What a fun Museum type of place to go. We got in with our NARM membership so there wasn't any…read moreadditional fee. I loved how interactive the place is. There are so many videos and hands on activities. They have a rope tying station, They have stations where you lift the flaps and you can learn more. When they talk about the orange groves you walk into a little building front. Inside they have more information. When you learn about the shipping industry you walk into a shipping crate and there is a little interactive video. When you learn about the ships that carried cargo they have a room you go into and they have a video. You choose what route you take on the monitor and then it tells you a story with live action about where you go into a room and they have a video presentation. Spoiler alert, there are pirate ships involved. It has multiple screens and you feel like you're in a Hollywood live action movie. This place is a must see for those history buffs and those that like to be entertained and enjoy interactive exhibits.

We've visited the museum a few times now. It's so much fun bringing guests here to get a first hand…read morelook into the rich and diverse history of the Tampa Bay. Great spot to bring kids to.

Even with the loss of state funding for local arts programs, Stageworks continues to put on…read moreincredible theater. Each season offers a range of shows, some poignant and others hilarious. They choose timely work. Never a miss spending an afternoon or evening here.

Intimate theatre right in downtown Tampa. Comfortable seating, a small bar, hospitable staff and…read moresaw an amazing small-stage show. Their upcoming list looks impressively diverse from Evil Dead The Musical to one about Malcom X / MLK Meeting.

3.5 Stars This used…read moreto be a great show, but maybe it's just run its course. Or perhaps, when you compare it to the other amazing art shows in the Tampa Bay area, like Gasparilla Festival of the Arts and Mainsail Art Festival, that's why it falls short. Taking place in Hyde Park Village, all the booths are crammed one right next to the other, with a few located down odd little roads and entrances. This year's offerings seemed to be mostly paintings and framed photographs. And of course, lots of jewelry. There was also pottery, glass knickknacks, and leather aplenty. There were a few unique stalls I liked; one lady was selling handmade table runners made of gorgeous fabrics combined with leather and river rocks. Another had life-sized metal statues-if you have ever driven by Whatever Pops on Florida, you have seen their yellow one. Other than that, same old same old. If I'm in the area I might go next year, but I'll probably wait another week and head to St. Petersburg for Mainsail.

This is part of the Howard Alan Art yearly event. My second year attending and it's still just as…read moregreat. You can find every type of craft art here, paintings, jewelry, glass, metal, pictures a very good and extensive selection on display. If you like arts and crafts this event will not disappoint and as always easy access to parking and restaurants. There were not a lot of food kiosks, if you decide to eat in one of the restaurants there will be some waiting time.

I've been coming to Jobsite productions for years with my good friends and I'm so impressed by the…read moreacting, the facilities, the quality of the productions and the staff. This is such a talented troupe of performers, who do such high quality work. I'm constantly amazed by the variety of the shows and the staging/set decorating. Jobsite shows are at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Tampa. The intimacy of the smaller theaters (the Jaeb, which is often set up with tables and also has seats up in the mezzanine... and the Shimburg Playhouse, which has chairs on risers) makes the experience so immersive. It's almost theater in the round. You feel like you're in the show, not watching it. We've seen everything from Shakespeare reimagined to Rocky Horror and it's all been compelling and spellbinding. My only gripe is about the hard chairs in the Shimburg. They're so close together, you feel like you can't move, because you'll disturb those next to you. I'm tall, too-and I'm always afraid that I'll block the view for people behind me, so I scoot way down, adding to the discomfort factor. But that part is on me. You can pick your seats, so that's helpful. Adding to the joy of these productions: they're affordable. And they're even cheaper if you have season tickets, like my friends do. I go along to couple of shows a year and it's easy to get my separately purchased seats, next to theirs. Parking... well, it's downtown. But there's nearby street parking and flat lots. You can use parking apps to find spots. I tend to park at the nearby Poe garage, because I'm so familiar with it (it's south of the public library, next to Curtis Hixon Park). There are also more and more fun eateries within walking distance... and on nice days, you can stroll the nearby Riverwalk before or after a show. I really should consider season tickets. See you there?

Incredible local theater! They put on a range of performances from Shakespeare to the most recent…read moreThe Shark is Broken, a look at the cast of Jaws behind the scenes. I was thrilled to see this show sold out and to see this theater getting that kind of support. The acting is phenomenal. You cannot go wrong spending a night out at one of their shows.

What a cool place to come and spend some time with the family! All sorts of claw machines and the…read moremachines actually pick up the stuffies. Not every time you're a winner but you sure will win more than average. You buy a package of coins -- various dollar ranges. Use the coins in the machines and then based on the number of stuffies you win, you can trade in for a larger one. The trade values are also pretty reasonable. We traded 22 for this large guy pictured. Don't be shy to ask the staff to fluff the machines also. You must trade the stuffies same day. Cannot leave with them and come back due to obviously sanitary purposes. But they also have a program where you can trade them for credits on your account so you can keep coming back to win more and trade in for whatever you're aiming for.

