Totally worth it! I mean seriously it is free! Can't beat free fun! We did not have tickets. We…read morecame right before 7. They let us know to sit on the side while the 7pm people came. Once they did, she accumulated extra tickets for us to go in. Once inside the wait seemed forever. They would let a certain number of people in a group each time. We finally got in around 7:20pm! For sure jumping in is hard when you are bare footed. You can easily get stuck under. It's like drowning, but a bunch of balls instead of water! The most fun or most difficult is trying to get out! Phew! I felt so happy and free after playing around for a bit! What a great fun concept. Those were the days of Chuckie cheese ball pits! Here it is again!

What an awesome event! And it was completely free! Huge thanks to the Vinik Foundation for bringing…read morethis amazing experience to Tampa! I didn't expect to have so much fun in a ball pit... nor did I expect it to be so physically challenging! The first time I fell, I needed help to get back up, and just walking through the balls was hard! The *shore* with lounge chairs & umbrellas was a nice way to catch my breath. Due to my kids' work & college schedules, Sunday was really the best day for us to go together. I ordered our free tickets online several weeks before the multi-week event began, and 5pm 8/21 was the only slot still available for a group of 6... That's how popular this event was, sight unseen! Once I realized The Beach Tampa would be closing at 6pm on Sundays, I was concerned our time would be limited. However, worrying was not necessary. At the entrance outside, we queued up to enter precisely at our ticketed time. Then inside, we waited again as staff monitored the number of people inside the actual *beach* area for safety and enjoyment, allowing people to enter as others left. The line moved quickly at this point, but we still weren't able to go in until after 5:30. Luckily, staff had already announced to everyone that even the very last person to enter would get a minimum of 45 minutes to enjoy The Beach. I really hope The Beach returns to Tampa!

This escape room is hidden in the middle of downtown Tampa. I've been to downtown so many times and…read moredidn't know this was here. This location is located on the third floor that has an elevator. They have several rooms to choose from and we did the Escape from the Colosseum, which is 2 hours long. This one was pretty cool and very immersive. There's a nice waiting area before you start your experience with nice couches and a foosball table. There's street parking available. I'd definitely go back and try their other rooms.

We had a large group celebrate a birthday in one of their rooms. The location is a bit funky in…read moredowntown Tampa- you have to go into an office building and take a very slow elevator ride up to the third floor where they're located. They have props to take a group photo with after you finish.

Took a day trip from the Orlando area to the aquarium. I read that parking was an issue so we…read moreplanned to arrive right when they opened at 9am. I purchased our tickets the day before so that we could skip the line. I was a little surprised to see the aquarium nestled in between the cruise dock and the downtown Tampa area. The aquarium itself has no parking, but there are a couple if garages right next door. The one I parked at was $20 a day. Even at 9am, the parking garage was nearly full to my suprise. I showed my ticket barcode to the attendant, they take a quick family photo (the cheapest one is $29) and we were in with no wait. The aquarium has many exhibits in a fairly small space. It was fairly comfortable for thr first 30 minutes we were there, but it quickly filled up. We went on Friday hoping to avoid crowds, but it didn't seem to help. We spent about 2 hours visiting all the animals and my girls even got to touch jellyfish ans stingrays. They have helpful employees that answer your questions and seemed happy to be there. The gift shop and food options are extremely expensive and are comparable to Disney prices. We saw everything we wanted to see and left by 1130am. Tickets were $45 and parking was $20. I feel it was a little pricey for 2 1/2 hours, but we had a good time.

