The Florida Aquarium

The Nomads took a field trip visit to The Florida Aquarium, located in Tampa, Florida.

I say that we took a “field trip” because we visited on home school day. One day out of the year, The Florida Aquarium has a rate for home schooling families. The regular, per person adult rate is $24 at the gate or $22 if you purchase online. What is the price at the gate on home school day? $5 per person for any age. Our family of five went from over $100 down to $25! That is a significant savings. Instead of argue for more home school day discounts, I am going to celebrate that they have a home school discount at all. And, that it occurred while we were near enough to take advantage (October 3rd – note, date may vary from annually) .

First of all, there is a Florida Aquarium Parking Lot within walking distance of the building. It costs $6 and is worth the price of parking.

Next, the aquarium was amazing. Before I get to the animals, let me tell you about outside. In the back of the place, they have eateries and kids play areas on more than one side. Just beyond the eateries is the SS American Victory, a World War II cargo ship and floating museum.

Here is a tip for you. If you go through the doors marked stairway, on the main floor of the aquarium (by the gift shop) and walk up the stairs to the top, you can see the ship better and get a good view of the water.

Now, going back inside and taking a look at the creatures. They have all sorts of animals. Do not let the word “aquarium” throw you off. The animal variety ranges from horseshoe crabs, lobsters and snakes to ring-tail lemurs, birds and sharks! The biodiversity in this place was varied and the layout was easy to follow.

The Nomads had a great time watching penguins and otters play, as well as sharks approach, giant sting rays glide and an 800 pound, 8 foot long grouper just sit there looking grumpy. Is the aquarium worth the price of admission? We would not visit again for $24 per person. But, at $5 per person, it is a no-brainer. I recommend a visit to The Florida Aquarium on home school day or any other way you can get specials like Groupon or LivingSocial. And, after you visit, you can stop by Danny’s All American Diner and Dairy Bar, a Diners Drive-ins and Dives visited locale that we took the time to check out.

I will leave you with an entertaining video of some animals that I am convinced are camera aware and a picture gallery filled with various interesting creatures.