I had so much fun here it brought out the inner child. A must go for adults and kids to if your…read morewith yours friend's trust me you will have fun. The stuff you win is cute and then you can trade it in for a bigger one that you like . The little ones you get are just as keep able. Plenty of parking . And it's not that big but it is fun and affordable and the staff super nice and if you ask them to trade one inside the same machine they will they will even help you get one by moving it around to be easier.

This is an extra attraction to the haunted houses of Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens. It is…read more$50/person or $60/2 people or $80/4 people. So it is cheaper if you go in a group. It takes roughly 30min and it is an Experiment on your own personal fear. It is a hands on haunted house...meaning you can be touched and you touch very scary things throughout the house. The scientists running the Experiment make sure you know they are in charge and you MUST do as they say. It is very personalized to you and .... IT WAS AWESOME! I don't have many fears but this haunted house left me jumping and laughing and was well worth the time and money. Well done team Experiment!

Had an extremely unpleasant experience with the front desk of the house before I even got in…read more Nancy, the elder lady minding the front desk at The Experiment, really left ALOT to be desired when it came to customer service and even plain manners. She wasn't nice or welcoming in the least bit, not that it matters much. When I arrived I was the only one there in the line and I checked in 15 minutes prior, scribbled my name on some vague log-in sheet and was told by Nancy to move to the adjacent area after being handed a plastic roach (the point of which serves as a voucher of sorts). I sit down on the benches and wait for a half hour before I check in with Nancy again since we had a midnight reservation and it was 12:15am already. She then looks at me as if She's never met me before and asked if I checked in and stood in line....WTF? I show her the plastic roach and she then says she told us to stand in line and to not wait in the adjacent area and that we shouldn't have been sitting down. I understand that this incident could have stemmed out of simple miscommunication but her way of handling it was very disparaging. Also, there was no line when we checked in! By her logic she would have gone back into the line we were just in to see her! She then asked the group scheduled for 12:15am if they'd mind us going in before them, which fortunately they didn't. She instructs us to get in line in front of them and has the AUDACITY to tell us we should be thankful he let us go in front of him. Her demeanor was LOUSY from start to finish. I'm genuinely glad I didn't have to deal with her again. Her lousy work ethic and poor communication caused me to miss my 12am reservation and pushed me back to the point that I got done with the Experiment at 12:35am, which made it too late to be able to go to another house. Once we got into the house though, the real experience started. I can tell you that you have to strongly consider if you really want to this house as there is a seemingly rock solid "No refunds" kind of thing going on. The actual experience itself is unpleasant as the actors are in a role where they are to belittle you the who way through. Their attitudes are just as bad as Nancy's although excusable as its part of their role. If you fail to complete any of the tasks you're automatically ejected from the house and not issued any refund of any sorts, regardless of how far you got. First room involved walking through a pitch dark room. The second involves making contact with roaches and is as far as I got. Once I told the guy I couldn't do it I got EJECTED from the house and barged right through the group behind me that was still in the first room (the same guy who let me go ahead before him). In conclusion: Screw Nancy. She's very much the reason why I may not come next year and DEFINITELY the reason I won't do The Experiment again next year.

I love this Halloween activity! A great value compared with many of the haunted attractions in the…read morearea. They do a great job with pacing attendees so you get the jump scares and aren't on top of the party in front of you. There is a lot of stairs and narrow passageways to navigate the ship so wouldn't be a good option if you have mobility challenges. Staff is always posted at the exit to snap photos which I really appreciate also.

This was the scariest house I've ever been in!!! Everyone is so talented and dedicated to their…read moreroles!! It was affordable too!! I almost peed my pants from how scared I was!! If you are looking for something to do for Halloween, this is it!!

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office History Center is located in a cute little bungalow on the…read morecorner of 9th Avenue and 19th Street right across the way from Centennial Park. It has some really neat items on display including badges from the 1890s to the present. There's a case that displays the dispatch Radio Systems and how they've changed over the years from analog to digital. They show the different flashlights, cameras including a fingerprint camera from the 60s, crime scene cameras from the 50s, 60s, and 70s, and the first taser that came out in 2002. The gas mask from the 1960s looked a bit scary. It was cool to see pictures of the patrol cars and the motorcycles that the motor deputies road. There is also a wall with the pictures of all of the Sheriffs that served in Hillsborough County. Our docent, Phillip Palmer, was a Sheriff for 24 years and served under three Sheriffs. Mr. Palmer was also an auxiliary officer for 10 years. He really took his time with us explaining the different displays and the history of the Hillsborough Sheriff's Dept. He was a wealth of knowledge! Check out this little Museum if you're ever in Ybor. You can get through it in about 30 minutes if you read all of the commentary with the displays. It's something cool to see on a particularly hot day. Get out of the heat and check this little place out!