Tampa has great zoos, aquariums, museums and some truly one-of-a-kind amusement parks that open their doors to families with multi-day programs each summer.

Are you thinking about spending some extra time in central Florida? The city of Tampa takes full advantage of every local attraction to create summer-long and drop-in day camps for local and visiting children, based on each attraction's educational mission.

Top Tampa Summer Programs for Kids

Lowry Park Zoo
1101 W. Sligh Avenue
Tampa, FL 33604
813/935-8552
Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo is a nearly 60-acre dedicated zoological garden that has been recognized as the #1 zoo in the U.S. by both Parents and Child magazines. With 2,000 animals in natural outdoor habitats, there are also numerous interactive exhibits that allow children to connect with them. The Zoo also offers a splash ground water play areas, amusement rides like the Gator Falls flume ride and Skyfari sky ride, educational shows and keeper talks, and a variety of eateries. In summer there are one-day to five-day summer camps, as well as a Saturday night Parents Night Out for ages 3-8 who can play, meet animals and watch movies while parents relax elsewhere..

Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI)
4801 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, FL 33617
813/987-6000
MOSI is the largest science center in the Southeastern US, and home to the only IMAX Dome Theatre in Florida. It features more than 450 hands-on exhibits for hours of "edutainment" with school-age children, plus a hire-wire bike ride and planetarium. In summer, they run half- and full-day camps, as well as travel camps and sleepover camps, covering hundreds of topics for ages 2 to 17. The supervised Science Camps are really super.

Big Red Balloon
Meeting Place: Mimi's Cafe, 11702 N. Dale, Mabry Highway
Tampa Florida 33615
813/969-1518
This sightseeing company takes you on a panoramic view of Tampa's bays, backyards, and beaches. This is a three and a half hot air balloon flight, available only to kids 5 years and older; a minimum of 48 inches height (to see over the sides of the basket) is required of all. Kids ages 5-10 pay about 15% less than adults.

Canoe Escape
9335 E. Fowler Ave.
Thonotosassa, FL 33592
813/986-2067
Visitors take a tour-guided trip down the Hillsborough River. Guides will point out turtles, river otters, birds, and other animals. The daring -- even young kids riding along with their parents -- can paddle through "alligator alley." These trips include paddling instructions as well as drop-offs and pick-ups at designated launch spots along the river

Adventure Island
4500 E. Bougainvillea Ave.
Tampa, FL 33617
888/800-5447
Adventure Island water park offers 25 acres of water attractions within a laid-back Key West atmosphere. The park includes a blend of high-splash slides, corkscrews, water falls, and a wave pool. Children have their own play area, while adults have a championship sand volleyball complex.

Busch Gardens Tampa
10001 N. McKinley Drive
Tampa, FL 33612
888/800-5447, 813/987-5082
This popular attraction has 10 distinct themed areas that bring a little of Africa to the Tampa area. The park has 335 acres of family entertainment including "Gwazi" (the largest and fastest "dueling" pair of wooden roller coasters), smoother rides, water play coasters, some VR and motion control rides, and other great attractions. Its Safari by Train and outdoor crafts displays will interest your little ones and its strong environmental messages help teens connect to what they're seeing.

The Florida Aquarium
701 Channelside Drive
Tampa, FL 33602
813/273-4000
At Florida Aquarium visitors get up and close with thousands of aquatic creatures from frogs to sharks. It is a good place to explore the beautiful creatures of the water, and one of the country's best designed marine life habitats. Definitely a city highlight, with several family sleepovers annually. In summer, then run AquaCamps for grades pre-K to 8th grade, and a special SCUBA Camp for kids ages 12-15. Programs are all age appropriate, so that the 3- and 4-year-olds have two sessions per week with a parent or guardian, and AquaKids have three half-day sessions on their own. Older kids can join week-long programs.