3 Quirky Weekend Adventures in Tampa
Check out these three adventures right in Tampa for your next weekend.
If you’re like many people, you know that Tampa is full of things to do and see – but you may not have heard of these three quirky weekend adventures right in the city. Next time you have a few hours to kill, you may want to check out these hidden hotspots.
3 Quirky Weekend Adventures in Tampa
Though there’s plenty of sun, sand and sea in this beautiful city, you may want to explore some of the area’s more low-key gems, including:
- The Tampa Theatre
- The Henry B. Plant Museum
- Ulele Fairyland Figures
Here’s a closer look at each.
Quirky Tampa Adventure #1: Visit the Tampa Theatre
The Tampa Theatre, a Jazz-Age movie palace, is stunning – and it has been since the 1920s. Though the theater became obsolete as big-screen theaters became more commonplace, it’s still in great shape today (that’s more than can be said for many of these old gems). The ceiling is painted like a starry night, and the building is filled with Greek statues, gargoyles and other embellishments, making it a true hidden gem in the heart of Tampa.
In 1978, the Tampa Theatre was added to the National Register of Historic Places, and though it’s rumored to be haunted today, it hosts several hundred events every year.
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Quirky Tampa Adventure #2: Spend Time at the Henry B. Plant Museum
The Henry B. Plant Museum, which takes up residence in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, features a wide range of the original furnishings and artifacts that the founders collected from all over the world. Once known as the most opulent hotel in Florida, the space had a formal dining room, a music room, a golf course and beautiful gardens, as well as hunting and fishing facilities, a bowling alley and a race track. The hotel hosted guests until 1930, when the Great Depression hit hard. In 1933, it was purchased by the Tampa Bay Junior College; that became the University of Tampa just a few years later, and officials preserved the south wing as the museum you can visit today.
Related: 3 fun things to do in Riverview, FL
Quirky Tampa Adventure #3: Check Out the Ulele Fairyland Figures
The Lowry Park Zoo has been around a while – and if you ever visited it in the 1950s and 60s, you may remember the fairytale exhibit for kids. Made to resemble famed favorites like Humpty Dumpty, the Three Little Pigs and the mouse who ran down the clock, these life-sized fiberglass figures were stuffed in storage for decades until the owner of Ulele – a restaurant that was once a water plant – purchased them and put them on display.
Bonus Adventure: Swing by the Gravity Research Foundation Monument at the University of Tampa after you visit Ulele.
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