St Petersburg attractions

https://www.reddit.com/r/StPetersburgFL/comments/1088ogz/st_petersburg_attractions/

created by SoberWill on 10/01/2023 at 12:30 UTC*

319 upvotes, 48 top-level comments (showing 25)

Below is a list i put together and send to any friends and family visiting, thought it might be helpful for others

Worth your time Free- Florida Botanical Gardens- (1 hour or more) http://www.flbg.org/

St Petersburg Shuffleboard Club- We are members of the club and can take 6 guests for free (Covid has halted guests from being able to play), fun outdoor activity no skill or athleticism required, quick and easy to learn as well (1 hour) https://stpeteshuffle.com/

Saturday Morning Farmers Market- lots of food vendors and art & crafts with live music and upbeat crowd. (30-60 minutes ) https://saturdaymorningmarket.com/

Morean Center for Art, Clay, Glass- Local art workshop with tons of classes and art for sale https://www.moreanartscenter.org[1] (3 separate building and locations for each)

1: https://www.moreanartscenter.org

Mural tour, St Pete has an abundance of murals and holds a festival yearly inviting a large number of artist to contribute, available self guided bike tour https://stpetemuraltour.com/map-of-st-pete-murals/

Worth your time with a Fee- Fort De Soto Beach/Historic Fort- a Spanish American War Fort turned into a County Park- Has huge beaches , historic cannons and fort remnants, 1,000 foot fishing pier, kayak rental, camp ground, plenty of restrooms, snack bars- $5 per car fee to enter park. You also have to go through two SunPass required tolls to get to it (an hour to all day) http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_Ft_DeSoto.htm

Chihuly Collection- world renowned glass blowers exhibit- $20 a person, https://www.moreanartscenter.org/chihuly/%C2%A0[2] 15-30 minutes gets you access to Morean Glass blowing demo

2: https://www.moreanartscenter.org/chihuly/%C2%A0

Salvador Dali Museum- $20 a person ($12 a person after 5pm on Thursdays also more crowded due to lower fee) https://thedali.org/

Imagine Museum- cool modern art primarily focused on glass work, $15 a person https://www.imaginemuseum.com/

Cross Bay Ferry- You can take the Ferry from St Petersburg to Tampa Bay with onboard bar. It’s $10 a person each direction and honestly much better options than driving even though it is only marginally slower. Plus you are on a boat. Drops off at the Riverwalk in Tampa and downtown St. Pete

James Museum- Gallery displaying contemporary Western, Native American, frontier & wildlife paintings & sculpture. Probably my favorite museum in the city ($20, half price on Tuesdays) https://thejamesmuseum.org/

Tampa Bay Rowdies Soccer (actually in St Petersburg) - minor league soccer games in an old baseball stadium, very raucous crowd and lively evening ($20+ a person) https://www.rowdiessoccer.com/

Get Up and Go Kayaking- Kayak company offering trips in clear kayaks that let you see clearly underneath you. To book https://getupandgokayaking.com/shell-key-preserve/[3] Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/getupandgokayaking/?hl=en[4]

3: https://getupandgokayaking.com/shell-key-preserve/

4: https://www.instagram.com/getupandgokayaking/?hl=en

Sunken Gardens- Former roadside attraction with flamingos and other exotic birds and plants, some 100 years old from when it was first built. ($12 a person). An hour or so http://www.stpete.org/attractions/sunken_gardens/index.php

Clearwater Marine Aquarium- a rehab facility for sea turtles and dolphins who are injured or disabled. $25 a person https://www.seewinter.com/

Tampa Bay Rays game (actually in St Petersburg)- major league baseball in mostly empty stadium https://www.mlb.com/rays

Spring training facilities for Toronto, Philadelphia, Yankees, Pirates, Detroit, Braves and Orioles are all inside an hour drive.

