50 Free Things to Do in Tampa with Kids

If you’re looking for the best free things to do in Tampa with kids, you’re in the right place! Today, we will share the best family-friendly things to do in Tampa that are free or almost free.

This list of 50 free things to do in Tampa with kids also includes a few not-quite-free but very cheap options.

There are so many free things to do in Tampa with kids! It’s such a family-friendly city and surprisingly budget-friendly too. If you’re flying in, several budget airlines fly here, so it can be a surprisingly economical trip.

Should you rent a car in Tampa?

If you decide to rent a car during your Florida vacation, we recommend renting a car from Discount USA Car Rental. Discount USA Rental Car offers cars from both St. Pete and Tampa airports.

Free Things to Do in Tampa with Kids

Here are the best free things to do in Tampa with kids (and cheap things to do in Tampa with kids) in no particular order. If you don’t mind a little drive, you can also check out 50 free things to do in Orlando.

Ride the TECO Line Streetcar

It doesn’t cost anything to ride the TECO Line Streetcar! There are eleven stops and the streetcar is an excellent transportation option when you want to explore Ybor City.

Wander Along the Tampa Riverwalk

The Tampa Riverwalk is just over 2 ½ miles long and runs along the Hillsborough River. Your family can walk from Sparkman Wharf all the way down to Armature Works.

I recommend spending a little time at Sparkman Wharf. It is free to wander around and play games on the lawn—Amalie Arena, where the Tampa Bay Lightning play, is not too far from the wharf.

During your family adventures on the Tampa Riverwalk, you can stop to listen to live music or watch live entertainment. Riverfest is held every May on the Tampa Riverwalk. Fireworks are set off on the 4th of July and the holidays bring the boat parades.

Visit the Glazer Children’s Museum

Glazer Children’s Museum isn’t always free, but on the first Tuesday of every month, it is!

It is best to register in advance for this as spots can fill up quickly.

Check Out the Murals in Tampa or St. Pete

There are so many beautiful murals in both downtown Tampa and St. Pete. There are mural maps available in St. Pete and Tampa offers a list of the murals and their locations.

Take a Tour of the J.C. Newman Cigar Company

If you take the streetcar over to Ybor City, tour the J.C. Newman Cigar Company. A self-guided tour of the three floors is free. Don’t smoke cigars, kids, but it’s interested to see how they’re made!

Venture Into the Hammock Park Butterfly Garden

The Hammock Park Butterfly Garden is an attraction most visitors know nothing about! This is one of the best free things to do in Tampa with kids if your kids love butterflies or nature.

You’ll find 35 different species of butterfly around the 11 garden beds. There’s also a playground and nature trails are nearby.

Pretend It’s Christmas at Robert’s Christmas Wonderland

One of the most incredible free things to do in Tampa with kids is visiting Robert’s Christmas Wonderland. This Christmasy store is open all year round.

When your family walks into the store, you will be greeted by 200 Christmas trees and thousands of lights. This is a magical place for young kids and older kids.

If you’re visiting during the actual holiday season, you might want to head to Orlando and check out things to do in Orlando for Christmas for even more seasonal events.

Participate in Museum Day

Museum Day is held on one day in September every year. It is an excellent option for visiting many of the museums in Tampa for free. The Henry B. Plant Museum and the Imagine Museum have both participated in this in the past.

Visit the Tampa Firefighters Museum

Visiting the Tampa Firefighters Museum is one of the best free things to do in Tampa with kids if you have little ones who love fire trucks! This educational museum is located inside a renovated firehouse.

Attend One of Many Free Events in Tampa

There are quite a few free events held year-round in Tampa. The MacDill Air Force Base hosts the Tampa Bay Air Fest every few years.

The Fourth Friday of each month offers its own celebrations in Tampa. Live music is played along the Tampa Riverwalk. Admission to the Henry B. Plant Museum is also free on these Fridays.

Have Fun at the Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park

This park has everything young kids will love! They can play on the playground or the splash pad. There are plenty of picnic areas for eating lunch or snacks.

Check Out the Manatees

At Apollo Beach, you will find the TECO Manatee Viewing Center. If your family vacation in Tampa lands between November 1st and April 15th, this is one of the best free things to do in Tampa with kids! For our family, it’s definitely one of our favorite things to do.

