2 Best Sights in The Tampa Bay Area, Florida

At this state-of-the-art facility near the University of South Florida's main campus, you learn about weather, anatomy, flight, space, and more by seeing and by doing. Explore a lunar colony in Mission: Moonbase, a NASA-funded exhibit. Challenge yourself on the multilevel, 36-foot-high Sky Trail ropes course. Discover innovative technologies not yet on the market at ConnectUs, or get creative in the Idea Zone makers space. The virtual-reality simulator lets you experience everything from spacewalks to run-ins with prehistoric creatures, and the 23-seat Saunders Planetarium has daily shows featuring astronomy experts.

At this natural and cultural history museum, an aquarium focuses on manatee rehabilitation, and a first-floor gallery features fossils that tell the story of prehistoric Florida. Explore rotating exhibits on various topics; glass cases and roll-out drawers on the second floor showcase items normally out of public view. Topics covered in programs at the Bishop Planetarium (with a domed theater screen) range from black holes to the origin of life itself.