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All the United States Florida Tampa

The Atlas Obscura Guide to Tampa

27 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Tampa, Florida


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Do, See, and Listen

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history & culture

Goya Paintings at Hotel Haya

Rescued, handpainted reproductions of iconic Francisco Goya paintings, now in a hotel.

Story

What It's Like to Work in a Synthetic Cadaver Factory

Bodybuilding, for real.

Story

Gator, Boar, and Venison? Inside the Boldest Bowl of Chili in Florida.

This recipe is one-part familiar, one-part exotic, and 100% delicious.

history

Princess Ulele Statues

Tampa’s most famous native royal comes alive in a duo of arresting bronze statues.

Unusual Attractions in Tampa

Off the Beaten Path

Officially titled “HOME,” Phoebe the Flamingo is a 21-foot-tall work of art by Matthew Mazzotta at Tampa International Airport.

Tampa, Florida

Phoebe the Flamingo

The larger-than-life art installation at Tampa International Airport welcomes travelers to town.

Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
Added By
Jennifer Franklin

Tampa, Florida

Princess Ulele Statues

Tampa’s most famous native royal comes alive in a duo of arresting bronze statues.

Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
Added By
Jennifer Franklin

Tampa, Florida

Goya Paintings at Hotel Haya

Rescued, handpainted reproductions of iconic Francisco Goya paintings, now in a hotel.

Sponsored by VISIT TAMPA BAY
Added By
Jennifer Franklin
Grand staircase

Tampa, Florida

Hindu Temple of Florida

A gleaming white tower in ornate Indian style soars above the low-slung bungalows of north Tampa.

Added By
tcgarner

Tampa, Florida

Tampa Theatre

One of the last of the great 1920s movie palaces is a Floridian Greco-Spanish-Persian dreamscape.

Added By
Joshua Ginsberg
Humpty Dumpty sits on the wall above the patio at Ulele.

Tampa, Florida

Ulele Fairyland Figures

These former theme park figures have a new lease on life outside a water plant-turned-restaurant.

Added By
Jeff Houck
Typical “krewe” during the parade.

Tampa, Florida

Gasparilla Pirate Festival

Like Mardi Gras, only everyone's a pirate.

Added By
Sarah Brumble
The entrance to the park

Tampa, Florida

Parque Amigos de Jose Marti

A tiny, unassuming park in Tampa that belongs to the Republic of Cuba.

Added By
zlombardo
See All 27 places

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Hidden Wonders

What Do You Want to Do in Tampa

Art (4) History (4) History & Culture (4) Museums (4) Restaurants (3) Statues (3)
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Tampa Stories

Articles and Podcasts

science

Could Fish Sex Be Keeping Floridians Up at Night?

The mating calls of black drum fish might be the source of Tampa's mysterious thumping bass.

Read more
Written By
Roxanne Hoorn
February 2, 2024
  • factories

    What It's Like to Work in a Synthetic Cadaver Factory

    By Lizzie Philip

  • A composite showing how Picasso’s Bust of a Woman would have looked. Not pictured: the rest of the USF campus.

    architecture

    Found: Details of Picasso's Plan for His Most Massive Work of Art

    By Vittoria Traverso

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Recent Tampa Activity

  • cryptidcreepscreations

    wants to go to Two-Headed Gator of Seminole Heights

  • cryptidcreepscreations

    wants to go to Wat Mongkolratanaram

  • cryptidcreepscreations

    wants to go to Grave of Jose Perfino

  • cryptidcreepscreations

    wants to go to Princess Ulele Statues

  • foxycuddles

    wants to go to Gasparilla Pirate Festival

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