Tampa Museum of Art

Riverfront art, open late on Thursdays

⏱ 1-2 hours👤 All ages$$

The reason to include a city art museum in a bay itinerary is the pairing it makes. St. Petersburg has the Dalí, the Imagine Museum and the Chihuly Collection; Tampa's answer sits on the other side of the water, at the heart of the downtown Riverwalk. You can arrive at it by water taxi from the Channelside or Hyde Park side, step off at the Curtis Hixon stop and walk straight in, which is a more memorable approach than any garage.

Practical details that save time: tickets are non-refundable, the museum closes for Gasparilla, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, and it closes at 3 p.m. on July 4, December 24 and December 31. On the last Sunday of each month it opens at 9 a.m. for Art on the Spectrum, a program designed for visitors on the autism spectrum. Parking is in the William F. Poe garage (prepay at the pay-by-plate stations or through ParkMobile, zone 9913), the Royal Street Regional Lot (ParkMobile zone 9709 or credit card), or on the street at meters. Le Méridien hotel guests can receive complimentary general admission with an Unlock Art pass. For exhibition details, check the museum's schedule before you go, since the changing program is where the museum's energy lives.

Practicals and fit: allow one to two hours, then walk the Riverwalk or have lunch in the downtown core. A Thursday-evening visit with Art on the House pairs well with dinner nearby. Fit: art lovers, couples looking for an indoor hour, and travelers building a two-museum Tampa Bay art day with the Dalí. Less suited to families with small children, who will prefer the Glazer Children's Museum a minute away.