Big Cat Rescue

#1 Busch Gardens Spanning 297 acres and boasting more than 12,000 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games, Busch Gardens is a popular way to spend a day under the Tampa sun ... Read more » Jeremy Thompson / Flickr

#2 Tampa Theatre Even if you're not in town for a film screening or performance, visitors highly recommend a stop at the beautifully ornate Tampa Theatre. When it was built in 1926 ... Read more » Jeff Titterington / Courtesy Tampa Theatre

#3 Florida Aquarium Located on the southeastern edge of downtown Tampa, the Florida Aquarium houses a massive collection of marine life — 20,000 animal and plant life, by the last count. Past visitors ... Read more » Courtesy the Florida Aquarium

#4 Boat Tours Make the most of Tampa's coastal location with a boat tour around its bay. You'll have your pick of tour options, including sunset sails, half-day trips and dolphin ... Read more » Patti McConville / Getty Images

#5 Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center Tampa is a city made for animal lovers willing to pay the price for cuddly, unique and cute. Science centers, zoos and aquariums that don't charge at least a ... Read more » James R.D. Scott / Getty Images

#6 Big Cat Rescue This northwest Tampa spot is more sanctuary than zoo; while here, you'll have the chance to learn all things concerning bobcats, tigers, cougars, lynx, snow leopards — even house cats ... Read more » Holmes Palacios / Flickr

#7 Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo Spanning 60 acres, Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo boasts natural habitats, educational shows and interactive animal encounters, water play areas, and a handful of rides. Here you'll find a ... Read more » Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo

#8 Henry B. Plant Museum Travelers like the setting of this museum and National Historic Landmark just as much as its contents. Housed in the Moorish Revival Tampa Bay Hotel on the University of Tampa ... Read more » Courtesy Henry B. Plant Museum

#9 Glazer Childrens Museum If you're in Tampa with young kids (12 and younger), consider a stop at the Glazer Children's Museum. Though Tampa isn't short on kid-friendly attractions, most of ... Read more » Matthew Paulson / Flickr

#10 Tampa Bay History Center If you're interested in learning more about Florida's first inhabitants, then a stop at the Smithsonian-affiliated Tampa Bay History Center should be on your itinerary. Spanning 60,000 square ... Read more » Courtesy Tampa Bay History Center

#11 Ybor City Pronounced ee-bore, this northeast enclave of Tampa was once a hotbed for coffee manufacturing and hand-rolled cigars — factory workers would roll millions of them annually. Now it’s a ... Read more » Getty Images