hernandez. An
informative menu tempts you with detailed descriptions of dishes
prepared from original family recipes.
After dinner, return to Seventh Avenue and sample nightlife at a variety of
clubs. See our Nightlife article under Things to Do for recommendations.
Day 3 Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds
1. Ybor City
1600 E Eighth Ave, Suite B-104
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 241-8838
2. La Tropicana Cafe
1822 E 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 247-4040
3. Ybor City Museum State Park
1818 E Ninth Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 247-6323
4. Carmine's
1802 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 248-3834
5. Columbia Restaurant
2117 E 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 248-4961
Restaurants
If you are visiting Tampa for the first time, chances are your itinerary will
include a day of sightseeing in Ybor City, the historic cigar-making district
established by Vicente Martinez Ybor in 1886. In the very heart of the
district you will find the Columbia Restaurant, founded in 1905 by
Casimiro Hernandez and owned and operated by fourth and fifth
generations of the founding family. Latin traditions run deep in both the
Spanish and Cuban cuisine created from family recipes, and in the
excitement generated by flamenco dancers. Sample tapas classics such
as black bean cakes, empanadas or chicken croquettes, then try a robust
seafood, pork and chicken paella entrée or Casimiro Hernandez’s red
snapper casserole. This 52,000-square-foot restaurant with 15 dining
rooms and patios sprawled over an entire city block is the flagship of a
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
7Â
  Â
fleet of six other restaurants in central and south Florida.
With its upscale décor and Mediterranean-influenced new American
cuisine, Mise En Place, also downtown, caters to diners who tend to be
adventurous in palate and spirit. Fresh local ingredients are the
foundation for lunch and dinner originals that include crispy duck shiitake
dumplings, roasted tomato tart with crab salad and grilled filet of beef
tenderloin with horseradish goat cheese pavé. The “Get Blitzed†tasting
menu pairs selected samples of Chef Marty Blitz’s weekly specials with
complementary wines.
Nestled in Old Hyde Village—Tampa’s oldest planned neighborhood—
since 1956, Bern’s Steak House has built its reputation on the premise
that preparing steak is an art form. Their menu—more like a book—
features detailed descriptions of USDA Prime steak cuts ranging from filet
mignon to delmonico to chateaubriand, plus all you need to know about
rare, medium and well done cooking instructions. In addition to steak, the
menu consists of nearly 95 other appetizer, soup, salad and entrée
options. Because fresh ingredients are paramount, Bern’s even grows
most of its own vegetables. Every meal is a masterpiece, but the pièce de
résistance here has to be the second-floor, after-dinner dessert retreat
where guests can enjoy sweets and sip champagne, Cognac, coffee and
dessert wines in cozy little spaces where you choose your own
background music.
Nearby SideBern’s, sister to Bern’s Steak House, is a fine-dining
restaurant appealing to sophisticated palates. Chef Jeannie Pierola’s
menu of international cuisine changes frequently, in synch with the
availability of fresh seasonal ingredients, and might include selections
such as dim sum, foie gras, cocoa cinnamon scallops, pistachio goat
cheese-crusted rack of lamb, wild game and, for dessert, a Valrhona
chocolate degustation.
The Colonnade, owned and operated by the Whiteside family since 1935,
specializes in seafood dishes made from the freshest catches of Gulf
grouper, Alaskan salmon, mountain rainbow trout, jumbo shrimp, bay
scallops and rock lobster. A tempting dessert menu features homemade
pies baked daily. “The ‘Nade’s†wraparound picture windows afford
sweeping views of Hillsborough Bay. If scenery was a menu item,
everyone would order a window seat.
Locals go to Kojak’s House of Ribs, just west of Bayshore Boulevard, for
barbecue. Everything from tender pork spareribs to pit-smoked chicken
and beef to hot smoked sausage links is cooked Oklahoma-style and
served in a relaxed, country-kitchen atmosphere. Seating is available on
the front porch shaded by stately old oak trees.
In west Tampa, Charley’s Steakhouse specializes in aged USDA Prime
and Choice beef cooked to perfection over aromatic hardwood flames.
