Tampa, Florida, is a city of many surprises. From the beautiful beaches to an indoor amusement park. It’s no surprise that Tampa Bay has attracted so many visitors over the years. One thing that may not be as well known about this coastal town is its wide variety of museums in Tampa and galleries.
If you’re looking for something different to do in Tampa during your visit, take some time out in between all the tourist attractions to see these 10 Florida museums!
10, Cracker Country

Museums Type | Specialty Museums |
Open hours | Monday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8637350119 |
Website | Cracker Country |
Cracker Country is aimed to give visitors a glimpse into the life of this Florida city. Recognized for its diverse cultures, Cracker Country’s rich history exudes in every exhibit and artifact displayed throughout the museum.
It is housed in three buildings and spanning 3 acres adjacent to Hillsborough River State Park. Tin City Waterfront Arts District includes several galleries showcasing an eclectic mix of original pieces from painters and sculptors and festivals celebrating local cuisine.
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During your visit, hunt for treasures at our Pirate Store. Where you’ll find enough items to make other museums jealous!
You’ll be more than a bit of a bit addicted once you visit Cracker Country. With its local restaurant serving up some of the best country classics. It’s easy to see why this is one of Tampa’s favorite cool museums. You’ll get entertained with memorabilia and artifacts from days gone by, all while listening to classic country tunes. This experience is perfect for anyone who loves music and old-school culture.
Located in downtown Tampa, Cracker Country is one of the best museums in Tampa around. It features a collection of memorable Florida moments from the past and present. Interesting facts about the state’s rich history. Enjoy a free tour when you buy one admission or purchase tickets for special exhibits at different prices.
With five bars situated throughout various museum areas. It offers both meals and drinks specials to those who want to dine before their visit! Once you’ve been through three floors worth of museum displays. Take some time to relax on The Hornet’s Nest – an outdoor lawn area complete with picnic tables and barbecues perfect for an alfresco lunch break. You’ll find that this cool beach hideaway’s relaxing vibe will delight both.
09, Tampa Firefighters Museum

Museums Type | Specialty Museums |
Open hours | Tuesday10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Wednesday10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Thursday10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Friday10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Saturday10:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8139646862 |
Website | Tampa Firefighters Museum |
The Tampa Firefighters Museum holds quite the tale. It’s a place where you can get accurate information on our local fire departments. What equipment they use, and how exactly these brave people work so hard to save lives every day.
They have the most up-to-date authentic resources to learn about Tampa firefighting. They offer behind-the-scenes access and even a virtual ride through their drag bucket, for example. You will feel like you are inside of a real engine!
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Cool museums are solely dedicated to those who have fallen in the line of duty. The brave men and women of the Tampa Fire Department are here honored with their stories, bravery, and historetics. You’ll find eight galleries testifying to their countless contributions as well as a view into a typical fire station!
Don’t miss your chance to see some incredible stories of bravery and courage housed in the historic 1923 fire station. It is now home to never-before-seen artifacts and interactive exhibits that allow visitors to test their skills on a real firefighter simulator. Be sure to explore this museum’s gear room for an impressive collection of old uniforms, helmets, and more!
08, Museum of Science & Industry

Museums Type | Museum of Science & Industry |
Open hours | Monday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8139876000 |
Website | Museum of Science & Industry |
The Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa, Florida, is one of the best Cool Museums around! Tour some awesome machinery or view a collection of antique farm equipment. Become an honorary beekeeper for a day and learn how honey is made.
Get your hands messy in their natural resources room that offers hands-on activities. All year long with themes like habitats for animals, rock hunting, and gardening. You’ll never forget what it felt like to milk cows after touring their dairy barn, either. Believe us when we say that this place has something for everyone!
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So, do you want to find out how a submarine works or see the most significant model of an insect in the world? If so, then the Museum of Science & Industry is for you. Unlike other museums. We’re also one of the few places to feed your senses with things like live music and delicious food.
Museum of Science & Industry is a museum about science and industry. You can explore exhibits inspired by the Industrial Revolution and see what early factories were like on your visit. Or take a trip to Mars in one of our 3D theatres or fly into space with NASA’s Voyager probes on screen!
07, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts

Museums Type | Art Museums |
Open hours | N/A |
Telephone | +1 8132212222 |
Website | Florida Museum of Photographic Arts |
The Florida Museum is the perfect backdrop for everything from a romantic date to an adventurous day trip with friends. With year-round events, rotating exhibitions, educational outreach collaborations, and more than 200 photography artists represented.
The Florida art museum features a general overview of photography, contemporary Florida photography and is committed to showcasing the state’s multicultural society. With rotating exhibits of photography from across the globe, this museum has something for everyone.
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The Tampa Bay area is truly the Sunshine State. From miniature golf to world-class shopping and theme parks, Florida offers families a wide variety of attractions. With museums being near or at the top of most parents’ list of activities for children. It’s no surprise that many Cool Museums are scattered across the state.
Those looked for nationally recognized establishments with iconic collections like New York’s MoMA and LACMA in Los Angeles. Head to Miami’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) and De la Guarda’s retrospective collection of Cuban art at Frost International Arts Center.
Less industry-recognized places can offer curated experiences showcasing a single artist or style, from their permanent exhibits to touring exhibits that change quarterly, such as The Bob Dylan exhibit.
06, Tampa Museum of Art

Museums Type | Art Museums |
Open hours | Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8132748130 |
Website | Tampa Museum of Art |
The Tampa Museum of Art is the place to go for one-of-a-kind art. With a wide range of paintings, photographs, and sculptures. This museum has something for everyone. Join your friends or take the kids to this one-for-all Tampa museum. that grants admission to all people in our community.
The museum offers excellent cultural programs that include different exhibitions, where visitors can see priceless works by renowned artists from around the world and local talent! The best part is that it’s free for children 18 & under with adult supervision. So plan your next family game day outing at the city’s favorite institution full of inspiration and wonder!
The Tampa Museum of Art, formerly known as the John F. Germany Public Library and Tampa Public Library. Contemporary art museums created just for you showcase an impressive collection of fine arts from over seventy-five artists, including famous local artists such as Salvador Dali and Dale Chihuly.
Some pieces are cool enough to find in museums across the country or even the world. But they’re all on display here in our backyard! Did we mention there are two floors? And it’s open 12 hours a day.
Florida art, Museums in Tampa Florida It has something for everyone, from classical art to contemporary. From world-renowned artists and groundbreaking exhibitions to the latest releases in film. Enjoy cutting-edge culture along with immersive installations and a civic plaza that reflects the history of Tampa’s vibrant downtown.
05, American Victory Museum and Ship

Museums Type | Ships Museum |
Open hours | Monday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8132288766 |
Website | American Victory Museum and Ship |
It is located in downtown Tampa on the Hillsborough River and with spectacular views of downtown. American Victory Museum is a cool place to visit. The ship that served as General Douglas MacArthur’s flagship for World War II and carried troops to the shores of Japan sits right outside. But there are exhibits inside too! This excellent museum has many stories to tell about this period.
You can finally see what life was like aboard the USS Cabot during World War II. You’ll also enjoy looking at other unique spaces such as the General Officers Quarters. which includes artifacts from Gen MacArthur’s world cruise at war’s end beginning November 1948 through April 1950. how luxurious! Onboard you’ll walk around and learn all about military history.
The USS American Victory lays at the bottom of the Tampa Bay, but her history sails on. The American Victory Museum and Ship pays homage to America’s victory in World War II to remind everyone that a nation cannot live by bread alone. Proving that spirit can’t always be measured in yards, miles, or pounds. This museum is as significant a military site for future generations as the monuments in Washington DC.
Explore the American Victory, a retired aircraft carrier that served in World War II and Korea. Take an extensive tour of this historic ship with 1,533 museum artifacts on display. All located near downtown Tampa!
Best museums in Tampa The American Victory Museum and Ship is home to America’s only floating National Historic Landmark. Tour original WWII quarters decked out like they were in 1942. see what it was like to live aboard the carrier when she was the last put to sea before being decommissioned in 1991. enjoy interactive exhibits based on TV and video footage from recent conflicts.
04, Glazer Children’s Museum

Museums Type | Children’s Museums |
Open hours | Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM Sunday 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8134433861 |
Website | Glazer Children’s Museum |
Glazer Children’s Museum caters to the needs of younger children with hands-on activities and exhibits. When kids visit, they’ll have an educational and playful experience for all ages. Toys like tinkertoys, storytelling area, dress-up clothes, blocks, and puzzles for the youngest visitors. Older kids can get lost in a maze or climb through a Glazer Children’s Museum pop-up hole!
You and your kids can explore cool natural and cultural environments. You will find exhibits on marine life, Florida wildlife, archaeology projects, and more! Admission is reasonably priced for families (and adults) at $12.
Best museums in Tampa The Glazer Children’s Museum is a branch of the Tampa Bay History Center in downtown Tampa. And features many displays that will entertain your children for hours. With 3,000 square feet of indoor space with interactive exhibits about Florida. There are plenty of opportunities for your child to engage.
The museum offers eight different permanent rotating sections, including an art studio, water science gallery, and critter creek. Kids can use colorful paints to design their own pottery pieces in the ceramics studios or hunt for critters around Crickets Creek during our daily “Critter Hunt.”
If this doesn’t sound like enough excitement for you, why don’t you hop on down into Explorations Lab. where kids can build sandcastles or explore how things move!
03, Ybor City Museum State Park

