Fun & Leisure in and near Tampa, FL

Perhaps thanks to the city’s warm, waterfront location, there are boatloads of Tampa activities for animal enthusiasts. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is not only home to more than 1,000 animals but also guided safari tours that visitors climb aboard for a behind-the-scenes look at elephants and monkeys. The Florida Aquarium offers visitors a chance to actually swim with sharks or to get an up-close look at manatees at Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center. Here’s the secret: the manatees love the warm water surrounding the power station. Looking for things to do in Tampa once night falls? Check out the Tampa Theatre, where you can watch movies in a restored 1920s cinema complete with a Wurlitzer organ and a “sky” above filled with twinkling stars.