The 25 best things to do with an out-of-towner in Tampa Bay

Stuff your face at the Dunedin food walking tour

221 Main St, Dunedin, FL 34698 , 813-310-4401
This Downtown Dunedin food tour will have you loosening your belt by the end of this three hour culinary journey. Your tour guide will take you to and from locally owned restaurants, like the iconic Hog Island Fish Camp and Sea Sea Riders, and breweries to taste their house specialities. Burn off some of those calories (or cramp up) and learn some Dunedin cultural history on this walking food tour.

Photo via Sea Sea Riders/Facebook

Take the drive down to Fort Desoto for a family beach escape

3500 Pinellas Bayway S, St. Petersburg, FL 33715, (727) 582-2267
Clearwater Beach may get all the accolades, but if you’re looking for a shoreline experience that’s a little (OK, a lot) more natural, Fort De Soto is pretty much impossible to beat. It’s actually a tight group of five islands featuring everything from sandy beaches to mangrove hammocks to its historic namesake fort. The fishing and kayaking are superb, as are the beach areas there’s camping, too, but we’re definitely not up for that during the season, along with two fishing piers, a boat launch, a dog beach, and trips across the mouth of the bay to Egmont Key, as well.

Photo via Spark for Visit Florida

Step into a surreal world at the Dali Museum

1 Dali Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, (727) 823-3767
Sitting on the relaxing waterfront of Downtown St.Petersburg, The Dali Museum is a Tampa Bay gem of art history and stunning architecture. The home to some of Dali’s most popular pieces and a traveling exhibit that changes about once a year, this is the place to take your visitors if they’re art-savvy at all. And even if they’re not, they’ll enjoy the museum’s architecture, garden, and cafe.

Photo via The Dalí Museum/Facebook

Relax at the massive pink landmark that is the Don CeSar

The Don CeSar, 3400 Gulf Blvd, St Pete Beach, 727-360-1881
The Don CeSar, the unmistakable pink palace of St. Pete Beach, offers a luxurious stay, beautiful view of St. Pete Beach, and features a number of indulgent treatments and amenities in their Spa Oceana. Their beautiful rooftop terrace overlooking the Gulf of Mexico will have all of your visitors taking pictures at sunset. The Don CeSar is too iconic of a landmark for out-of-towners to skip on their site-seeing endeavors.

Photo via Don Cesar/Facebook

Explore the endless possibilities at Armature Works

1910 N Ola Ave, Tampa, FL 33602, (813) 250-3725
With how jam packed Armature Works is with different restaurants, cafes, artisan shops and activities, there’s no doubt that even the pickiest member of the family will find something they like. This massive, family-friendly warehouse space will entertain all of your out-of-towners for a few hours, whether they’re eating, playing, drinking, or napping on one of their comfortable couches.

Photo via Armature Works/Facebook

Drink a cold beer with your toes in the sand at The Getaway

13090 Gandy Blvd N St. Petersburg, FL 33702 , (727)-317-5751
What out-of-towners expect when they come to Florida for vacation. Hawaiian shirts, baskets of fried shrimp, and cold drinks on the beach. The Getaway’s waterfront views and tiki roofs radiate Florida summer energy when all you need is a bit of shade and some fresh seafood to get your through the heat of the day. One of the only bars around that will serve you if you're shoeless and shirtless.

Photo via The Getaway/Facebook

Swim, slide, and drink in Epperson Lagoon’s bright blue water

31885 Overpass Rd, Wesley Chapel, 813-527-0775
Epperson Lagoon’s purified, bright blue waters opened to the public late last year. The 7.5-acre, man made lake and beach has a little something for all ages and activity levels, featuring a waterslide, swim-up bar, floating obstacle course, concert area and kayak rentals. If the real beach isn’t your thing.

Photo via Epperson/Facebook

Walk or scoot around the ever-charming Hyde Park

1509 W Swann Ave Suite 225, Tampa, FL 33606, (813)-251-3500
Hyde Park is just one of those places that’s just so pretty and welcoming that families will send their Sunday afternoons strolling around and eating at one of the many restaurants and cafes there. Hyde Park is window shopping galore, with local businesses selling crafts and knick knacks that you didn’t know you needed until right now.

Photo via hydeparkvillage.com

Soak in the pastel colors and old-Florida galore of Clearwater’s Pier 60

Tampa, FL 33629, (813) 505-6779
It may be the most outright touristy thing on this list — it’s not only on the beach, it’s on a beach regularly called the best in the nation — but that doesn’t mean locals can’t have some fun in the sun at Pier 60. The 1,080-foot pier is a major attraction for anglers, while performers and artisans of all stripes teem the surrounding area 364 days a year for a couple of hours before and after the sun goes down.