But if you’re in the mood for something from the sea, try a succulent two-
pound lobster with your steak. Charley’s also operates three other award-
winning restaurants in the Orlando area.
The fine dining experience of Vari Asian Crazy Buffet combines elegant
décor, nightly piano entertainment and a full-service bar with a delirious
assortment of multicultural cuisines: an all-you-can-eat Asian fusion
buffet, a 50-item sushi and sashimi bar, seafood delicacies, a Peking
duck carving station, and wok and grill cooking stations—you select the
ingredients, the chef cooks it to order.
Soulful Southern cooking is the essence of Lee Roy Selmon’s restaurant,
namesake of the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer and a member of the Pro
Football Hall of Fame. The menu recalls Selmon’s Oklahoma farm roots
with comfort food made from Mama Selmon’s recipes: fried green
tomatoes, crispy fried chicken, smoked pulled pork, two-handed
hamburgers and down-home desserts such as cobbler, bread pudding
and pecan pie. Portions are generous enough to please a hungry
defensive lineman, and sports fans will enjoy the football memorabilia
displayed about the restaurant.
Old Tampa Bay provides a tranquil backdrop for lunch, dinner or Sunday
brunch at Oystercatchers, an upscale casual eatery. Signature dishes
such as tandoori shrimp and Kentucky bourbon barbecued scallops
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
8Â
  Â
highlight the restaurant’s flair for contemporary cuisine. Fish selections
include yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, Chilean sea bass, Gulf Coast grouper,
Alaska king crab and striped bass that you can have sautéed, grilled,
poached, broiled or blackened. Oystercatchers is tucked behind the
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.
Restaurants Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Armani’s, atop the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, claims bragging rights to
spectacular views of Old Tampa Bay and beyond. The menu of Northern
Italian cuisine is intriguing, partly because some of it is written in Italian—
if you’re not sure whether to order vitello or pesce, read on and all will be
revealed in mouthwatering detail in the subtitles. Scaloppine Armani’s,
the restaurant’s signature dish, features veal (vitello) sauteed with exotic
mushrooms and Cognac and finished with creamy truffle sauce. After
perusing the menu, visit the elaborate antipasto bar that caught your eye
on the way in. Armani’s dining room is elegant, the mood romantic, the
service efficient and food presentations artistic.
The View at CK’s Restaurant, on the top floor of the Tampa Airport
Marriott Hotel, revolves full-circle every 80 minutes while you feast on
your choice of sushi, steaks, seafood, sweets and, of course, the ever
changing view. CK’s is known for its interesting fish dishes—granola and
cornmeal-crusted trout filet, for example—and for USDA Prime beef steak
cooked just the way you like it. A Japanese chef oversees the sushi and
sashimi bar.
Restaurants Details - Get additional information on AAA.com;
AAA Diamond Rating information available on AAA.com/Diamonds
1. Columbia Restaurant
2117 E 7th Ave
Tampa, FL 33605
Phone: (813) 248-4961
2. Mise en Place
442 W Kennedy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 254-5373
3. Bern's Steak House
1208 Howard Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 251-2421
4. SideBern's
2208 W Morrison Ave
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: (813) 258-2233
5. The Colonnade
3401 Bayshore Blvd
Tampa, FL 33629
Phone: (813) 839-7558
6. Kojak's House of Ribs
2808 Gandy Blvd
Tampa, FL 33611
Phone: (813) 837-3774
7. Charley's Steakhouse
4444 W Cypress St
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 353-9706
8. Vari Asian Crazy Buffet
2702 N Dale Mabry Hwy
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 998-9228
9. Lee Roy Selmon's
4302 W Boy Scout Blvd
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 871-3287
10. Oystercatchers
6200 Courtney Campbell Cswy
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 207-6815
11. Armani's
2900 Bayport Dr
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 207-6800
12. The View at CK's Restaurant
Tampa International Airport
Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: (813) 878-6500
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
9Â
  Â
Attractions
In a city with dozens of attractions, you may have trouble deciding where
to spend your time. Here are the highlights for this destination, as chosen
by AAA editors. GEMs are “Great Experiences for Members.â€
Tampa’s top attractions fall into four fun-
packed categories—theme parks, museums,
outdoor activities and historic sites. Busch
Gardens Tampa Bay, the area’s only theme
park and a AAA GEM attraction, predates
Disney’s earliest Orlando park by several
years, making it something of a regional pioneer in family oriented
entertainment. Through exciting rides, live entertainment and natural
animal habitats, Busch Gardens presents a grand tour of Africa. A
Serengeti safari among free-roaming animals, a soaking raft ride on the
Congo River and a lowland gorilla domain plus Egyptian tombs, a
Moroccan bazaar and syncopated drumbeats re-create the sights and
sounds of exotic places known only to world travelers. Four unique steel
roller coasters punch up this park’s thrill factor.
