St. Pete Pier
A park built out over Tampa Bay
⏱ 2-4 hours👤 All agesFree
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St. Petersburg has had a pier here for more than a century, and the city's attachment to it is real: the famous inverted-pyramid pier of 1973 closed in 2013, and after years of public debate the current design opened in July 2020. The result is deliberately a park rather than a single building, a 26-acre district of spaces from the shoreline to the end, each with a different purpose: Spa Beach and the Majeed Foundation Splash Pad, the Glazer Family Playground and the Great Lawn, the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, a fishing deck, a coastal thicket and the restaurants at the head. Public art punctuates the walk, including works by Nathan Mabry, Xenobia Bailey and Nick Ervinck. One change to know about: Janet Echelman's Bending Arc, the floating net sculpture that was the pier's landmark, was damaged in the 2024 hurricanes and taken down in February 2025, and as of late 2026 it remained in storage with no reinstallation date. Near the approach, Benoist Plaza marks the 1914 flights of the world's first scheduled airline, which flew from here to Tampa.
Visit craft: arrive in the late afternoon, let the kids do the splash pad and playground first, walk out via the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, and time your arrival at the pier head for sunset. A tram runs along the pier if legs are tired. Fishing is allowed on the designated deck, with a tackle shop on site. For a meal, the choices run from Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille and Fresco's Waterfront Bistro to Teak and the rooftop Pier Teaki at the head, plus Spa Beach Bistro and a cafe; reserve on weekends, or grab something casual and eat on the lawn. The St. Petersburg Museum of History sits by the pier approach and is worth an hour on its own. Parking is in the pier lots (paid) or nearby downtown garages; many visitors simply walk from downtown along the waterfront parks.
Practicals and fit: off Second Avenue NE in downtown St. Petersburg; free entry, opens before sunrise and closes late evening, with some venue hours varying by season. Allow two to four hours. Fit: families, couples, sunset seekers and anyone pairing the downtown museums with time on the water.
What to Expect
Format
A free, quarter-mile park over Tampa Bay — lawns, a small beach, splash pad and playground, a marine discovery center, fishing deck, restaurants and a rooftop bar at the head, with a tram along its length.
Best Time
Late afternoon into sunset, when the heat eases and the city lights come on; weekday evenings are calmest.
Duration
Two to four hours.
Tips
Do the splash pad first, then walk out for sunset at the pier head. Book weekend dinner at the head-of-pier restaurants. Watch the water for dolphins and manatees. Park downtown and walk the waterfront if the pier lots are full.
⚡ Quick Picks
Best For
The best free few hours in St. Petersburg.
Families
Splash pad, playground, beach and touch tanks — and a tram for tired legs.
Couples
Sunset drinks on the rooftop at the end of the pier.
Pair With
The Salvador Dali Museum and Chihuly Collection downtown; Sunken Gardens a short drive north.
Time Needed
Two to four hours.
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Get Tickets →Frequently Asked Questions
Is the St. Pete Pier free?
Yes, the pier itself is free to enter; you pay only for parking, food, drinks and any ticketed events.
What are the hours?
The pier opens about 30 minutes before sunrise and closes in the late evening; individual restaurants and attractions keep their own hours, which can change seasonally.
Can you swim there?
There is a small swimming area at Spa Beach near the land end. For a real Gulf beach, head to St. Pete Beach or Pass-a-Grille, about half an hour away.
Is the Bending Arc net sculpture back?
Not as of late 2026. The sculpture was damaged in the 2024 hurricanes and removed in February 2025; the city and the artist have said they want it reinstalled, but no date has been set.
Is it good for kids?
Excellent. The splash pad, playground, beach and Tampa Bay Watch touch tanks make it one of the best family stops in the region, and dolphins and pelicans are often spotted from the railings.
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Salvador Dalí Museum
The finest Dalí collection outside Spain, improbably in St. Petersburg — melting-clock masterworks inside a hurricane-proof concrete cocoon with a glass bubble bursting out of it, downtown on the waterfront. The bay's world-class culture hour.
Sunken Gardens
St. Pete's century-old roadside Eden — four acres of ancient banyans, cascades, and flamingos sunk fifteen feet below street level, saved by the city from the bulldozer era. An unhurried garden hour the beach week secretly needs.
Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center
Dale Chihuly's blown-glass spectacle in purpose-built galleries on Central Avenue — and the ticket includes a live glassblowing demonstration in the Morean's hot shop a block away.