Since 1986, the arts and science educators at Glazer Children's Museum have encouraged kids to connect to the world around them through play. Kids let their imaginations run wild while learning how the world works through more than 170 hands-on activities that unfold across 17 themed areas. For instance, kids might learn about money at the Central Bank, discover solar energy at the Engineer's Workshop, and tap into their creativity at the Twinkle Stars Theater. Here are some quick facts about the museum:

• Size: It's big enough to fit a cruise ship, an airplane, a grocery store, and a hospital—all scaled down to kid-size for maximum interaction.
• Eye Catcher: Look up when you walk in, and you'll probably see kids looking down on you through a cloud made of nets. These pipsqueaks are playing the part of a water droplet journeying from cloud to aquifer in the 35-foot-tall Water's Journey exhibit.
• Hands-On Experiments: Almost everything is hands-on, but special attention should go to the Design + Build exhibit, where amateur carpenters install siding and tell you the Italian marble is going to put you way over budget on the kitchen renovation.
• Largest Exhibit: Most of the first floor is taken up by KidsPort, whose aquatic-themed activities pay tribute to Tampa's thriving maritime industry.
• Don't Miss: Weekly events such as Toddler Tuesdays, as well as occasional kid-friendly celebrity appearances by characters from such franchises as Star Wars, Where The Wild Things Are, and Super Why.