The Florida Aquarium is a clean, well-maintained attraction and a nice place for locals to escape…read morethe Florida heat or a rainy afternoon. Admission was $88 for one adult and one toddler, which felt a bit expensive for what was offered. We really enjoyed the coral reef exhibit and the large aquarium tanks. The octopus and jellyfish were definitely some of the most memorable animals, and my daughter absolutely loved the touch tank where she got to pet jellyfish. That ended up being one of her favorite parts of the visit Growing up in Florida and fishing most of my life, I'm already pretty familiar with much of the local marine life, so some of the exhibits weren't as exciting for me personally. However, my daughter had a wonderful time, which made the visit worthwhile. If you've visited before, be aware that a few things have changed. The outdoor penguin exhibit is gone, and the splash pad and playground have been replaced with a large turf area that has very little for kids to do outside. That was disappointing since those were some of the more unique family features. All of the animal exhibits are upstairs, while the downstairs consists mainly of the touch tank, gift shop, and restaurant. Overall, it's a smaller aquarium than what I remember from 10 years ago and we spent about an hour seeing everything at a comfortable pace. Overall, it's worth visiting once, but at the current admission price, I don't feel it offers enough value to visit regularly.

I love this place. I love it so much I ate here 4 weeks in a row. Only missed the 5th week because…read moreI was out of town. The food, the cocktails, the service and the ambiance are all excellent. My ONLY criticism is sometimes the music can be a little too loud for conversation, but this isn't always so. I'm a cocktail geek and have made multiple trips to The Aviary in Chicago. Believe me, The Aviary has nothing on the Tanto bar program. Cocktails are unique, creative, and delicious. Food was amazing, whether omakase or á la carte. Staff is attentive, fun and playful. Chuck and Nick anchor the beverage service while Tony and Ari will make you feel at home. If you are lucky you may get a visit from Chef Cody. Standout drinks: #1 is Seoul Food. Think the savoriness of a Bloody Mary but without tomatoes. Hard to describe but don't miss it! Other highlights include Opposite Day, Memory in Bloom, and Three Way. Season of Again pairs beautifully with the oysters. I hate to say I have a favorite restaurant, because I choose different places for differing needs, but Tanto has won my heart and tastebuds.

Went to dinner solo and called the restaurant ahead of time as the app wouldn't let be book a…read morereservation for 1. They were super accommodating and told me just to come in. The hostess was pleasant when arriving and presented herself with exceptional sleek style. Someone brought me a palate cleanser drink which was rhubarb and lemongrass water. It was smooth and refreshing. The server guided me through the cocktail menu which was an exploration all its very own. I choose the cocktail called Opposite Day- Japanese whiskey, sweet Sauvignon Blanc, salted wine and roasted beets- twist on a whiskey sour but flipped! Oysters were light and fresh and the juice in the shell was precision clean. It really pops the flavors of the oyster. Yellowtail jalapeño handroll- it is designed to be eaten similar to a taco. The yellowtail was superbly fresh, the jalapeno was a mild touch to accompany the dish and didn't try to be the star. and the homemade soy sauce didn't over power the fish. Duck leg finished with a Szechuan spice and finished a pear au jus. The duck fell off the bone and was bursting with a complex blend of elegant flavors. As you check is presented they served you the tea of the day which was Hibiscus citrus Japanese tea in the most sophisticated teapot sitting on Japanese bamboo, which was a nice touch in the meal Upbeat modern music vibe Helpful, friendly weight staff that explains every item in detail as you order it, and when it brought to the table.

This is a good local place for a great cause, it's at the old Cuban club in Ybor city. Admission…read morehere is about $10, proceeds benefit Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. In comparison to some of my other haunts in the area; this one is great for sound comfortability as far is air-conditioned and has more lighting than most. Props are commercial actors are volunteers And you could expect to have to put some effort into psyching yourself out a little for real screen factor unless you scary. I recommend this haunt for 3 reasons it helps break the ice if you're a little uncertain about doing a haunted houses, or you scary easily it's a comfortable a/cdon't have to worry about getting dirty and then of course there's the really great charity purpose behind it which makes it probably the number one reason! Suggested for 12 and up!

