Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center
Located on the over-water walkway approaching the Pier head, the Discovery Center presents all you need to know about Tampa Bay's unique ecosystem in a way that's entertaining and hands-on. The indoor Exhibit Gallery features an Estuary Habitat that showcases a variety of species found in local waters. Visitors can also experience interactive displays, video presentations, a touch tank and docent-led tours.
The Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center also offers on-the-water Wildlife Boat Tours led by our expert crew. These 75-minute long tours explore Tampa Bay’s history and the marine life found in and above the bay. Activities include a fisheries trawl, water quality sampling, dolphin identification, bird spotting, and visits to seagrass beds and mangrove shorelines.
Hours
Monday 10 AM–5 PM
Tuesday 10 AM–5 PM
Wednesday 10 AM–5 PM
Thursday 10 AM–5 PM
Friday 10 AM–5 PM
Saturday 10 AM–5 PM
Sunday 10 AM–5 PM
What Visitors Love
Wow, what a great family event and the price is a value. The staff know what they are talking about and they were very nice and professional. Great boat ride with seeing dolphins, pig fish, spike fish, crabs, vow gidh, etc. Boat has sun and shade. Great info and views of bird island. We will definitely take other guests there. Learned a lot aboutTampa Bay.
Small but mighty learning center right on the Pier! Great exhibits and touch tank - lots of opportunities for interaction. Staff friendly and knowledgeable, volunteer Cade on duty when we visited was Awesome! Very personable and friendly - you could tell he's passionate about the ecosystems of Tampa Bay. Well worth the price of admission to check this out :)
We had the best crew ever! Brooke, Audrey, Lexi, Sydney, Emma and Kyra were sooooo knowledgeable and we loved learning from them. My teen wants to study biology so it was so cool for her to take part in real research and ask the crew questions. She felt so special 🥰 Thank you for all the knowledge and for your love of conservation and all the beautiful creatures of the sea. Would highly recommend this excursion to anyone who loves to learn!
A small but a nice museum. Our children loved it. They learned a bit about the animals around the bay. The could hold a shoehorse crab. They realy liked this experience.
We drive from Ormond Beach every year (3 hours) to visit Tampa Bay Watch and participate in their Marine Science programs. The facilities, presenters, experiences, and location are amazing and a superb enhancement to our curriculum.
General Information
- Family-friendly
- LGBTQ+ Friendly
- Paid parking on-site
- Reservations suggested
- Street or off-site parking
Accessible Features
- Sensory-friendly hours
- Wheelchair Accessible Entrance
- Wheelchair Accessible Parking
- Wheelchair Accessible Restroom
Rates & Times
- Time to Experience Activity: 2 - 3 hours