Honeymoon Island State Park- awesome park with expansive beaches and wilderness trails. Best dog beach and a ferry to Caladesi Island which is a park that only is accessible by boat. https://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland%C2%A0[5] ($8 per car)

5: https://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonisland%C2%A0

Local Public Parks with enjoyable walks Pass a Grille- public beach access on St Pete Beach with metered parking and a little snack shack and a few small restaurants nearby. Very family friendly beach. https://visitpassagrille.com/

Sawgrass Lake Park- extensive raised plank walking paths through mangroves and woods that wind around and place you at 2 story observation viewing dock on the secluded lake (best chance to see alligators) https://www.pinellascounty.org/park/16_Sawgrass.htm

Weedon Island Nature Preserve- paddle boarding, wooden walkways, mangrove alcoves, kayak trail http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/

Jungle Prada de Navaez Park- The Spanish had landed here in 1528 at what was an Indian village on this site on the water exploring North America. Fairly small park but has a ton of peacocks(sunset has the most peacocks)https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/profile/jungle-prada-park/7799

Vinoy Park- is on the water of Tampa Bay in downtown St Petersburg, with beach volleyball, a small arboretum and a chance to see dolphins http://www.stpeteparksrec.org/vinoypark/

St Pete Pier- brand new pier opened summer of 2020, really cool public space in downtown that leads out into Tampa Bay, has splash pad for children and small beach

Boyd Hill Nature Preserve- Nature preserve ($3 admission) for birds, gators and gopher tortoises. Extensive trail system throughout park. Great views of DTSP across lake Maggorie. https://www.stpeteparksrec.org/boydhillpreserve/

Some Food Highlights in no particular order-

Casitas Taqueria - great taco place, 3 locations https://www.instagram.com/casitataqueria/

Ha Long Bay- Excellent Dim Sum, Chinese + Vietnamese http://halongbayrestaurant.com/

Alesia- French/Vietnamese combo, casual and great food http://www.alesiarestaurant.com/

Mazzaros- Huge Italian Grocery store, cafe, deli and fresh sandwiches https://www.instagram.com/mazzaros/

Chile Verde- Former gas station turned into more of an authentic taco spot

Poppo’s Taqueria- you guessed it more tacos, the main draw here is they make your flour or corn tortilla to order in front of you https://www.instagram.com/poppostaqueria/

Maple Street Biscuit Company- Over the top hipster breakfast spot focusing on biscuits https://www.instagram.com/maplestreetbiscuitcompany/

Bodega- spot offering Cuban sandwiches, Latin American platters & specialty juices https://www.instagram.com/eatatbodega/

Red Mesa Cantina- Awesome modern Latin food downtown https://www.instagram.com/redmesacantina/

Red Mesa Mercado- from the same minds of Red Mesa restaurant group. Fast-casual latin. https://redmesamercado.com/

Nitally’s- Thai/Mexican fusion, super tasty with abundant portion sizes https://www.instagram.com/nitallys/

Wild Child- Great brunch and dinner, drinks, atmosphere. Recommend reservations. https://www.wildchildstpete.com/

Pete’s General- make their own bagels/bagel sammies! (best in the city) Very cute and quaint https://petesbagels.com/

Cafe Clementine (inside MFA do NOT need to pay museum admittance)- outstanding, sandwiches https://www.leclementinebakeshop.com/

The Library- excellent brunch, cafe, dinner. Navy blue/book/library aesthetic. Recommend a reservation. https://thelibrarystpete.com/

Il Ritorno- fine dining italian, excellent food https://www.ilritornodowntown.com/

Brick & Mortar - Elevated New American cuisine

Mangosteen - Modern Asian food ( https://www.mangosteenstpete.com/[6])

6: https://www.mangosteenstpete.com/

Desserts

Bright Ice- Small batches of specialty ice creams https://www.instagram.com/brighticeisnice/

Paciugo Gelato- best place to get gelato downtown

Paradise Sweets- best ice cream at the beach (Pass-a-grill beach)