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo features outstanding animal exhibit areas with
lots of interaction, shows, safaris, rides and learning stations. Hop aboard
the Treetop Skyfari for a round-trip aerial view of the park.
Speaking of treetops, chances are you will spot a leopard lounging in one
when you tour Big Cat Rescue, a sanctuary for unwanted or abused
exotic animals.
Of the art, history, science and nature museums that dot culturally chic
Tampa, two AAA GEM attractions exude exhibit excellence. The Florida
Aquarium, set under a shell-shaped, glass and steel canopy, offers a
marine life roundup of more than 10,000 oceanic and freshwater
creatures plus dive shows and personal interaction with sharks, rays and
other species. You don’t have to be a science geek to get into MOSI
(Museum of Science & Industry), where practical applications put
scientific principals into perspective for all age groups. Ride a bicycle
across a balance beam and learn why the laws of physics won’t let you
fall off; or feel the power of nature as you sit in a hurricane-force wind
chamber. And while you’re at MOSI, take in an IMAX film or two.
Take your inner child about 50 miles south on I-75 to Sarasota, the
former winter home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Steeped in its circus heritage, Sarasota also is rich with tangible
treasures bequeathed to the state by John Ringling. The John and Mable
Ringling Museum of Art, a AAA GEM attraction, holds a world-class
collection of European masterworks amassed by the couple on their
world travels in the early 1900s. Cà d’Zan (or House of John), the palatial
Ringling mansion, reflects the family’s passion for all things Venetian.
Costumes, posters and nostalgia-evoking displays at The Circus Museum
preserve the Ringling legacy and even have the potential to trigger a few
happy childhood memories of your day under the big top.
In nearby Bradenton an important collection of American Indian artifacts
unearthed in Florida during the 1930s and ‘40s forms the core of the
South Florida Museum. With cultural and natural history exhibits, a dome-
style planetarium featuring digital astronomy shows, and a habitat for the
state’s oldest manatee born in a protective environment (Snooty marked
his “golden†birthday in 1998), this AAA GEM attraction captures Florida’s
life stages like a cherished family scrapbook. Hope you brought a
camera.
Destination Guide: TampaÂ
10Â
  Â
Attractions Map
Get maps and turn-by-turn directions using TripTik Travel Planner on AAA.com
Attractions Details - Get additional information on AAA.com
- GEM Attraction offers a Great Experience for Members
- Exclusive AAA member discounts available
1. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
3000 E Busch Blvd
Tampa, FL 33674
Phone: (888) 800-5447
2. Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W Sligh Ave
Tampa, FL 33604
Phone: (813) 935-8552
3. Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy St
Tampa, FL 33625
Phone: (813) 920-4130
4. The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Dr
Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 273-4000
5. MOSI (Museum ofScience & Industry)
4801 E Fowler Ave
Tampa, FL 33617
Phone: (813) 987-6300
6. The John and Mable
Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Rd
Sarasota, FL 34243
Phone: (941) 358-3180
7. CÃ d'Zan
5401 Bay Shore Rd
Sarasota, FL 34243
Phone: (941) 359-5700
8. The Circus Museum
5401 Bay Shore Rd
Sarasota, FL 34243
Phone: (941) 359-5700
9. South Florida Museum
201 10th St W
Bradenton, FL 34205
Phone: (941) 746-4131
Events
In addition to its many cultural and historic landmarks, this destination
hosts a number of outstanding festivals and events that may coincide
with your visit. GEMs are “Great Experiences for Members.â€
Around the turn of the 20th century, Tampa leaders introduced a citywide,