Best Attractions in Tampa (2025)

This 1926 movie palace still dazzles with its starlit ceiling and Mighty Wurlitzer organ. A nonprofit run by locals, it hosts films, concerts, and behind-the-scenes tours. Praised by Atlas Obscura and highlighted by Southern Living, it’s a quintessential Tampa night out.

America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker invites you onto the factory floor to watch hand-rolling and antique machine production. The free museum and guided tours anchor Ybor’s cigar legacy. Featured by Southern Living and covered by the Tampa Bay Times, it’s living history in action.

Inside the turreted former Tampa Bay Hotel, this National Historic Landmark explores Gilded Age travel and the city’s Spanish–American War moment. Rotating programs like Upstairs/Downstairs keep it lively. Frequently cited by regional editors as a must for architecture and history lovers.

A Smithsonian Affiliate on the Riverwalk, this museum threads 12,000 years of regional stories—from Seminole artifacts to cigar-shop recreations. Southern Living recommends it for first-timers; locals come for talks and the map library. It’s a thoughtful orientation to Tampa’s past and present.

Year-round and locally run since 2000, this outdoor market gathers Tampa makers, bakers, and small farms in the heart of historic Ybor. The city calendar and the market’s site confirm regular Saturday hours. Expect Cuban bread, art, plants, and easy neighborhood people-watching.

Florida’s first indoor shuffleboard bar is a women-owned Tampa Heights hangout with league nights, live music, and a from-scratch menu. Visit Tampa Bay lists it as a distinctive local venue; FOX 13 spotlighted its court culture. It’s playful, communal, and unmistakably Tampa.

An iconic Ybor nightclub since 1992, The Castle nurtures Tampa’s alternative scenes with creative themed nights and serious DJ culture. Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has honored it in Best of the Bay. Expect welcoming vibes, strong community, and a singular setting.

Independent and Ybor-based, Coppertail pours Tampa-brewed beers in a restored warehouse with regular weekend tours. Axios and local beer writers consistently include it among the city’s top breweries. Pair the taproom’s Florida-inspired pints with a bay-view sunset.

Step aboard one of the nation’s few operational WWII-era ships. This nonprofit museum lets you roam cargo holds, bridge, and engine spaces. Its own site confirms daily hours; editors often call it a sleeper favorite near the aquarium.

Housed in 1911’s Old Fire Station No. 1, this volunteer-led nonprofit preserves local firefighting history and teaches safety. Hours are limited but current on the museum’s site. It’s intimate, heartfelt, and rooted in civic pride.

This AZA-accredited nonprofit showcases Florida habitats, coral restoration, and bay life. The official site confirms seasonal hours; Condé Nast Traveler regularly includes the waterfront district in its Tampa guides. It’s a family-friendly anchor with genuine conservation work.

A 1917 neoclassical clubhouse that once provided health care, arts, and social life to Ybor’s Cuban community. Today it hosts cultural events and tours; local media often note its storied, sometimes spooky lore. It’s a living symbol of immigrant Tampa.