Hyppo- Ice pops with real fruit, coffees, cocktails, etc! https://www.thehyppo.com/

Coffee/Teas:

Paradeco- beautiful aesthetic, pinks/teals. Roast their own coffees. Excellent lattes. https://paradecocoffee.com/

Kahwa- local coffee roaster chain in Tampa Bay. very good basic coffees, lattes, cappuccinos https://kahwacoffee.com/

Blush Coffee & Tea- great coffee, even better tea selection! They have ~200 varieties of loose leaf teas that can be served iced or hot! Excellent specialty lattes/coffees depending on season/occasion https://blushteaandcoffee.com/

Black Crow Coffee- fun vibes in both locations. Fun specialty lattes. Roast their own coffee. https://www.blackcrowcoffeeco.com/

Bandit Coffee- in house made pastries/food. Moderate depth of menu for drinks. Cool mid century modern vibe. (amazing food/pastry options as well) https://banditcoffee.co/

The Chelsea-Funky, modern coffee shop

Beans & Barlour- Good coffee and very good New York style bagels

Things to do in this area of Florida-

Frank Lloyd Wright at Florida Southern College- home to largest collection of his work (60 miles, $5-$45 different tours)

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens Downtown Sarasota- Waterfront botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota(42 miles, $16)

Weeki Wachee- Deepest naturally formed spring in the US (according to Wikipedia) State park with underwater mermaid performances and natural clear blue water park (70 miles, $13)

Other state parks with clear blue spring fed rivers - Silver Springs, Homosassa, Rainbow River, Wekiwa, Blue Spring Busch Gardens (32 miles)

Comments

Comment by iamdeirdre at 10/01/2023 at 18:23 UTC

1 upvotes, 1 direct replies

If anyone else wants to write a helpful guides like this, (bars, nightclubs, restaurants, beaches, etc) I'll compile them, and link them in the sidebar for tourists, or people just looking for things to do.

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Comment by add_sriracha at 26/01/2023 at 14:45 UTC

16 upvotes, 0 direct replies

This list is amazing. Can I add a suggestion? There is a tour next door to the Jungle Prada de Narvaez Park that you can reserve at Sacred Lands. It's $12 and about 75 minutes long. Went recently (I am local and had no idea this was here) and it was a very fun and informative tour of their private grounds and the Indian mound on their property. https://discoverfloridatours.com/[1][2]

1: https://discoverfloridatours.com/

2: https://discoverfloridatours.com/

Comment by kishkangravy at 19/01/2023 at 18:21 UTC

10 upvotes, 1 direct replies

2 recent finds:

Curry Leaves, Great Indian food, in a gas station, with casual sit down service.

Flaming Mountain, authentic Chinese, best I've had outside of L.A. Storefront next to an Aldi. Smoked duck necks, anyone? Food is 11/10.

Comment by IanSan5653 at 10/01/2023 at 19:18 UTC

16 upvotes, 1 direct replies

This is a great list. Totally agree with you the James Museum is incredible. Poppo's, Pete's, and Bodega are my some of my favorite go-to lunch spots.

A few more greats:

Engine No. 9 - fancy burgers

El Cap - smash burgers

Floribbean - really good Caribbean bowls

Brooklyn South - seriously some of the best sandwiches I've ever had

Naked Farmer - good fresh bowls; they give you a ton of food

Rent bikes & cruise the Pinellas Trail, particularly from the Warehouse Arts district to Coffeepot Bayou. Do it early if it's summertime to avoid the heat.

Crislip Cafe - good coffee & pastries, very relaxing hidden spot right on central

Bad Mother - new coffeeshop that's a great place to work remote from

The Chelsea - great little quiet coffee spot for when you want to avoid Bandit's lines (and let's face it, Bandit's pretentiousness)

I also always recommend people check out Gulfport. It's small but has some great restaurants. Particularly Isabelle's though it's closed for remodeling.

