What’s NEW in 2025: New Attractions, a Record-Breaking Planetarium, and MORE!
It’s going to be another exciting year with NEW ways to play in 2025 in Tampa Bay with new exhibits to experience, a record-breaking planetarium, and so much more!!
So, let’s dive in and see what we can expect in 2025 in Tampa Bay!
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Florida Aquarium expansion continues in 2025 (pictured above)
Guests at The Florida Aquarium can enjoy a redesigned second-floor mezzanine with an expansive touch experience. Triple the size of the current touch exhibit, it includes a new tide pool water feature and aquatic lounge for guests to relax with food and drinks. Construction began in December and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.
It is the second phase of the Aquarium’s multi-year, $45 million expansion project that kicked off in 2023 with the introduction of MORPH’D. Future phases include new exhibits for puffins, California sea lions, and African penguins.
SEA LIFE Florida at LEGOLAND Florida Resort: Opening this spring
LEGOLAND Florida always has something new to announce, and this year, it’s SEA LIFE Florida! A standalone attraction right next to LEGOLAND Florida, this indoor aquarium will feature a large ocean exhibit with an undersea theme park, cold water touch pools, and more. The 11th SEA LIFE location in North America, this destination will house 3,000 aquatic animals from Florida and around the world in 25 exhibits.
Wild Oasis at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: Opening this spring
Busch Gardens will unveil the ALL-NEW Wild Oasis realm this spring in the Jungala area of the park, which replaces the Treetop Trails area that has been closed for the last five years. This area is designed just for families, with all of the sights and sounds of the rainforest as well as a reimagined drop tower ride, interactive water play area, multi-level climbing canopy, and an all-new multi-species animal habitat.
We’re told there’s more news to come this year, too, so stand by!
Florida’s Largest Digital Theater and Planetarium at MOSI: Opening early 2025
Florida’s largest digital theatre and planetarium, and the second largest in the country, this new addition is being built now inside the iconic blue dome. When it opens, it will be an immersive experience like no other through 360-degree movies in 8K.
New Exhibits Coming to Tampa Bay in early 2025:
What’s NEW at Glazer Children’s Museum:
- Pirate Invasion: Opening this Month
Pirates are taking over the museum for a Gasparilla-themed celebration all month long! Make your own pirate gear – hats, swords and hooks – all from recycled materials, learn from knot-tying and sword fighting demos, visit with special guests and enjoy pirate-themed crafts and games all month long. - New Forts Exhibit: Opens in March
The Glazer Children’s Museum turns the beloved Forts exhibit on its head with whimsical new furniture and lots of hidden gems that make you feel like you’re building an epic fort in Grandma’s living room. - Let’s See: Opens in May
The Glazer Children’s Museum has partnered with Glazer Vision Foundation to teach children about their eyes in an exciting and vibrant new exhibit opening just in time for Summer break.
Dinos Unearthed at ZooTampa: Opens Feb. 7
Dinosaurs are roaring back to town, and they’re making their way to ZooTampa! Learn about T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Utahraptor, and see how each creature ties into the animals you can see today at the zoo. It’s also a great photo opportunity to snap pics in front of life-sized dinosaurs.
Dinosaur Discoveries: Ancient Fossils, New Idea at MOSI: Opening in January
This engaging exhibition will reveal a vivid picture of what living, breathing dinosaurs were really like. By highlighting research by scientists from the American Museum of Natural History and other leading paleontologists around the world, the exhibit also shows how thinking about dinosaur biology has changed over recent years.