I signed up for a tour with RealTOUR because I'm new to the area and wanted to get an in-depth…read moreoverview. I was blown away!!! The tour operator was so intimately knowledgeable about the various neighborhoods but that was so overshadowed by her passion for what she was showing us, with lengthy and detailed stories with every turn! I hated it to end!!!!

What an amazing tour around the city of Tampa! There are so many beautiful landmarks and places to…read moreexplore. So well worth doing. Thank you, Michele!

OMG. This was amazing. I was a little apprehensive when I showed up with a 3 year old after reading…read moresome of the reviews. My little one loved it more than the aquarium. There are some areas that are hot and stuffy but there are also designated air conditioned rooms. His favorite part was going up up and up! I won't lie, I was getting nauseous looking down but outside was nice with the winds. I def recommend checking it out.

The ship is still listed as active so it could be called into service. This is a very good museum…read more It has a guided tour or you could go of by yourself. Wear some shorts, comfortable shoes, and cool tee shirts. Watch your step if you never been on a ship that isn't a cruise ship these decks are sloped. They also are uneven. Be prepared for tight spaces and a million stairs. Don't forget to ring the bell on the forward deck. It's under the forward gun on the main deck. It's a really nice museum a gift shop is there. I went on a Tuesday and it wasn't crowded at all. Lots of seating everywhere. On the main deck there are several benches all down the deck.

We took the Tampa History Cruise on St. Patrick's Day, and it was a nice way to spend an afternoon…read moreon the water. The boat itself is easy to spot--it has a blue base and a yellow roof--and it takes off from right behind The Columbia Café, a great spot to grab lunch before your cruise. That's exactly what we did, and I'd highly recommend it! Our cruise was scheduled for 12:30 p.m., and Captain Larry was ready to go right on time, which we appreciated. The boat seats about 20 passengers, with most of the seating under shade, and there was a large cooler full of cold water available, which was a nice touch. If you want a prime seat with the best view, I'd suggest arriving 15-20 minutes early--we got there a bit ahead of time and ended up with a great front-row spot near the cooler. One thing to note: since it was a holiday, Captain Larry decided to skip the riverfront area, saying it was too crowded. We were a little disappointed since other boats, including the yellow water taxis, seemed to be making their way through just fine. Instead, we got a tour of the bay and some of Tampa's high-end waterfront homes, along with some historical commentary. The only hiccup was the microphone--it had a loose cord, making it hard to catch all of the narration. Other than that, it was a smooth, easy ride. Reservations were simple to make through Viator, and the cost was reasonable for what you get. Overall, it was a relaxing trip, though next time, I might try one of the yellow water taxis or another cruise to compare. If you're looking for a low-key boat tour with some history, this is a solid option--just make sure to show up early for the best seats!

We recently booked this tour through Viator and found out it was cancelled due to 'weather…read moreconditions' which was total BS. There were 6 of us waiting to be picked up and when I called to see why they hadn't come yet was told it was canceled and I would've received an email the night before. It was in fact sent to me and perhaps I would have thought to look for it had the weather been inclement, which it was not in the least. It was a gorgeous calm day on the bay with many taxi boats out and about. If I had to speculate id say they cancelled the cruise because they didn't have enough interest. Will not use Viator again and nor will I recommend the Tampa History Cruise as an activity to any of my friends. Poor customer service all round.

Three on a ladies day out found this your with Scott Deitch fascinating. The walk was easy, he was…read morevery clear and concise, did not feel rushed. Will certainly go back again.

From the owner: Join us for this one-of-a-kind walking tour of Tampa's most storied neighborhood.read more

We purchased tickets online for the Victorian Christmas Stroll. Tickets were $20 per person. The…read morearchitecture of the building is stunning; looks like a castle! Upon entry the receptionist checks you in and encourages you to watch the 15 min video prior to exploring. They also have a scavenger hunt to keep you entertained throughout the stroll. The exhibit was very unique and filled with unique history. The museum is very tiny and leaves you wanting more. As large as it appears from the outside, you would think the museum would be congruent. It took us about 30-45 mins to stroll through it, and that included the 15 minute video. Overall it was a good experience.

This was a really great experience. It's on campus and it was a weekday so we were busy navigating…read morethat but it was very interesting to see so much history still persevered in the little wing of the original hotel. Definitely worth checking out if you love history and appreciate vintage furniture and architecture.

So one random fair day it was a step back in time to what a settlement would have looked like next…read moreto a fair of the future! So coming here was totally random as none of us knew this existed it was just tucked away from the rest of the state fair and what a cool treat this was to an already awesome day! So this area is basically a bunch of colonial style buildings with lots of people playing those parts as it has everything a town would have back then and then some! We explored all the different buildings some with individuals crafting items like candles and rugs the old school way which was super cool to see as that isn't always the case anymore but with that said you really can't go wrong as that's when things were quality built to last! Pretty much everything here was a history lesson and a much needed one as it had been a while since I've been in an atmosphere like this making for a super fun time! Overall this is a super cool addition to the fair and a must do on your visit as we spent a good deal of time here and could have spent more time had we discovered this sooner, so definitely don't overlook this super cool area of history as it's a lot of fun!

Awesome time at Cracker Country. Came here with my daughter's second grade class. Learned all about…read morelife in the 1800-1900s. The buildings consist of historic, period pieces such as a one room school house, butter and candle making and, Of course, the "cracking" of the whip. Tons of fun while learning.

I stumbled on the lovely DeSoto Building while strolling in South Tampa near Bayshore Boulevard and…read moreSouth Howard. It has lovely architecture with a columned entrance. From what I can find on the interweb it was built in 1925 and used to be a church. It is now an office building. I find it very pretty and love historic places. Would like to know more about it.. :) Just found out it used to be Bayshore Baptist Church.. This article says that the original church (1926)is gone and this is the church's education building (1927) that was cream colored brick. If that's true it must have changed color since.. http://tbo.com/news/central-tampa/2008/jun/28/st-church-builds-toward-future-ar-218532/ The current Bayshore Baptist Church is at 3111 W. Morrison Ave.

Home tours are a great way to explore an area, get some design and decor inspiration, and spy on…read moreyour neighbors. V.M. Ybor is a historic area not far from the cigar manufacturing Ybor area. You know and love. People have fixed up many of the homes and it's less mansiony and more community pride type feel than fancier locales. At its heart is the lovely Cuscaden pool and park complex. Many of the homes have very high ceilings to keep them cooler. A gangster's home complete with wood paneling, extensive bar area, and bullet holes was one of the stops. And some British peeps have fixed up a gorgeous house that was just in its early stages of renovation last year. Another highlight this year were the homeowners who bought a boarded up place and fixed it up to have members of the original family that owned it come by amd tell.them how happy they were to see it restored. Theu even shared family pictures and it turns out both families were military and immigrants. Super beautiful!!! Everyone was very nice and friendly and the organizers did a great job. Parking and guidebook with history writeups and map. The stories told you who owned the homes originally. Lots of fun. See you next year.

We went to 1 house. Going to the second house there were people in the streets yelling at us. We…read moreattempted to look at another house but it wasn't in a safe neighborhood either. We spent $20.00 and wasted half our day driving to Tampa. Other people were leaving for the same reason. It was a waste of time and money.

Took the tour today with 3 other people. 1 had not ever been on a Segway before. Russell was very…read moregood at instructing on how to use the Segway. Never felt rushed and he was great at answering questions. We got to hear some very interesting history and it was very personal. I highly recommend taking a tour with this company. You can take the tour more than once because there are many stories to be heard about the history of this area. Thank you for a wonderful time! Kathy R.

Awesome experience. We went on Tuesday afternoon. Very informative local history. Russell was a…read moregreat guide. Safety is a priority and they make sure you feel comfortable on the Segway before heading out for the tour. Thanks EGT!!

Walked over to the Heritage Village and Historical Museum after visiting the Botanical Gardens and…read morehad the best time learning about the local history! The volunteers were so knowledgeable! I can't wait to visit again. Definitely a place where you can get lost in time.

ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THIS PLACE!!! THIS IS SO COOL SO MANY COOL OLD HOMES. They take great care of…read morethis place so much. Love the staff here that do the tours so informative and friendly they make me feel at home at all these homes. I cant upload my pictures currently but i will soon as i can