Fun, Free or Almost Free Things to Do in Tampa Bay, Florida

From theme parks, culture and the arts, state parks, nature trails, picnicking and fishing to the beautiful beaches that grace Central Florida's Gulf coastline, Tampa Bay, Florida is an exciting place to live and visit! In the summertime, especially, Tampa Bay offers a variety of free or almost free things to do for the entire family.

Here's a list to get you started:

Tampa Bay Beaches - Besides the very famous St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beaches, Tampa Bay also has Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island State Park, rated America's Best Beach in 2008. The cost is only $5.00 per vehicle.

Visitors can drive across Dunedin Causeway and spend a day swimming, fishing, shelling, snorkeling or picnicking while enjoying the beautiful scenery at Honeymoon and Caladesi Island.
Nature lovers can hike the three mile nature trail through the interior of Honeymoon Island or paddle a three mile kayak trail through the mangroves and bay.

Caladesi Island is accessible by boat or ferry, provided by the Caladesi Island Ferry and departs from Honeymoon Island State Park. Visit the Florida State Parks website for more information and directions.

University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum(USFCAM) - Admission to the Museum is FREE. Changing exhibitions USFCAM are designed to introduce students and the community to current cultural trends and stimulate dialogue.

USFCAM maintains the university's art collection, comprised of more than 5,000 art works. There are also exceptional holdings in graphics and sculpture by acclaimed artists, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg and James Rosenquist. Visit the USFCAM website for more information about current exhibits and directions.

USF Botanical Gardens - The cost is only $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 6-13 and $1.00 for students. The Gardens maintain a living collection of a variety of plants and natural habitats emphasizing the rich botanical diversity of our area.

Spend a leisure day strolling through the Gardens' natural areas and displays that include orchids, bromeliads, begonias, fruit trees, mallows, gingers, ferns, aroids, palms, cycads, butterfly garden, carnivorous plants, herb and scent gardens and much more. Visit the USF Botanical Gardens website for more information and directions.

Free Summer Movies - Regal Entertainment offers a FREE Family Film Festival. Selected G/PG movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival.

Tickets and seating are first-come, first-serve, limited to theatre capacity and are only available at select theatres' box office on the day of the show. Visit their website for a summer movie schedule at a participating Regal Theater near you.

Yuengling Brewery Tours - Yuengling offers two FREE tours Monday thru Friday - one at 10:00 a.m. and one at 1:00 p.m. The tour also happens to include FREE beer samples. Hey, you can't beat that on a hot summer day! Visit the Yuengling Brewery website for more information and directions.

Lowry Park Zoo - The Summer Family Fun Pass (June 1 - August 31, 2010) is only $75.00, providing unlimited admission to the zoo for the entire family up to 4 people (2 adults & 2 dependents ages 3-17).

The Lowry Park Zoo has been consistently rated the best in the nation, with more than 2,000 animals in lush natural habitats, including white tigers, Florida manatees, African elephants and more. This is an amazing Zoo and well worth the price of admission. Visit the Lowry park Zoo's website for more information and directions.

Busch Gardens - Busch Gardens isn't free, but when you purchase a year pass, you have unlimited admission the park for an entire year, which happens to be one of the best bargains in town. The cost is just $69.95 for both adults and and children.

Busch Gardens has incredible free shows, concerts, music, roller coasters and water rides, amazing animal exhibits and much more. The Park is open daily from 9:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. until August 31^st. Visit the Busch Gardens website for more information and directions to the park.

The Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) - You get a lot of 'bang for your buck' at MOSI, which happens to be the largest science center in the Southeast. Admission is $20.95 for adults and $16.95 for children, giving you access to MOSI Exhibit Galleries, one Saunders Planetarium show and Kids in Charge as well as the special engagement exhibit of "CSI: The Experience" (now thru September 6th).

MOSI presents over 400 "hands on" displays and science exhibits and special events. MOSI also offers an IMAX Dome theater featuring an 85-foot-high domed screen. Visit the MOSI website for more information, including directions.

Here's a list of other websites for FREE or almost freeTampa Bayoutdoor activities including Florida State parks, birding trails, hiking and biking trails, art festivals and other Tampa Bay events:

State Parksfor hiking, biking, fishing, picnicking and fun in the sun:

• http://www.floridastateparks.org/
• http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/westcentral/west_central.htm
• http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/paddle.htm

Tampa Bay birding trails:

• http://www.baysoundings.com/fall03/gfx/birdingmap.pdf
• http://www.tbep.org/portrait/birdwatching.html

Tampa Bay hiking and biking trails:

• http://www.pinellascounty.org/trailgd/
• http://outdoortravels.com/biking_florida_upper_tampa_bay_trail.php
• http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=13360

Tampa Bay art festivals and events

• http://www.artfestival.com/events/city/47/Tampa.html
• http://www.wingatenewtampa.com/events/

Whether you live in Tampa Bay or just pasing through, you can always find something fun to do that won't cost you an arm and a leg!