I recommend walking around the boardwalk to see the manatees in the water. Also, make sure to check out the 12 best places to see manatees in Florida because you can often find manatees at some of these places any time of year.

Underneath the boardwalk, you will find the Rays Touch Tank. The sting rays that spend time at the Tampa Bay Rays Stadium head over to the Manatee Viewing Center during the off-season. This educational tank is part of the viewing center’s partnership with the Florida Aquarium.

Hang Out at St. Pete Pier

Riding bikes and scooters are popular things to do on this pier, just keep in mind you’ll likely have to pay for parking.

When you tire of the pier, you can head down to St. Pete Beach. This is one of the best places to enjoy the white sand beaches in the area.

Take a Mini Train Ride Around Largo Central Park

Taking a mini train ride around Largo Central Park isn’t always free but it is free on the first weekend of every month. Themed rides are also available around the holidays.

Listen to Live Music at the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park

On the first Thursday of every month, you can listen to free live music at Curtis Hixon Park. Local musicians rotate on the schedule. Sundays bring yoga in the park later in the day. The classes are free, but you can always make a donation.

Wander Around the Nature Preserves

There are a few nature preserves in the Tampa area. They are all excellent free options for things to do in Tampa with kids. Edward Medard Conservation Park and the Weedon Island Preserve are two of the best options.

Step Back in Time at the Heritage Museum

The Heritage Village is a living history museum. On-site are 30 of the oldest buildings in Pinellas County. During your visit, your family can check out a log cabin, school house, general store, and an outhouse.

Wander Around the Florida Botanical Gardens

Different tropical plants are scattered throughout the Florida Botanical Gardens. There are quite a few gardens to explore. The popular ones are the Butterfly Garden, Cactus and Succulent Garden, and Jazz Garden.

This tropical paradise lights up during the holiday season. So keep that in mind, especially if you love Christmas!

Bike or Walk on a Tampa Bay Trail

You already know you can walk or ride along the Tampa Riverwalk. However, there are many other trails to tackle during your family vacation in Tampa. One of those trails is Bayshore Blvd. This trail is 4 ½ miles long. It is considered the world’s longest continuous sidewalk.

Other trails include Pinellas Trail, Upper Tampa Bay Trail, and Suncoast Trail.

Visit a Park

There are quite a few parks in Tampa. I recommend checking out Hillsborough River State Park or Fort De Soto Park. These parks contain local wildlife, nature trails, and relaxing picnic areas.

Go Swimming on a White Sand Beach

We already mentioned St. Pete Beach and there are so many white sand beaches to enjoy in Tampa with kids!

One of our favorite beaches is Indian Rocks Beach and it’s close to Seaside Seabird Sanctuary (also free and run on donations.)

Clearwater Beach is also the perfect place with warm water and a vast white sand beach. Check out 30 Things to do in Clearwater with Kids for more things to do in Clearwater. Although it’s not free, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a must-see!

A little note: You will likely need to pay for parking when you visit any of these beaches in Tampa.

Oh, and if you are looking for seashells, go over to Ben T. Davis Beach. It is not a beach for swimming, but the shells are amazing! For more shelling fun, you can also check out the 20 Best Shelling Beaches in Florida.

Watch the Trains at the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum

At this museum, you can check out the restored train cars. Across the street is a platform your family can stand on to watch working trains go by.

Visit the Tampa Police Museum

On the ground floor of the police department, you will find the Tampa Police Museum. Inside the museum are different artifacts and records. You will also find information honoring those officers killed in the line of duty.

Visit the Birds at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary

There are many birds living at the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary right now. It’s a small sanctuary, but you will see many birds: macaws, gulls, owls, pelicans, bluejays, and more! The Sanctuary was devastated by Hurricane Helene, but it’s open for visitors and they need our help to rebuild! Although this is free, please consider leaving a donation.

This rehab is for injured birds (you can even peek inside the hospital), but many birds call the sanctuary home if they can’t be released back into the wild. You’ll see birds with one leg or injured wings that call the sanctuary their permanent home. You’ll also see plenty of wild birds that show up just to hang out!

Most of the birds had little “birdhouses” that you could put money in (not their actual house, of course), which is also fun for kids.

We wrote an entire blog post about our experience at Seaside Seabird Sanctuary so make sure to check it out.

