“For those who are lost, there will always be cities that feel like home,” Simon Van Booy wrote in his 2011 novel “Everything Beautiful Began After,” and what better way to find the cities that might feel like home than to get lost? Travel beckons, and there are many great cities to explore in the U.S. From New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Miami, and Las Vegas to San Francisco, metro regions in the U.S. offer an incredible range of activities, attractions, and cultural monuments to enjoy.

Every city has its own unique history—stories of industry, immigration, and imagination. Plus, each city offers its own geographical specificity: San Francisco’s gorgeous heights and quad-killing hills; the bustling boroughs of New York and how they wind around bodies of water; the flat desert of Las Vegas with its tremendous, wide-open sky (try stargazing at the nearby Red Rock Canyon for awe-inspiring views of the heavens).

Each city also has its own flavor. Some metros are practically a Baskin-Robbins of adventure, featuring all kinds of flavors, some of which might be complex, unfamiliar, or even new. Los Angeles, for example, can be experienced in so many ways, from its history as the motion picture and entertainment capital to its modern incarnation as one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world—there are many versions of LA to visit, just as there are many iterations of San Francisco, New York, and Las Vegas. Cities, after you scratch the surface, reveal even more treasures within—but first, you must know where to begin!

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated things to do in Tampa using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of May 31, 2024.

#30. Croc Encounters

– Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
– Address: 8703 Bowles Road Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#29. Tampa Bay Downs

– Rating: 4/5 (365 reviews)
– Address: 11225 Race Track Road Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#28. Sacred Heart Catholic Church

– Rating: 5/5 (160 reviews)
– Address: 509 North Florida Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#27. Ybor City Museum State Park

– Rating: 4.5/5 (176 reviews)
– Address: 1818 East 9th Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#26. Museum of Science and Industry

– Rating: 3.5/5 (1,298 reviews)
– Address: 4801 East Fowler Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park

– Rating: 4.5/5 (289 reviews)
– Address: 600 North Ashley Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Wat Mongkolrata Temple

– Rating: 4.5/5 (339 reviews)
– Address: 5306 Palm River Road Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#23. Seminole Hard Rock Casino Tampa

– Rating: 3.5/5 (2,744 reviews)
– Address: 5223 Orient Road Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#22. Glazer Children’s Museum

– Rating: 4.5/5 (497 reviews)
– Address: 110 West Gasparilla Plaza Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#21. Adventure Island

– Rating: 3.5/5 (1,202 reviews)
– Address: 10001 McKinley Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#20. Hyde Park

– Rating: 4.5/5 (185 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. SS American Victory Mariners’ Memorial and Museum Ship

– Rating: 4/5 (396 reviews)
– Address: 705 Channelside Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#18. International Plaza and Bay Street

– Rating: 4.5/5 (443 reviews)
– Address: 2223 North West Shore Blvd. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Horse Power for Kids & Animal Sanctuary

– Rating: 5/5 (253 reviews)
– Address: 8005 Race Track Road Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#16. Raymond James Stadium

– Rating: 4/5 (1,131 reviews)
– Address: 4201 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#15. Straz Center for the Performing Arts

– Rating: 4.5/5 (555 reviews)
– Address: 1010 North West C Macinnes Place Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Cigar City Brewing

– Rating: 4.5/5 (684 reviews)
– Address: 3924 West Spruce St. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. George M. Steinbrenner Field

– Rating: 4.5/5 (650 reviews)
– Address: 1 Steinbrenner Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Tampa Bay History Center

– Rating: 4.5/5 (627 reviews)
– Address: 801 Water St. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. TECO Line Streetcar System

– Rating: 4.5/5 (496 reviews)
– Address: 1201 East 7th Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Bayshore Boulevard

– Rating: 4.5/5 (971 reviews)
– Address: 312 Bayshore Blvd. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Tampa Theatre

– Rating: 5/5 (718 reviews)
– Address: 711 North Franklin St. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#8. Henry B. Plant Museum

– Rating: 4.5/5 (833 reviews)
– Address: 401 West Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#7. Lettuce Lake Regional Park

– Rating: 4.5/5 (1,087 reviews)
– Address: 6920 East Fletcher Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. Ybor City

– Rating: 4/5 (3,105 reviews)
– Address: Northeast of the Downtown Tampa on I-4 at Exit 1 Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. Amalie Arena

– Rating: 4.5/5 (1,945 reviews)
– Address: 401 Channelside Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Tampa Riverwalk

– Rating: 4.5/5 (1,871 reviews)
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#3. ZooTampa at Lowry Park

– Rating: 4.5/5 (4,109 reviews)
– Address: 1101 West Sligh Ave. Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#2. The Florida Aquarium

– Rating: 4/5 (5,801 reviews)
– Address: 701 Channelside Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Busch Gardens

– Rating: 4/5 (18,508 reviews)
– Address: 10165 North McKinley Drive Tampa, Florida
– Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Andrea Richards, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 100 metros.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA.