Best Things To Do In St. Pete

Experience the new $92 million St. Pete Pier District on the city's beautiful bayfront and you'll find a green space unlike any other, including several waterfront restaurants (with plenty of outdoor dining), interactive areas for families, a nature center (Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center), a bayfront beach, marketplace with local artisans, amazing public art and more. Even better: much of it is free. Bring the family, plan a date night or enjoy a sunset cocktail at Pier Teaki overlooking downtown.

Not only do we have award winning beaches, we also have world-famous museums to discover on those days you’re looking for a dose of art and culture. One can’t-miss stop is the brand-new Museum of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. The Dali Museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Salvador Dali’s work outside of Spain, the Chihuly Collection at the Morean Arts Center, featuring unique sculptures by legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly and the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, where you’ll be transported through the rich and diverse heritage of the American West. With dozens of museums and art galleries to choose from, you’ll never run short of inspiration in St. Pete! 

Get a taste of St. Pete’s eclectic local culture and experience Central Ave. Shop funky and unique finds at local boutiques and galleries, pause for a craft brew or cocktail at one of the many restaurants and bars, and stop for a photo op in front of some of the hundreds of murals that paint St. Pete vibrant! There’s so much to discover on Central Ave., you really have to stroll it to believe it.

The Saturday Morning Market is truly a weekend St. Pete staple. One of the top 20 markets in the country and the largest in the southeast U.S., there are more than 100 vendors to shop and about 10,000 visitors on a typical Saturday. Dig into gourmet ready-to-eat food, dance the morning away with live music, and take home fresh produce, flowers or even a souvenir or two. During the cooler months (November-May) you can find it in the Al Lang Stadium parking lot. During the summer (July-October) it moves to Williams Park.

The Mandarin Hide sees itself as a steward of the craft cocktail culture and it’s easy to see why. While their elevated, cozy, retro vibe might be what draws you in, their cocktails will be the reason you stay. Housing one of the largest inventories of spirits in the area, their menu features a blend of old-school and specialty cocktails along with a fine selection of craft beer and wine. Don’t see what you want on the menu? Let them know! Their mixologists behind the bar can build a signature cocktail just for you. 

Green Bench Brewery delivers the perfect combination of craft beer and community. They specialize in IPAs and ales in their main tasting room, and mixed-culture and wild brews in their second tasting room, Webb’s City Cellar,  next door. Outside of amazing beer, Green Bench hosts creative events all year long and has an open-air bier garden where truly anyone is welcome - kids, dogs, adults and all. 

Go on an adventure and kayak Weedon Island Preserve - where you’ll be surrounded by twisting mangroves, lush plants and Florida wildlife. Take it slow and enjoy the peaceful Florida scenery, or pick up the pace for a good workout on the water. If you’re lucky, you may even spot a manatee, dolphin or both! 

In case you haven’t heard, we’re home to some of America’s best beaches, including St. Pete Beach, Tripadvisor’s No. 1 Beach in the U.S. in 2021! Pack up your beach chair, towel and sunblock and see what the hype is all about! Get ready for a day of fun in the sun with beach bars lining this stretch of sugar white sand and warm Gulf waters to take a dip in. 

The streets of St. Pete are lined with unexpected and imaginative pops of color in the form of hundreds of stunning murals. Choose from a walking or biking mural tour or go self-guided and discover the street art that makes St. Pete so exciting! Don’t forget your camera or iPhone, you’ll probably snap your next profile pic along the way. 

Who knew shuffleboard courts would be a hot-spot for the young, hip crowd on a Friday night?! St. Pete Shuffleboard, the world’s largest and oldest shuffleboard club, has managed to reinvent the activity with a youthful spin on it. Every Friday night, crowds are drawn to Free Shuffleboard Fridays where visitors and locals alike are invited to BYOB and challenge friends to a friendly game of shuffleboard. Not sure how the game works? Volunteers will help you get set up on a court and show you the ropes of this timeless activity. (Editor's note: Friday Night Shuffle is on temporary hiatus, but hopes to return sometime this fall.)