Comment by tampa_vice at 10/01/2023 at 16:18 UTC

12 upvotes, 0 direct replies

We should probably add a neighbourhood guide too. After that we would probably eliminate half of the posts in this sub.

Comment by SunshineRollerDerby at 11/01/2023 at 12:47 UTC

11 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Sunshine City Roller Derby - one Saturday evening a month, we have a bout! They're currently in Pinellas Park. There's food, vendors, and a halftime show. Tickets are $15. See dates on our website.

Comment by Teddy125 at 14/02/2023 at 03:19 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Ted Peters? For smoked fish. Fish spread is the best.

Comment by LiterallyOuttoLunch at 10/01/2023 at 22:06 UTC

10 upvotes, 1 direct replies

I'd throw in *Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish*. Delicious, and a stalwart of the local dining scene. Cash only, closed on Tuesdays.

Comment by SimplyFUBAR at 09/04/2023 at 20:12 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Thank you so much for this list! I really feel like I got the most out of my trip thanks to you. Excellent food recommendations.

1. The Dali is now $29 and I would suggest to others to park elsewhere as they charge $10 to park out front.

2. Fairgrounds didn't make the list but it was a fun side distraction to get lost in for a while.

Comment by Xearoii at 02/01/2024 at 04:31 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

thank you so much! my wife and i are visiting for a month in april. this is perfect!

Comment by Jaruden at 10/01/2023 at 20:57 UTC

14 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Great list, thank you for sharing!

A couple nitpicks though...

Honeymoon Island is not remotely in St Petersburg. Almost everything else is or is pretty close. You might as well recommend Clearwater Beach? Or maybe stick it in the "elsewhere" options.
Recommending a single kayak company out of a single spot feels a little odd for something pinned/recommended. There are numerous kayak rental places throughout (and if you're including up to honeymoon, throughout the whole county), so picking one seems odd.

Comment by PuffinChaos at 10/01/2023 at 17:23 UTC

7 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Take my award u/SoberWill! What an excellent summary. I am saving for when friends and family come to visit and I’m stuck working. Many thanks

Comment by uniqueusername316 at 10/01/2023 at 21:20 UTC

6 upvotes, 0 direct replies

I'd add the weekly Treasure Island Drum Circle on there. Unique, "family friendly", free spectacle/event.

Comment by Al-Knigge at 11/01/2023 at 09:52 UTC

5 upvotes, 0 direct replies

The Chattaway. Maybe point out Egmont Key as a part of Fort Desoto. And the Fontain of Youth in DTSP.

Comment by [deleted] at 12/01/2023 at 11:17 UTC*

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Cassis Bakery for exquisite French desserts, viennoiseries ( croissants, chocolate croissant, etc).

Comment by Every_Foundation_463 at 23/01/2023 at 07:52 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Wow this is actually great!

Comment by No-Assistance4186 at 31/01/2023 at 17:36 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Gulfperk Cafe in downtown Gulfport (close enough to st Pete :)) has some of the best coffee and breakfast sandwiches I’ve had in the area so far!

Comment by Able_Link1676 at 22/04/2023 at 02:22 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

in st pete this wknd to watch the white sox. really appreciate this

Comment by [deleted] at 18/05/2023 at 19:16 UTC

3 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Where's the best place to play some pickup vball doubles this weekend (for an out of towner)?

Comment by Icy_Case4950 at 24/04/2024 at 15:18 UTC

3 upvotes, 2 direct replies

Anything to do besides eat and beach ?

Comment by Toby16custom at 21/09/2024 at 23:42 UTC

3 upvotes, 0 direct replies

Prospective visitor thank you +1

Comment by uncleleo101 at 10/01/2023 at 18:24 UTC

6 upvotes, 1 direct replies

Excellent job! Mods, this should be added to the sidebar!

Comment by snails0007 at 11/01/2023 at 01:39 UTC

4 upvotes, 0 direct replies

For desserts I’d also suggest Valhalla Bakery and Plant Love Ice Cream on central!