Check Out Our Tampa Museum Tour
Tampa is home to some of the most interesting and educational museums in the country. Want to learn about the history of baseball in Florida? We’ve got you covered. What about traveling circuses? Step right up. Learn about where to go to beat the heat and humidity this summer while learning a little more of the incredible history of Tampa, of Florida, and of the United States of America.
Tampa Bay History Center
The Tampa Bay History Center is a museum dedicated to the history and people of Tampa. It covers Tampa’s first native inhabitants, the Tocobanga, Calusa, and Timucua people, the Spanish conquistadors, and other historical figures who shaped the area’s history. There is even a historic reproduction of a 1920’s cigar shop on site! Admission prices vary from $12.95 to $16.95, depending on age and service, and children 6 and under are free. Be sure to check out the current exhibits on Cuban Pathways and Kitschy Cartography!
Tampa Museum of Art
The Tampa Museum of Art showcases modern and contemporary art, while also presenting Greek, Roman, and Etruscan antiquities. One of the current exhibits, Verde: Poetics of Shade, features five regional Tampa Bay area artists, introducing and celebrating their work in a variety of mediums. Admission ranges from $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, military, Florida educators, and professional artists, and $5 for students K-12. Children under 6, College students, and SNAP EBT participants are all granted free access to the museum.
Tampa Firefighters Museum
The incredible Tampa Firefighter’s Museum is housed in a 1911 fire station called Old Fire Station #1 that has been outfitted into an educational and inspirational space with exhibits on local firefighters who have come and gone with firefighting memorabilia and vehicles. They also have interactive educational exhibits that teach fire safety for all ages and circumstances. The museum exhibits and store are open Monday through Friday from 10am until 2pm by appointment only. While there is no fee for admission, donations are encouraged.
Glazer Children’s Museum
The Glazer Children’s Museum is an interactive “learning laboratory” is full of incredible exhibits where children are encouraged to play with them. They get to help a patient at the Vet Clinic, show off their talents at the Twinkle Stars Theater, explore other cultures in the Global Café, build bridges in the Engineers’ Workshop, and so much more. Admission prices vary depending on several factors, so be sure to check the website before you go. They even have something called Sunshine Sunday, hosted on the final Sunday of each month, where the museum is modified just slightly to accommodate special needs guests and their caregivers. True inclusivity!
Tampa Baseball Museum
Tampa is well known as a baseball town. The Tampa Baseball Museum is housed in the rehabilitated childhood home of Al López, Tampa’s first major league player, manager, and Hall of Fame inductee. You’ll find exhibits displaying the over 130 years of Tampa Baseball history encased in this gorgeous casita. Prices range from $6 to $12, with children 5 and under free. Celebrate the rich cultural diversity of America’s pastime at this fun, informative museum.
Showmen’s Museum
Live out your childhood dreams of joining the circus at the Showmen’s Museum. This incredible space is home to incredible artifacts, hundreds of photographs, and eclectic memorabilia from travelling shows and carnivals of the past century. It is only open Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm-5pm, so be sure to stop by on the weekend! Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children. Anyone 10 and under is free.
Museum of Science & Industry
Let your imagination soar at the Museum of Science & Industry. Sit under the stars all year round at the Saunders Planetarium. Maybe you want to learn about dinosaurs from around the world or take a look inside to how the human body stays healthy. All of this and more is at your fingertips at the interactive, scientific playground. Curiosity is cool at MOSI. General admission prices range from $7.95 to $12.95 depending on age, with children 2 and under free. Don’t skip Mission: MOONBASE to learn about nearby NASA’s vision for living in worlds beyond Earth.