Enjoy the Guide round-up of 100 things to do in Greater Tampa Bay. Consider it the ultimate GTB Bucket List.
1. Take the dogs to Pups Pub and let them play off-leash while drinking a cold beer or seltzer
2. Visit the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs and eat authentic Greek fare at Mr. Souvlaki followed by homemade Greek desserts at Hellas Bakery & Restaurant
3. Spend a day in Paradise at Epperson Lagoon, a 7.5-acre lagoon with resort-style fun and crystal-clear water
4. Catch a hockey game with the Stanley Cup-winning Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena
5. Go gator watching and see wildlife from safe vantage points at Sawgrass Lake Park, John Chestnut Park or the 45-foot observation tower at Weedon Island Preserve
6. Jog down the 4 ½-mile-long sidewalk on Bayshore Boulevard, one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the United States
7. Immerse in a world of immersive art featuring 60 local and international artists at The Fairgrounds St. Pete
8. Visit The District, Cleveland Street in downtown Clearwater for many events such as the Sip & Stroll and Blast Fridays, a free food and craft festival featuring a live concert
9. Stroll the streets or longboard through any of the numerous craft beer tours, with roughly a dozen craft breweries within walking distance in downtown St. Pete and nearly 50 in all of Pinellas County
10. Indulge in a strawberry milkshake made with fresh local berries from Parkesdale Market in Plant City, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World
11. Spend the day shopping in Hyde Park’s upscale shops, with men and women’s fashion, eyewear, jewelry and more, sipping a locally brewed coffee along the way
12. Take a spin class with fellow fitness junkies and sip an all-natural smoothie at Soho Cycling
13. Spend date night in Dunedin’s walkable Main Street through downtown, with several craft breweries, the fun and funky Casa Tina Mexican Restaurant, art galleries like the Clay & Paper Gallery of Art and so much more
14. Drop a line deep sea fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and bring back fresh catch for a sea-to-table meal
15. Go on a two-hour ziplining experience over the Mobbly Bayou Wilderness Preserve at Empower Adventures
16. Root for the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team and touch stingrays in the 1,000-gallon tank through the Rays Touch Experience at Tropicana Field
17. Go dolphin spotting on any of the many, many different boat tours in the Clearwater Beach Municipal Marina
18. Take the Caladesi Island Ferry to the pristine island, where more than 70,000 visitors each year enjoy three miles of natural coastline
19. Browse the Tampa Riverwalk and all its waterfront views and attractions, from The Florida Aquarium to the Tampa Bay History Center to the restaurants, boutiques and breweries of Sparkman Wharf and so much more
20. Grab a tube and hit the snowy slopes at Snowcat Ridge in the Alpine Snow Park
21. Tour the wine cellar and dine on prime, aged steaks and locally grown vegetables in the stunning dining room at Bern’s Steak House
22. Shop at one of the largest markets in the state at Oldsmar Flea Market
23. Catch a Broadway show at Ruth Eckerd Hall or the Straz Center for the Performing Arts
24. Spot roosters strutting along the streets in Ybor City — descendants of the same chickens that the city’s earliest residents brought here more than 100 years ago
25. Explore the Hillsborough River, Alafaia River or Little Manatee River by kayak or paddleboard
26. Visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s rehabilitated native wildlife, including dolphins, manatees and sea turtles
27. Try a hand at printmaking at Labyrinth Studios
28. Catch a sunset and enjoy the Sunsets Festival at Pier 60 on America’s No. 1 beach, Clearwater Beach
29. Kiss a gator and meets dozens of other rescued animals at the Alligator & Wildlife Discovery Center
30. Score some unique finds each month at the curated local monthly Market on Florida or at the monthly street market, Mezzo Market, in St. Pete
31. Live like a true Ybor resident and puff on Cuban cigars and dine on Cuban sandwiches
32. Spring Training for baseball with Phillies or Blue Jays or MLS Soccer with Philadelphia Union
33. Attend a glassblowing class at Phoenix Studio
34. Learn about the history of carnivals at the Showmen’s Museum
35. Embark on a coffeemaking tour at 22nd Street
36. Taste one of the 30-plus hand crafted, low sulphite wines at Aspirations Winery, which House Beautiful Magazine named Florida’s best winery
37. Enjoy dinner and a show at Columbia Café, with the famous 1905 salad and flamenco dances
38. Explore the dining, theater and events Armature Works and top it off with rooftop cocktails at M. Bird
39. Jam to jazz music and drink witches brews, with many craft beers to choose from, at The Ale and the Witch
40. Meander through the 100-year-old Sunken Gardens, with home to the oldest tropical plants in St. Pete
41. Sip vodka, whiskey and more at Kozuba and Sons Distillery
42. Join in voluntourism and participate in a beach cleanup on Clearwater Beach the second Friday of every month
43. Play drag bingo while enjoying Mexican cuisine and craft tequila cocktails at Xochitl
44. Practice yoga, bring the kids to the splash pad and playground, take the pups to the dog park or have a picnic at Water Works Park
45. Go ice skating at the Winter Village in Curtis Hixon Park
46. “Do Really Inspirational Projects” at DRIP, such as screen-printing, pottery or 3-D printing
47. Pick strawberries at 3 Sons Farm, Spivey Farms, 5K Farms, Blues Berry Farm and so many more in the Plant City area during the winter and spring
48. Rock out at the outdoor concert venue MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and rendezvous at the Hard Rock afterward
49. Walk into history at the Henry B. Plant Museum, housed in the former Tampa Bay Hotel
