Tampa has activities for a wide range of age groups, and for both families and singles. This includes arts, natural recreation, theme parks, and museums.
Within Walking Distance of Conference Hotel.
The USF campus is located approximately one mile from Busch Gardens, Adventure Island Water Park, and the Yuengling Brewery. In addition, the Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) is located across from campus.
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- Busch Gardens is considered Tampa’s top tourist destination, where wildlife and wild rides come together in an unparalleled combination of Broadway‐style shows, a worldclass zoo with more than 2,500 exotic and endangered animals and more recordbreaking roller coasters than any destination in Florida.
- The Museum of Science & Industry is the largest science center in the south (encompasses over 400,000 square feet) and is home to Florida’s only IMAX® Dome Theatre. MOSI also includes “Kids in Charge” the newest and largest children’s science center in the nation.
- The Yuengling Brewery is called the oldest brewery in the US (www.yuengling.com) and tours are available.
- Adventure Islandʹs 30 acres provide watersoaked excitement for guests of all ages. There participants can escape to the soothing Key West atmosphere where corkscrew slides, waterfalls, a wave pool, and other family attractions create a tranquil atmosphere and hours of sun‐drenched fun.
- The USF Botanical Gardens maintain a living collection of over 3,000 taxa of plants and natural habitats that emphasize the rich botanical diversity of our area. Throughout the Gardens, visitors will find many animal and insect species, from
gopher tortoises to butterflies to over 60 species of birds.
Within 3 miles to campus, at USF’s Riverfront Park, canoe and kayak rentals are available to explore the natural beauty of the Hillsborough River. This typically includes viewing alligators, turtles, and numerous bird species. Riverfront Park is also home to an 18‐hole Frisbee disc golf course. On other bank of the river, the 240 acre Lettuce Lake Park provides a bicycle path and jogging trail, complete with a fitness course. An interpretive center featuring exhibits leads to two boardwalks (one half mile long) and an observation tower where visitors can view a cypress swamp with its abundance of birds and other wildlife.
There is a strong arts presence on campus and in the local area. The USF Contemporary Arts Museum is a short walk from the Marshall Center. The new Tampa Museum of Art’s 66,000‐square‐foot Cornelia Corbett Center building has seven expansive interior galleries and one exterior sculpture gallery.
Within 0.2–1.5 hour drive of Conference Hotel
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- Tampa Bay’s Gulf Beaches are among Florida’s finest, and ranked consistently high by “Dr. Beach”. For example, the beaches at nearby Fort DeSoto, Caladesi Island State Park, and Siesta Key have been widely recognized as top‐10 beaches in the U.S. (see
www.drbeach.org).
- The Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg is the permanent home of the worldʹs most comprehensive collection of the renowned Spanish artistʹs work and is celebrated for its 96 oil paintings, over 100 watercolors and drawings, 1,300 graphics, photographs, sculptures and objects dʹart, and an extensive archival library.
- Tampaʹs Lowry Park Zoo has been ranked as the number one zoo in the U.S. (Parents magazine 2009 & Child magazine 2004). Natural outdoor exhibits for more than 2,000 animals from Florida and similar habitats include a Native Florida Wildlife Center and manatee hospital, Asian Gardens, Primate World, Free‐Flight Aviaries, Wallaroo Station childrenʹs zoo, and Safari Africa. The Zoo also features rides, shows, hands‐on interactive exhibits, and a solar‐powered ride.
- The Florida Aquarium is located in downtown Tampa (also accessible by public transit). It encompasses 200,000 square feet and houses more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals from Florida and around the world. We plan to hold a Monday evening reception at the Aquarium.
Nightlife within 30‐minute drive from Conference Hotel
- Known as Tampa’s Latin Quarter for over a century, Ybor City is an exotic blend of aromas, flavors, sights and sounds. From the scent of roasting Cuban coffee early in the morning to the rhythms of Latin music late into the night, Ybor is a feast for the senses.
- SoHo Tampa, short for ʺSouth Howard Avenue,ʺ is an entertainment district within the Hyde Park section of Tampa. The area has some of the finest examples of architecture in the city surrounding it and many restaurants and nightlife venues are located here as well.
Farther distance from the Conference Location
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- Disney World (70 miles) and Cape Canaveral (125 miles) are within driving distance of USF, as is Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (near Kennedy Space Center).
- Everglades National Park is the third largest national park in contiguous United States. As our membership is probably aware, the Everglades are actually a slow moving freshwater ʺRiver of Grass,ʺ 50 miles wide but only 6 inches deep, flowing from Lake Okeechobee through marshy grassland into Florida Bay. Everglades National Park has been designated a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance, significant to all people of the world. Everglades City,located on the northeast edge of the park, is slightly over 3 hour drive from the USF campus. Flamingo, at the far south end, is approximately a 6 hour drive (and is near the Miami Airport, just 35 miles from Miami).
- North of the Everglades, the Big Cypress National Preserve is part of the greater Everglades watershed, and is made up of 2,400 square miles of marshlands, grasslands, slash pine, mangroves, and both dwarf and rare great bald cypress, some of which are up to 700 years old. Excellent hiking and wildlife viewing can be obtained here, especially along the US41 east‐west corridor.
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