ZooTampa at Lowry Park
ZooTampa runs the only non-profit hospital on Earth dedicated to critical care for sick, injured, and orphaned manatees — you can watch rescues recovering — alongside 1,300-plus animals across 63 acres. Parents Magazine once voted it the #1 family-friendly zoo in the US. It's compact enough to do in a half-day without wearing out young kids.
The zoo's largest expansion ever opened in March: a manatee rescue center where you watch real patients rehabbing up close, an otter habitat, and a 10,000-gallon tropical tank. The zoo released a record 26 rescued manatees back to the wild last year — this is the feel-good ticket in town.
Read the full 10 Best Things to Do in Tampa This Summer (2026) →Also featured in 22 Best Things to Do in Tampa, Florida (2026 Local Guide)
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Map & parking
Right at opening or late afternoon, when the heat is lower and the animals are most active.
Head to the manatee critical-care center first — it's the one thing here you can't see at any other zoo in the world.
Nearby on Wayfind
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