“Undersea fun for the whole family”
Discover one of the best attractions in Tampa at The Florida Aquarium in the beautiful Channelside district. A wonderful family destination with plenty of fun activities like Swim with the Fishes, Penguins: Backstage Pass and a Wild Dolphin Ecotour. Don't miss Explore A Shore, our outdoor water fun zone for the children! Explore A Shore, The Florida Aquarium's 2-acre outdoor water adventure zone, lets the kids cool off while parents relax under the shade of the Cantina bar and grill. Watery waves, slippery slides, gushing geysers and an assortment of animal models are just a few of the attractions for the kids. Toddlers will enjoy sand castles, little slides and giant sea creature figures as they play in Shipwreck Shore. The Wild Dolphin Cruise at The Florida Aquarium earned Dolphin SMART recognition in 2011, after successfully demonstrating responsible viewing and advertising of dolphins in the wild and educating patrons on the importance of dolphin conservation. Guests can view wild dolphin aboard the 72-foot, powered catamaran the Bay Spirit II. Guests 6 and older can Swim with the Fishes at The Florida Aquarium and certified SCUBA divers 15 and older can get face to face with massive sharks in the aquarium's largest exhibit during Dive with the Sharks! These immersive dive programs allow guests to experience these amazing aquatic ecosystems first hand and actually become part of the exhibit!
It only takes about 2 hours to walk through it all, but worth it. They have a touch and feel area for sting rays, horseshoe crabs , and other small se life, but the reef area is my fav by far! Huge beautiful tanks. The final tank room will blow your mind! It is bigger than and movie theater I could sit there for hours watching the sharks, fish, eels, and hundreds of types of fish swim around. The Florida Aquarium is also great because it is a rehibilation center for hurt animals. Also within walking distance check out the surf shop on channel side you get free beer while you shop and wet Willis is around the corner as well which has frozen alcoholic drink where you will tap out 2.
The surd shop that was around the corner that gave free beer has closed :(
It didnt take very long to walk through its a good half day of fun for everyone. We ended up going back through to revisit our favorites because we had more time to spare which was nice.
It's an aquarium, so don't expect lots of hands-on. Yes they do have a tank where you can touch the sponges and starfish; and the horseshoe crabs too (pretty awesome weird creatures). They do have a splash park which is really designed for the younger kids though. Overall it is a beautiful aquarium, lots of different fish, birds and ocean nature.
Very cool aquarium...lots of displays in the building of sea and land wildlife. We spent a few hours checking out the various tanks and wildlife viewing areas...amazing place. Weather didn't permit the boat tour ride....perhaps next time we're down that way!
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The Florida Aquarium
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
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Parking
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Pets Allowed
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Credit Cards Accepted
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Outdoor Seating
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