Visit the Sulphur Springs Museum

The community that helped shape Tampa into what it is like today was Sulphur Springs. The history of Sulphur Springs is shared inside this museum.

Visit Cuba at Jose Marti Park

Jose Marti Park is relatively small. But while this park is in Tampa, the country of Cuba actually owns it! So, you can honestly say you visited Cuba while on vacation in Tampa with the kids.

Cheap Things to Do in Tampa with Kids

Now that I’ve shared many free things to do in Tampa with kids, it is time to focus on a few cheap options.

Tampa Museum of Art

One of the cheap things to do in Tampa with kids is to visit the Tampa Museum of Art on Thursdays. Between 4 and 8 pm, the museum offers pay-what-you-can admission.

Take a Day Trip to a National Park

There aren’t any national parks inside Tampa. However, you can drive to a national park in less than 3 hours.

Canaveral National Seashore is a wonderful day trip option. There is a charge to enter this park, but it will be minimal.

Shop at the Tampa Bay Farmers Market

You can easily spend nothing at the Tampa Bay Farmers Market. I put it under the cheap things to do in Tampa with kids because I can never get out of there without purchasing something!

This farmers market has plenty of fresh produce, pantry goods, dairy products, and flowers. You never know what you can find. I love going here to find a few items for a picnic lunch.

Visit the Hyde Park Fresh Market

This market is held on the first Sunday of every month in Hyde Park Village. It is another farmers market that is free to explore. With 80+ vendors, there is a good chance you won’t walk out without purchasing anything!

Attend a Tampa Tarpons Game

The Tampa Tarpons play at George M. Steinbrenner Field. You can watch the New York Yankees play preseason games on this field. And when they are finished, you can watch the Tampa Tarpons play between April and September.

Visit the Sunken Gardens

The Sunken Gardens aren’t free to enter but are part of my cheap things to do in Tampa with kids. You can spend an afternoon exploring the 4 ½ acres of tropical plants and flowers. You will also see stunning waterfalls and flamingoes during your visit.

Play Video Games at Replay Amusement Museum

Kids of all ages will love playing the 100+ games at the Replay Amusement Museum. They have wristbands for purchase, allowing you to come and go all day long.

Take a Ride on the Clearwater Ferry

The Clearwater Ferry will take you to downtown Clearwater, Clearwater Beach Marina, and North Beach.

This map is the property of Clearwater Ferry.

Take a Ride on the Jolley Trolley

The Jolley Trolley is one of the best ways to explore Pinellas County. It is also one of the cheap things to do in Tampa with kids. There are two trolley routes. One is the Beach Route, and the other is the Coastal Route.

Experience a Drive-In

Drive-ins are all but gone in many areas of the country. However, in Tampa, you can still find 4 of them. They all show first-run films, along with a few classics.

Catch a Puppet Show at the Bits-n-Pieces Puppet Theatre

There are a few different puppet performances held each year at this theater. You must plan and purchase your tickets in advance. Past performances have included Three Billy Goats Gruff, Rip Van Winkle, and Princess Thumbelina.

Eat Ice Cream at Tanya & Matt’s Ice Cream

You cannot take a family vacation in the Tampa Bay area and not eat a little ice cream. This is a cheap thing to do in Tampa with kids. Tanya & Matt’s offers 40 different flavors of ice cream.

Free things to do in Tampa with kids

I hope you enjoyed reading about the many free things to do in Tampa with kids. And, of course, there are cheap things to do in Tampa with the kids, too. Do you have any favorite family-friendly Tampa activities that didn’t make the list? If so, please let me know in the comments!

More Florida Travel Tips

On this blog, we don’t just discuss free things to do in Tampa with kids. Don’t forget to check out even more of our best Florida travel ideas for things to do near Tampa:

• The best place to find sharks teeth in Florida
• 16 things to do in Crystal River with kids
• The 10 best places to see sea turtles in Florida
• The best strawberry farms in Florida
• 15 fantastic things to do in Siesta Key
• The 28 best places to eat in Naples

About Florida Travel With Kids

Florida Travel with Kids was started by a family who loves to travel the state of Florida with kids! This site will help you explore the fun state of Florida and all of the kid-friendly activities you’ll find here. If you want even more tips, make sure to join our mailing list. We’ll share any new tips and tricks we learn, along with Florida news and recent blog posts of our adventures.

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