Our Favorite Indoor Places to Play in Tampa Bay

by Brie Gorecki

Laser Ops Extreme Gaming Arcade

6283 W. WATERS AVE., TAMPA

This 24,000-square-foot facility is packed with fun! Check out their tactical laser tag called Earth 2165, which is set in an 8,000-square-foot PostApocalyptic Arena. Play archery tag and Bazooka Ball on their AstroTurf sports court and enjoy the 50-game arcade and virtual reality gaming area.

Main Event

2839 CREEK GRASS WAY, LUTZ

No matter what your age is, there’s something for everyone at Main Event! Attractions include state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag, an arcade games gallery featuring more than 100 of the latest interactive video games and more.

Museums

Glazer

Children’s Museum

110 W. GASPARILLA PLAZA, TAMPA

While summer is the ideal time to spend a day building sandcastles at the beach or splashing around at a local water park, it's not always ideal to be outdoors. If you're not near the water, that midday summer sun can get HOT! And let's not forget about those summer storms that can crash your afternoon pool party. Fortunately, there are tons of places around Tampa where you can spend a fun-filled day no matter what Mother Nature has in store. We've rounded up some of our favorite indoor places to play in Tampa Bay.

Ice- and RollerSkating Rinks

AdventHealth Center Ice

3173 CYPRESS RIDGE BLVD., WESLEY CHAPEL

Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI) has many favorites for all of your STEAM interests, from the Bed of Nails, Cargo, Loading, the Hurricane Machine, IdeaZone, Mission Moon Base, Dinovations and the all new S.T.E.A.M. Team Superheroes exhibit. Also, be sure to check out the new SciLinx putt putt course on the lawn!

Elev8 Fun Tampa

8021 CITRUS PARK DRIVE, TAMPA

Elev8 Fun is Tampa’s newest indoor entertainment center, with over 125,000 square feet of entertainment, games and experiences for the whole family. Attractions include modern and retro arcade games, full-sized bowling, a multi-level go-kart track, an interactive mini golf experience, a ropes course, laser tag and more!

Kids will love the handson exhibits, including the UnMonsters exhibit by BayCare where they can be a doctor, a vet, a scientist in the STEM area, and a shopper or cashier in a Publix that’s just their size. There’s also a theater and an engineer’s workshop. You can also check out the World’s Largest Triceratops, Big John!

Great Explorations

1925 4TH ST. N., ST. PETE

Great Explorations Children’s Museum is located right next to Sunken Gardens. Stay and play at the many exhibits; you just might bump into the museum’s mascot, Morris! Pretend to be a dentist, become a LEGO builder, learn about life on the farm or become a news anchor!

Tampa Bay History Center

801 WATER ST., TAMPA

The Tampa Bay History Center is a great place for all ages! Head to the third floor for the Pirates, Conquistadors and Shipwrecks exhibit with handson activities like knot-tying that kids can manipulate with their hands. The second floor also has a giant-sized train table that is inspired by the Port of Tampa.

AdventHealth Center Ice is the largest ice sports facility in the Southeast. With over 150,000 square feet, their five-rink complex includes three North American standard National Hockey League (NHL) ice rinks, one Olympic/International standard ice rink and one minirink. A variety of programs suit all ages, from ice hockey and figure skating to curling and private events.

Tampa Bay Skating Academy

OLDSMAR AND CLEARWATER

TBSA has two locations in the Tampa Bay area. Both offer learn-to-skate classes, figure skating, camps and public skating. It’s also a cool place for a birthday party or special event!

Skate World of Tampa

7510 PAULA DRIVE, TAMPA

Skate World features a Roller Cafe full of family favorites. Skaters can participate in theme days along with live DJs, a fully stocked cafe and a huge arcade with awesome prizes.

Scan Here

For even more places to check out, scan the QR code for over 30 indoor places to play in Tampa Bay!

Go Scalloping

Scalloping season is here! In Pasco County, the season has expanded to 37 days from July 1 through Aug. 6. You’ve got a bit more time to go on this underwater egg hunt in the Citrus and Hernando County areas where scalloping season is from July 1 through Sept. 24.

One of our favorite spots to go scalloping is outside of Homosassa. You can make a weekend getaway out of it and schedule a visit to nearby state parks like Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and Homosassa Springs State Park.

We recommend booking your scalloping adventure with a tour guide as they are on the water every day and know not only the waterways, but also where you’re likely to find the most scallops. Weekdays will be less crowded, and morning tours are always a good idea as Florida weather in the afternoon can be unpredictable. You can find a tour by visiting discovercrystalriverfl.com. You can also find a local restaurant in the area that will cook up your scallops for you!