Riverview residents who want a day out with a historical or educational focus have several museums in Tampa to choose from. This guide covers three of them, using the hours, prices and contact details each museum publishes. For more ideas, see the things to do page on Riverview Living.
Because hours and prices can change, it is worth checking each museum's own page before you head out. The details below are what the museums list.
Tampa Bay History Center
Tampa Bay History Center sits on Tampa's Riverwalk and, as its name suggests, is the stop for anyone interested in the history of the area. According to the museum's visit page, it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Because it is open every day of the week, it is easy to fit into a weekday or a weekend.
Admission
The museum lists gallery admission by age group. Two of the listed prices are:
- Age 60+: $16.95
- Youth ages 7-17: $14.95
The museum's page is the place to look for any other ticket categories, since only these two are covered here.
Questions before you go
The museum says to call (813) 228-0097 for further assistance. That is a good number to use if you have a question about your visit that the website does not answer.
Tampa Museum of Art
Tampa Museum of Art offers a program called Art on the House on Thursday evenings from 4 to 8 pm. During that window, admission is pay-as-you-will. That means visitors choose what to pay, which can be a flexible option for anyone watching a budget or who simply wants to look around without committing to a set ticket price.
The evening hours also make it a possibility for people who are busy during the day. For anything beyond the Thursday evening program, such as regular hours on other days, see the museum's visit page.
MOSI (Museum of Science & Industry)
MOSI is at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue in Tampa. The museum says it is open daily, 10am to 5pm. As with the History Center, daily hours leave plenty of room for planning. Check the MOSI visit page for ticket information and current details before you go.
Comparing the three
A quick side-by-side can help when choosing between them.
- Tampa Bay History Center: open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., on Tampa's Riverwalk.
- Tampa Museum of Art: pay-as-you-will admission on Thursday evenings from 4 to 8 pm.
- MOSI: open daily from 10am to 5pm, at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue in Tampa.
Two of the three share the same daytime hours, so the choice often comes down to interest rather than schedule. The art museum's Thursday evening program is the one with a distinct time window.
Planning tips
A few general ideas can make a museum trip smoother. These are suggestions, not information from the museums.
- Decide which museum fits your interests, whether that is local history, art or science.
- Pick a day that matches the hours above. For the art museum's pay-as-you-will option, that means a Thursday evening between 4 and 8 pm.
- Check the museum's own page for current details before leaving.
- Call ahead if you have a specific question. The History Center lists a phone number for exactly that purpose.
If you are visiting with a group that includes different ages, the History Center's published prices for age 60+ and for youth ages 7-17 can help you estimate part of the cost ahead of time. Other ticket categories are on the museum's page.
Taken together, these three museums give Riverview residents a range of options: regional history, art and science, with daily hours at two of them and a pay-as-you-will evening at the third.
Who to contact
- Tampa Bay History Center: call (813) 228-0097. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See the visit page.
- Tampa Museum of Art: see the visit page for Art on the House, Thursday evenings from 4 to 8 pm.
- MOSI: 4801 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa. Open daily from 10am to 5pm. See the visit page.
Sources
Compiled from the official sources below.