50. Admire the architecture and artworks by not only Salvador Dali, but art from other prominent creators in rotating exhibits at the Dali Museum
51. Take Instagram-worthy pictures of cold brew concoctions at Paradeco Coffee Roasters
52. Tour Sweet Blossom Alpaca Farm and pet the alpacas, have lunch on the farm surrounded by grazing alpacas and buy socks made with soft alpaca fur
53. Buy a souvenir at any of the cute souvenir shops, such as Island Rags and Gifts, Knock on Wood Gifts, Cuban Paradise Cigar & Café, DD Collectables and more at John’s Pass
54. Take a water taxi in downtown Tampa to 17 destinations, including Sparkman Wharf, Armature Works, Davis Islands and the Tampa Convention Center
55. Watch paddlers race in the Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Festival in Garrison Channel
56. Visit Fort De Soto Park and explore the five interconnected islands with the historic fort, beaches, multipurpose trails and fishing piers
57. Stay at the Don Cesar, St. Pete Beach’s famed “Pink Palace”
58. Snorkel off Egmont Key and see the submerged ruins of Fort Dade, where fish gather, as well as the grass flats and sandy sea floor
59. Enjoy fresh grouper on the beach at Paradise Grille’s locations in Passe a Grille and St. Pete Beach
60. Sing at Open Mic night at Molly Malone’s or sing karaoke at Tampa Karaoke VIP, Double Decker or CJ’s on the Island
61. Try to spot Carole Baskins at Big Cat Rescue
62. Play beach volleyball, frequent the tiki bar and dine on oysters, gator bites and more at Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill
63. Stand-up paddleboard in the nature preserve with Bay Breeze Paddle Adventures at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
64. Venture into the prohibition era at Ciro’s speakeasy
65. Take the Black Business Bus Tour and support Black-owned jewelry stores, Realtors, media and more
66. Chill with the adoptable cats from Friends of Strays Animal Shelter while sipping on a beer at Sunshine Kitty Catfe
67. Do Acro yoga or learn circus arts such as silks, trapeze, aerial hammock, dance and more at Aerial Dragons Studios
68. Attend a soiree at the Florida Aquarium, where events are regularly held within the backdrop of the unique underwater environment
69. Lay in the grass at night and look up at the “Bending Arc” sculpture by Janet Echelman at the St. Pete Pier
70. Have a drink at Jotoro Kitchen & Tequila Bar at Sparkman Wharf
71. Try a new kind of tea — in addition to green and black, there is white, pu-erh, oolong, rooibos, herbals and so much more — at TeBella Tea Company
72. Wander among giants, dig for fossils, interact with exhibits, browse the gift shop and walk through the boardwalks along natural areas at Dinosaur World
73. Catch a movie screening or a live theater, comedy or music performance at the historic Tampa Theatre
74. Go museum hopping at Curtis Hixon, with Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Tampa Museum of Art and Glazer Children’s Museum all next to each other
75. Rally for LGBTQ+ pride, support, acceptance and love at the annual Pride Festivals
76. Grab a cold kombucha at Flower Crown, with refreshing beverages like the pineappley ever after, Mexican hippie, pink passion fruit and key lime mojito plus kombucha champagne flights
77. Enjoy a glass of Florida’s farm fresh wines made with locally grown fruits at Keel and Curley Winery
78. Book a helicopter tour and see St. Pete’s beautiful beaches, downtown St. Pete or the Sunshine Skyway Bridge from above through Tampa Bay Aviation
79. Learn how to take to the ice like the Lightning at Tampa Bay Skating Academy
80. Go for a run or bike ride on the 45-mile Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail or the Upper Tampa Bay Trail
81. Ride rollercoasters such as the SheiKra, Cheetah Hunt, Montu, Kumba, Tigris or Scorpion at Busch Gardens
82. Grab Cuban coffee, famous Cuban bread and desserts at La Segunda
83. Listen to live music at The Orpheum, The Ritz Ybor, RockHouse Live, The Attic or Blue Note
84. Hold a baby alligator and learn about other reptiles at Croc Encounters
85. Glimpse into 135 years of baseball history Tampa Baseball Museum at the Al Lopez House
86. Visit the Florida State Fair year-round, with attractions including the Cracker Country Rural Living History Museum and the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center
87. Drink — and eat — your cocktail, with creative bloody Marys at The Avenue Eat + Drink, 2nd and Second, Cassis, Datz and Mojo Federal Swine & Sprits
88. Dress like a pirate and parade down Bayshore for the annual Gasparilla Pirate Festival
89. Explore the real life, colorful fever dream that is Whimzeyland in Safety Harbor
90. Take a mosaic-making class at the Safety Harbor Art and Music Center
91. Discover your new favorite artist on the celebration of the arts, the Second Saturday Art Walk, through St. Pete’s several arts districts
92. Take the family for pony rides, trail rides or the petting zoo at HorsePower for Kids
93. Get a taste of the Greek staple ouzo at Tarpon Springs Distillery
94. Grub out at the food truck rallies in Albert Whitted Park — and keep an eye on the Gulf to Bay Food Truck Association’s calendar for other pop-up and annual events such as Taco Fest
95. Go on craft cocktail tastings at local distilleries, including Old St. Pete and Urban Stillhouse
96. Attend a workshop, host an event or satisfy that plant fix at Wild Roots
97. Explore the winding paths and enjoy all of Florida Botanical Gardens’ 150 acres with formal gardens, scenic landscapes and native habitat
98. Hunt for ghosts in historic Ybor City with the Ghost Party Haunted Tours
99. Blend gin or take a cocktail class, or simply kick back and enjoy a cocktail with house-made spirits including barreled lavender gin, hibiscus infused bitter liqueur or a classic Pennsylvania rye whiskey at Dark Door Spirits
100. Share your adventures on social media and tag Guide to Greater Tampa Bay!