Museums Type | History Museums |
Open hours | Monday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8132471434 |
Website | Ybor City Museum State Park |
The Ybor City Museum State Park is a historic urban cool museums, not just for history buffs but also for those with a fun-loving side. With fully immersive exhibits and activities, cool indoor interactive displays, and outdoor mission recreation and picnic space to enjoy the scenery of one of Tampa’s oldest neighborhoods.
It’s an all-around excellent time experience, especially for families. Don’t worry about having trouble finding quality food or drinks. This family-friendly museum has cafes with everything from chipotle rice bowls to vegan lasagna!
Ybor City Museum State Park is more than just a place to see relics. This museum has an air of creativity that brings the past alive with art and hands-on exhibits. Visitors have the opportunity to experience what life was like in industrial Florida for Latin merchants during the 1800s.
In Tampa, there is a must-see museum tucked away in the Latin district. The Ybor City Museum State Park tells about early life in this cigar manufacturing machine until Cuba investors decommissioned it.
Visitors can learn how old cigars were being made and see some of their tools on display inside the various buildings around the area. Try out an old tobacco press for themselves! It’s all waiting for you to experience! Be prepared with camera phones and selfie sticks to spare because this place has galleries worth taking photos of, so be sure to put your film masks on before entering.
02, Henry B. Plant Museum

Museums Type | History Museums |
Open hours | Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8132541891 |
Website | Henry B. Plant Museum |
Filled with over 4,000 artifacts and natural history specimens, visitors are sure to be engrossed in everything that this museum has to offer. It features a permanent exhibit called Cultures of the Tampa Bay area that invites families on a virtual walk through the region’s history to a fantastic restaurant. It offers international food for lunch or dinner in one of its many tasting rooms cultural entertainment at night, from authentic Cuban music concerts and dance lessons to keynote speeches by experts on ecology or animals.
The GH Henry B. Plant Museum is home to many artifacts and exhibits, which teach visitors about Tampa’s history, including Florida archaeology. Tallahassee to Tampa Trail guidebook relics from the Civil War era and beautiful sculptures created by notable famous sculptors Daniel Chester French.
This historic Tampa museum houses an extensive collection of artifacts from around the world. Galleries present exhibits on arts, crafts, and ancient cultures that are incomparable to anything else you will see in Florida or the rest of the United States. Take your kids here for a day out. They won’t soon forget! This is one of the best cool museums in Tampa.
01, Tampa Bay History Center

Museums Type | History Museums |
Open hours | Monday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Tuesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Friday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM Sunday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
Telephone | +1 8132280097 |
Website | Tampa Bay History Center |
A visit to the Tampa Bay History Center is like a trip back in time. Families can take a journey together through Florida history that begins with Native American communities long before other Europeans arrived. Featuring interactive exhibits, hands-on activities, and life-size models of sea creatures.
The museum is a must-visit for any family who loves history and learning about Tampa Bay’s past. We have tons of genuine pieces from segregation, transportation, World War II, the Spanish-speaking communities, and more!
The Tampa Bay History Center is one of the best Cool Museums in Tampa. Experience Florida’s history, a collection spanning 140 years and consisting of more than 150 video programs. One hundred historical biographies, 13 hit songs from the ’50s through today performed by original band members Styx.
Forty-five interactive stations allow visitors to experience what it was like to be on a pirate ship or travel cross-country with Lewis and Clark.
Step into our theatre for narrated documentary films on important Florida events such as Cuba’s fight for freedom (Granma). Women’s extraordinary professional contributions (Florida Women Who Mean Business) protect wildlife (Wildlife Laboratories). America’s never-ending quest for space exploration (AstroLab).
Conclusion
We hope this list of the Top 10 cool museums in Tampa has inspired you to plan a trip with your family or friends. If not, we have something for everyone! Let us know which museum is your favorite and why in the comments below. Have fun on your next visit to Florida’s “Sunshine City!”
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