My family and I were on a ship enroute to Florida from a wonderful 7 day Caribbean cruise, we were due in port soon and would have a good 5 or 6 hours to spare before needing to get to the Tampa airport to catch our flight home to Cleveland. We had three kids along and needed something fun to occupy their time, we looked and booked our uber and tickets online to The Florida Aquarium before we disembarked. Upon arrival and check in at the aquarium, we had luggage and the staff had a room to accommodate us-what a pleasant surprise (free of charge too!).
This is a super fun aquarium for kids and adults too! There were lots of exhibits, stingray touch pools, a Wetlands of Florida area, a cafeteria, a gift shop, a play area and special encounters or exhibits. We weren’t able to do those as we were short on time, but we had plenty of time to enjoy the aquarium, get a bite to eat and let the kids run a bit before catching our three hour flight home.
My favorite area was the Wetlands of Florida where I learned about native animals, birds and plants from the area. The kids loved touching the sting rays as they glided gracefully around their pool. The staff were very helpful showing the kids how to touch them safely. They also really loved the play area!
If you are in the Tampa area for vacation or even if you have just a couple of hours, The Florida Aquarium in Tampa is a wonderful place to visit. Please visit www.flaquarium.org for up to date hours, ticket pricing and special events or exhibits.