Photo via Pier60ClearwaterBeachFlorida/Facebook

Take the Pirate Water Taxi and relax on the Hillsborough River

603 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, 813-390-3711
You can drive to downtown Tampa’s hottest spots like the Straz Center, Armature Works, and Curtis Hixon Park, or you can see them from the Hillsborough River. The Pirate Water Taxi offers a multi-stop, narrated tour of downtown Tampa. Save yourself the headache of downtown parking and hop on this bright yellow water taxi.

Photo via Pirate Water Taxi/Facebook

Go for a waterfront stroll around Sparkman Wharf

615 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, (813) 345-5881
A large, waterfront space filled with restaurants, live music, a biergarten (for mom and dad) and a spacious astroturf area for the kids to run around, Sparkman Wharf is the ideal family destination. Spin, an electric scooter rental service, just opened up in Sparkman Wharf; all you have to do is download their app and enter your credit card info, find an available scooter and go for a spin.

Photo via Chris Fasick

Take the ultimate mobile craft beer journey on the Tampa Brew Bus

4101 N Florida Ave Tampa, FL 33603, 1 (813) 990-7310
Ubers are out. Brew busses are in. On Tampa’s own Brew Bus you’re welcome to drink their own craft beer as you’re shuttled from brewery to brewery. They have a variety of tours that hit different breweries throughout Tampa, or you can schedule a personalized tour to really impress your visitors.

Photo via brewbususa.com

Enter a time-warp a watch a movie at the drive-in theater

2302 E Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL 33610, (813) 234-2311
There’s roughly 300 drive-in theaters left in the United States, and three of them are chugging along in the Tampa Bay Area. Ruskin, Lakeland, and Dade City all have drive-ins that will send your visitors through a time warp. Buy some snacks, bring some blankets, turn your radio to the appropriate station, and enjoy new and old movies alike from the comfort of your car.

Photo via Google Images

Explore Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple's Sunday morning market

5306 Palm River Rd. Tampa , Florida 33619-3746, (813)-621-1669
On a large Buddhist compound on the river next to the monk’s residence and the Dharma relaxation area, lies a beautiful Ayudhya style Buddhist Temple. The compound offers a popular Sunday market filled with the absolute freshest Thai and Vietnamese food, plants, and produce that your visitors will eat up. Literally.

Photo via Ray Roa

See a Rays Game at Tropicana Field (while they’re still here)

1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg, FL 33705, (727) 825-3137
Catch a Rays game at Tropicana Field, while they’re still here in the Tampa Bay area. The massive indoor baseball stadium is in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, where you can catch dinner and take a waterfront stroll before you see the Rays lose.

Photo via Tropicana Field/Faecebook

Expand your local knowledge at Tampa Bay History Center

801 Old Water Street, Tampa, FL 33602, (813)-228-0097
This three story history center goes as far as 1,200 years back in Tampa Bay history. This Smithsonian Museum affiliate offers hands on learning experiences for kids, an immersive theater, and interactive exhibits to ensure fun, but educational time for the family.

Photo via tampahistorycenter.org

Explore the ultra-Florida attraction that is the Tarpon Springs Sponge Decks

735 Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs, FL 34689, (727) 938-4404
Tarpon Springs is rich with sea-sponge collecting history and Greek culture––and your out-of-town visitors will love this charming, little waterfront town. There’s many local sponge-oriented tours offered, where you can harvest your very own sea sponges. After your sea adventures, you can eat some of the best Greek food that Tampa Bay has to offer .

Photo via Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks/Facebook

Swim with the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs

6131 Commercial Way Spring Hill, FL 34606, (352) -592-5656
From crystal-blue water, to tubing to river boat cruises, to live mermaid shows, Weeki Wachee Springs is a great staycation destination. Several weekend and week-long camps are offered, including a junior mermaid camp. Although there is no on-sight camping, there are nearby options such as Cody’s RV Park and Camp-A-Wyle Lake resort. The mermaids will impress your out-of-towners indefinitely.

Photo via Weeki Wachee Springs/Facebook

Learn and sight-see simultaneously with Ybor City walking history tour

Tampa, FL 33629, (813) 505-6779
Walk through the vibrant brick streets of Ybor City and explore the many layers of history that has made this district what it is today. The tour guide will take you through a time-warp filled with cigars and Cuban culture. Maybe they’ll explain why there’s so many chickens running around.

Photo via ybor.org

Eat your lunch on the triple-decked colorful cruiser The Calypso Queen

Clearwater Beach Marina. 25 Causeway Blvd., Slip #18 Clearwater, FL 33767, (727) 461-3113
You won’t be able to miss this massive, triple decked, rainbow colored boat docked in the Clearwater Beach Marina. Take a day or evening cruise on the Calypso Queen and enjoy a large buffet spread equipped with wine, beer, and rum punch. The captain also gives a narration of the history and environment of the Clearwater Coast, but you might be focusing too much on the rum punch at that point.

Photo via starlitecruise.com