# The Florida Aquarium: Coral Reef Encounters & Wild Dolphin Winter Eco-Cruises > Place to go for families in the Tampa–St. Petersburg–Clearwater area (FL). Times are Eastern Time. - When: Open daily 9:30 AM–5:00 PM; Dolphin Eco-Cruises depart multiple times daily (weather… - Dates: Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Feb 28 - Where: The Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602 - Ages: All ages; fully accessible for strollers and wheelchairs; dedicated nursing pod on the second floor - Price: General admission: Adults $34–$39, Children (3–11) $29–$34, Children 2 & under Free (Plan-ahead pricing applies online). Dolphin Cruise combo add-on: $20 per person - Schedule: Open daily 9:30 AM–5:00 PM; Dolphin Eco-Cruises depart multiple times daily (weather permitting); Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day - Organizer: The Florida Aquarium - Official page: https://www.flaquarium.org/tickets/ - Last checked: Wed, Nov 4 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/the-florida-aquarium-coral-reef-encounters-and-wild-dolphin-winter-eco--listing-4b28ec02672be152de3cb098 ## About Anchoring Tampa's downtown Channelside district, The Florida Aquarium is consistently ranked among the top aquariums in North America. Its iconic 83-foot glass dome houses a free-flying wetland habitat where roseate spoonbills, playful river otters, and alligators greet visitors. Journey through the 500,000-gallon Coral Reef Gallery with floor-to-ceiling underwater viewing windows showcasing sea turtles, sand tiger sharks, and vibrant tropical fish. Winter is peak season for The Florida Aquarium's Wild Dolphin Eco-Cruises, aboard the 72-foot Bay Spirit II catamaran, cruising into Tampa Bay to observe wild bottlenose dolphins, migrating seabirds, and manatees. Kids love the hands-on Stingray Beach touch tanks, the Moon Bay jellyfish habitat, and the outdoor The Splash Pad water adventure zone (heated during cooler winter days). Complete stroller accessibility, nursing stations, and harborfront dining make this an effortless family outing. ## Similar picks in Tampa - [The Florida Aquarium Thanksgiving Weekend Marine Splash & Exploration](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/the-florida-aquarium-thanksgiving-weekend-marine-splash-and-exploratio--listing-29eda7fc29f4cb1074c1d2e4) — Thanksgiving Weekend: Friday–Sunday, Nov 27–29, 2026; 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM daily · The Florida Aquarium · All ages · From $34 · checked Nov 4. Spend Thanksgiving weekend exploring marine biodiversity inside The Florida Aquarium along the Channelside waterfront in Tampa. Families can marvel at the massive 500,000-gallon… - [The Florida Aquarium: Coastal Holiday Celebration & Diving Santa](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/the-florida-aquarium-coastal-holiday-celebration-and-diving-santa--listing-56dd85af9906f3ec0f35c7cf) — Daily in December; 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM; Scuba Santa dives select times 11:30 AM & 2:00 PM · The Florida Aquarium · All ages · From $34 · checked Nov 4. Celebrate a subtropical holiday season at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa's Channelside District. Throughout December, kids can watch Santa Claus strap on scuba gear to plunge into… - [Thanksgiving Break AquaCamp: Creature Feature at The Florida Aquarium](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/thanksgiving-break-aquacamp-creature-feature-at-the-florida-aquarium--listing-cdb55c3738e1017d0eb3a1a9) — Ongoing · The Florida Aquarium · Ages 5–11 · From $80 · checked Oct 30. Single-day AquaCamps over Thanksgiving week, each on a different animal group: reptiles (Mon Nov 23), mammals (Tue Nov 24) and fish (Wed Nov 25), with animal encounters, science… - [Bricks 4 Kidz Tampa School Break & Winter Break Day Camps](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/bricks-4-kidz-tampa-school-break-and-winter-break-day-camps--listing-793d2d8960c464d7159a6e4e) — Wed, Nov 11 (+10 more dates) · Bricks 4 Kidz Creativity Center · Paid · checked Oct 13. LEGO-based day camps at the Bricks 4 Kidz Creativity Center on days when Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco County public schools are closed during the fall 2026 semester… - [Tampa Bay History Center: Pirate Ship Gallery & Florida Native Dioramas](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/tampa-bay-history-center-pirate-ship-gallery-and-florida-native-dioram--listing-4e7a5437b5e2e5e25f7d5f83) — Open daily 10:00 AM–5:00 PM; Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day · Tampa Bay History Center · All ages · From $16 · checked Nov 4. Situated directly on the Tampa Riverwalk in the Channelside district, the Tampa Bay History Center is a 60,000-square-foot Smithsonian Affiliate museum celebrating 12,000 years… - [Sea Squirts: An AquaTots Experience (ages 3-5) at The Florida Aquarium](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/activities/sea-squirts-an-aquatots-experience-ages-3-5-at-the-florida-aquarium--listing-513a63875d4f6160063051fd) — First Saturday of the month, 9:30-10:30am · The Florida Aquarium · Ages 3–5 · From $16 · checked Oct 13. Monthly early-learning class for children ages 3-5 and an accompanying adult, held the first Saturday of the month from 9:30-10:30am in a classroom setting at The Florida… ## More for families - [Things to do with kids at The Florida Aquarium](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/venues/the-florida-aquarium) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/tampa/venues/the-florida-aquarium.md) - [Things to do with kids in Hillsborough County, FL](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/counties/hillsborough-county-fl) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/tampa/counties/hillsborough-county-fl.md) - [Things to do with kids in Tampa — November 2026](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/events/2026-11) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/tampa/events/2026-11.md) - [This weekend in Tampa](https://grassyknees.com/tampa/this-weekend) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/tampa/this-weekend.md) - [Things to do with kids in Tampa](https://grassyknees.com/tampa) (Markdown: https://grassyknees.com/tampa.md)