Don’t wait for a rainy day to visit the Glazer Children’s Museum because kids love it no matter the weather outside. Recently renovated and expanded, it is now home to 170 “interactivities” in 19 themed areas, ranging from a fake kid-size grocery store to a water room. The museum was created with kids aged 10 and under in mind, but older kids and parents enjoy it too, if only from watching the sheer joy on the faces of the hundreds of children exploring the various exhibits.
Start at the enormous spiraling mosaic Spiral Fantasia that decorates the front of the building. Encourage the kids to touch the pieces of broken ceramic, looking for their reflections in the sparkling surface.
Head inside and make a game plan for what to do. Go upstairs to the replica Publix supermarket, where kids can shop, check out and then do it all over again. Pretend to milk a cow on the fake farm or serve slices of pizza in the pizza parlor.
Have lunch in nearby Curtis Hixon Park and then head back inside for more discovery. Put on a play in the mini playhouse with sound effects and lighting. Dress up in costumes and practice a script, learning how to collaborate with other children. Spend any extra energy on the dance floor, as a rotating disco ball reflects beams of light onto the brightly colored walls.
The Glazer Children’s Museum is located in the heart of the Riverwalk district, next to the Tampa Museum of Art and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Walk from the Convention Center and most Downtown hotels in a few minutes or use the network of streetcars and buses. Drive from Tampa International Airport in 15 minutes or from Tampa Union station in 5 minutes. Many places are reachable on foot. Alternatively, take a water taxi to locations farther away. Parking is available in an adjacent metered lot.
The museum is open daily during normal business hours, but only in the afternoon on Sundays. Children under age 1 enter for free.