I am really hoping to see a return this year. I would like to see it happen in a smaller space to…read morebe more confined while in the haunt but otherwise super fun, the actors are scary and the staff is nice. I really would like to see a murder house maze or something like that I would love to check that out. No matter what I'll be back when they / if they open. Is there murder house shirts or something I would love to purchase I didn't see any on the site but I can check again.

GameTime is basically Dave & Buster's cousin that got a little extra. Full bar? Check. Pool…read moretables? Check. Enough games to keep the kids entertained while the adults pretend they're "just supervising" while playing too? Also check. My only complaint: whoever designed the bathrooms clearly believed hydration should come with cardio. The bathrooms are somehow in the furthest possible location from the bar... and upstairs. By the time I got back, I felt like I'd completed a side quest. Overall, great place for groups, families, or anyone looking to combine arcade games with questionable decisions at the bar. Would definitely go back... after mentally preparing for the bathroom hike.

GameTime has been in the Ybor area for a pretty long time, but I only recently set foot in the…read moreestablishment--and by total happenstance. We were trying to make it to the Gasparilla Children's Parade, but to our dismay, the Jolley Trolley was completely full by the time it passed through Ybor. So GameTime was an appealing Plan B. It has a TON of interactive arcade games, mini-bowling (which we did not do), and a restaurant/sports bar with plenty of TVs. Like other arcade places, GameTime is a popular venue for hosting kids' birthday parties; or you can just grab a game card, load it with $$ and receive credits with which you can play games. They offer timed play (e.g. $25 for 1 hour with 500 fixed e-tickets for prize redemption), or you can choose to purchase a reloadable card where you decide how much money you want to spend and you accrue tickets as you play/win. We loaded our card with $25 which yielded 100 credits. Optionally, you can load a custom amount and receive 4 credits for every dollar. With our four-year-old, we blew through the $25 pretty fast and ended up adding another $25 (giving us a total of 200 credits). If we had just loaded the card with $50 initially, we would have had 25 more credits (225). Overall, I would say value is pretty par for the course. The prize counter is where I felt they were lacking (compared to Main Event and other names in the industry). The games were fun and only a handful were not working or malfunctioned. That did not deter us as the place was pretty dead that afternoon.

This was a very unique oddities shop. I don't think I would necessarily identify it as an antique…read moreshop. It has a lot of of interesting and fun curious pieces but everything is very highly priced. It was fun to walk through and check out all the unique items but it's not really a stop for those who are looking to encounter a full antique shop with a large stock of items. Very pricey.

Such a cool place to visit! There's a lot to explore and check out. Highly recommend stopping in.read more

A truly special studio for creating pottery and relaxing. This locally owned and operated gem is…read morealways a fun experience for all whether you're new to the pottery wheel or not. Johnny has been our instructor on more than one occasion and he's always so thoughtful with his instructions and so patient with everyone, It's always easy to reserve a wheel via text or phone call, which is recommended on busy weekends and evenings, but you can also drop in. There are several wheels in the studio and tables for adding the finishing touches like handles or other accents. You'll photograph your piece to locate it after it's been fired then return about a month later to glaze your piece. Make sure to paint three layers or the color will be super faint. A month after that you'll return to pick up your masterpiece and become hooked like me.

