Tampa is a United States city in Hillsborough County, on the west coast of the state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. The population of Tampa in 2000 was 303,447. According to the 2007 estimates, the city has a population of 382,060.
Tampa also has significant landmarks. The Sulphur Springs Water Tower, a landmark in Sulphur Springs section of the city, dates back to the late 1920s. This era also saw the construction of Bayshore Boulevard, which parallels Hillsborough Bay from Downtown Tampa to areas in South Tampa. The road has a 6-mile (9.7 km) continuous sidewalk on the eastern end, the longest in the world.
Ybor City is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic District. Most notable among these structures are the social clubs built in the early 1900s. Babe Zaharias Golf Course in the Forest Hills area of Tampa has been designated a Historical Landmark by the National Register of Historic Places. It was bought in 1949 by the famous 'Babe', who had a residence nearby, and closed upon her death. In 1974, the City of Tampa opened the golf course to the public.
Park Tower (originally the First Financial Bank of Florida), the first substantial skyscraper in Downtown Tampa. Completed in 1973, it was the tallest skyscraper in Tampa until the completion of One Tampa City Center in 1981. One obvious feature of the skyline is the Rivergate building, a cylindrical building across from the University of Tampa. The building is affectionately known as the "Beer Can building" and was featured in the movie "The Punisher".
Future landmarks may include The Tampa Riverwalk, a proposed continuous pedestrian walkway along the eastern end of the Hillsborough River. The sidewalk will extend from the Channelside district to Tampa Heights. Also, Tampa is constructing the "Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park," which will include the new "Tampa Museum of Art,a new children's museum, and some play fountains. The schedule time for completion is around 2010.
The Tampa area is home to a number of museums that cover a wide array of subjects and studies. Perhaps the most well known of these is the Museum of Science & Industry. It is home to one of the 250 IMAX dome theaters in the world, the only one in Florida. It also houses Tampa's planetarium. Tampa is also home to the SS American Victory, a former World War II Victory Ship which has now been preserved as a museum ship. Other museums in the area include the Tampa Museum of Art and the Tampa Bay History Center, a complex in Tampa's Channel District displaying the area's unique history and culture. The Salvador Dali Museum is located to the southwest of the city, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Alphabetical Listings of Hotels in Tampa, FL
RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN TAMPA
ALL RATES DISPLAYED ARE NETT INCLUSIVE OF TAXES AND SERVICE CHARGE
