About Tampa

A red-hot destination, Tampa is a vibrant waterfront area on Florida's breathtaking West Coast and offers a unique blend of urban excitement, theater groups, orchestras, world-class performance halls, museums, galleries and much more. From the distinct Latin roots of Tampa's historic Ybor (E-bore) City to the Greek history of Tarpon Springs; from the thrills of Busch Gardens to the culture of the area museums, visitors have plenty of genuine, exciting attractions and communities to explore.

Sightseeing Tours

Ybor City Tour

Thursday, April 6, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Ybor City, Tampa's Latin Quarter experience, beckons you back to another era. Wrought iron balconies, globe streetlights, brick-lined walkways and the majestic architecture of cigar factories, social clubs and other unique buildings provide a glimpse into an era rich with culture and history. Your first stop on the tour is a delight for the senses. Enjoy the smell of fresh Cuban bread being baked at the LaSegunda Bakery and learn how the bread is still made the same way as it was 100 years ago. From the bakery you will travel a short distance to the famous Columbia Restaurant where you will sit down to cafe con leche and toasted Cuban bread in the original cafe portion of the restaurant built in 1905. While there, you will have the opportunity to see all of the historic rooms in the restaurant and learn the role the Columbia played in Ybor City's development. From the Columbia Restaurant it will again be a quick trip to the Ybor City State Museum where you will see exhibits on the cigar trade and social clubs of old Ybor City, including a tour of a "Casita", the small cottages built for cigar workers and their families.

Historic Vinoy Resort and Dali Museum

Friday, April 7, 2006
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Renaissance Vinoy Resort Hotel in St. Petersburg was built in 1925 and completed in just under 10 months. This historic Mediterranean Revival Hotel is one of a select number of hotel properties in the United States on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places. Closed in 1974 and reopened in 1992 completely restored to its original beauty, this hotel is truly a step back in time to the early days of grandeur and luxury.

Mixed with tales of yesteryear and the life of gala events at the Vinoy, guests will take an enchanting tour of the landmark Vinoy's gardens, galleries and ballrooms while learning what famous families, authors, entertainers and dignitaries visited the hotel. You will be welcomed to the culmination of Aymer Vinoy Laughner's dream, a dream that became one of the nation's grandest hotels. After your tour, lunch will be served in one of the beautiful rooms at the Vinoy.

The Salvadore Dali Museum will be the next stop. Situated on sparkling Bayboro Harbor in downtown St. Petersburg, the Salvador Dali Museum is home to the world's most comprehensive collection of works by the late Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali.

Collected by A. Reynolds and Eleanor R. Morse, Dali's close personal friends and scholarly collectors since 1942, this collection includes 94 original oils, over 100 watercolors and drawings, plus 1,300 graphics, sculptures, holograms, objects of art and photographs. Your docent led tour of the Dali Museum will provide you with interesting background and insight into the genius of Dali's life and works.

Big Cat Rescue

Saturday, April 8, 2006
9:00 a.m. - Noon

The mission of the Big Cat Rescue is to provide a permanent home for abused, abandoned and retired exotic cats. By building enclosures in a very natural habitat with foliage and shelter on a 45 acre site, and by giving the best nutritional and medical care possible, the Big Cat Rescue program provides physical and psychological well being for a very special collection of cats.

The Big Cat Rescue, a nonprofit, educational sanctuary, houses the world's largest and most diverse collection of exotic cats. This rustic 40-acre wildlife sanctuary is home to 200 animals, including 23 species of wild cats. Most of the cats are endangered and, in many cases, their numbers have dwindled to only a few remaining on the entire planet. Take an "up close and personal" tour and see bobcats, leopards, tigers, ocelots, cougars, and lions in their natural habitats. You may even have the opportunity to pet a Siberian Lynx or one of the many other "animal ambassadors" at the Big Cat Rescue.

Note: Visitors should wear casual long pants and tennis shoes. No shorts or open toe shoes if you want to pet a cat. Big Cat Rescue will also require each participant to sign a "Hold Harmless Agreement" prior to touring the facility.