My second experience doing pottery here AND IT WILL BE MY LAST. The establishment has gotten very…read moreUNORGANIZED. We showed up in April to make the pottery, were told to come back in a month to paint the pottery (no mention of having to pay an additional fee just to come back and paint the pottery) We come back in June to paint and paid the additional fee. Went back yesterday hoping to take home our pottery that took months for the establishment to produce, over a hundred dollars for the service, not to mention gas driving to Ybor, paying for parking, just to show up and one of the pieces of pottery broke in their care. Mind you, it took 15 minutes for them to locate the pottery. And after investing so much time, energy, AND MONEY into this process, just for the pottery to break under the establishments care, you would think that they would offer you a refund? NO! If this happens the only thing they offer you is to come back and do the process all over again. Really? I'd be a fool. A better system needs to be in place immediately. -The establishment needs to make it clear to customers, before they pay and agree to this process, that no refund is going to be offered if the pottery breaks in their care. (Like the owner said to us, "It happens") -The establishment needs to be responsible for a picture of the pottery. Have the customers create a profile with their information once they pay for the service. Save the picture to their profile. This would save the establishment and the customer so much time of searching when they return to paint their pottery. -The establishment should contact the customer when their pottery is ready to be painted and REMIND them of the additional fee that is required. -The establishment should save another picture of the pottery after it has been painted. -The establishment should contact the customer when their pottery is ready to be picked up. -The establishment should have the decency to contact the customer if the pottery brakes so they don't have to waste a trip to ybor just to hear "It happens".

Wonder place to visit especially for a simple family day with older children or a date night.read more

From the owner: This page is intended for weddings and event bookings only. Not for museum or Ybor city tours…read more The Ybor City Museum, located in the heart of Tampa’s vibrant Ybor City, offers a historic and charming venue for weddings and special events. Its beautifully landscaped courtyard, surrounded by lush greenery and iconic brick architecture, creates a romantic and intimate atmosphere for outdoor weddings, receptions, concerts and social gatherings. The museum features a serene and elegant bridal suite plus a relaxing groom’s lounge, providing comfort and privacy for the wedding party. Combining historical charm with modern amenities, the Ybor City Museum ensures a unique and memorable experience for any celebration. Interior space includes a bridal suite, grooms lounge, board room, meeting rooms and unique photo locations. The outdoor courtyard features a stage, fountain and an intimate oasis in the heart of Ybor City. Immerse yourself in the rich history and culture of Ybor City at our museum and special event space. Discover the stories underneath the trees, where the community bloomed and thrived since 1886 and known as "Cigar Capital of the World".

The Tampa Theatre is hands down one of the best places to watch a movie. Forget the giant chain…read moretheaters. This place has something they just can't replicate. The building is absolutely beautiful and has almost 100 years of history. You can feel it the second you walk inside. Every room has a presence to it. The atmosphere is unlike anything else. It always feels full, even when it isn't. You're never really by yourself...;) The concessions are great, the staff is always friendly, and I love that they haven't tried to modernize away all the character. The little noises, the old floors, the way the building seems to settle around you during the movie just reminds you this place has seen generations of people come and go. I definitely will be back. I have a feeling something there is looking forward to seeing me again.

A Cinematic Masterpiece Before the Movie Even Begins…read more If you are looking for an unforgettable night out, the historic Tampa Theatre is an absolute must-visit. Calling it just a "movie theater" feels like a massive understatement - it is a breathtaking time capsule and a true architectural marvel that elevates the simple act of watching a film into a grand event. From the moment you step through the doors, you are transported into a spectacular, 1920s Mediterranean courtyard. The attention to detail inside the auditorium is stunning, offering an experience that modern multiplexes simply cannot replicate. Here is what makes it so incredibly special: * The Atmospheric Ceiling: You sit under a remarkably realistic night sky, complete with 99 twinkling stars and gently drifting clouds, making you feel like you are outdoors on a perfect evening. * The Architecture: The eclectic, opulent blend of Moorish, Spanish, and Byzantine details - surrounded by gargoyles, statues, and ornate balconies - gives the space a magical, almost surreal charm. * The Mighty Wurlitzer: Arriving early is a requirement! Hearing the historic theatre organ played live before the screenings perfectly captures the golden age of cinema. The programming is just as thoughtfully curated as the decor. Whether you are catching a brilliant independent film, a beloved cult classic, a documentary, or a live event, the venue makes every single screening feel momentous. Grab some popcorn, take in the gorgeous scenery, and enjoy the show. The Tampa Theatre is a meticulously preserved local treasure and truly one of the greatest places to spend an evening!