The Florida Aquarium is one of Tampa's best family attractions and genuinely worthwhile for adults. It sits on the downtown waterfront, a short walk from the convention centre, and covers Florida's aquatic environments from freshwater springs and mangroves through to open ocean reefs. The centrepiece is the massive coral reef gallery, where a two-storey viewing window looks into a 500,000-gallon tank populated with sharks, rays, sea turtles, and a dense cloud of reef fish.
The "Wetlands" section covering Florida's freshwater systems — springs, swamps, river margins — is less showy but ecologically interesting. The seahorse gallery is impressive, and the touch tanks allow hands-on contact with rays and smaller species. The aquarium also runs weekend "shark dive" programmes where certified divers can enter the main reef tank.
Allow two to three hours. The aquarium is located at Channelside Drive, within walking distance of the Tampa Convention Centre and the Riverwalk. Parking is straightforward. Tickets are on the expensive side, but the facility justifies it. Book online to avoid queue times on weekends.