Entertainment Alternatives in St. Petersburg, FL

Some cities are all work and no play, but if St. Petersburg tends toward anything, its entertainment. While it's not all play and no work, St. Petersburg residents recognize that they're lucky to be living in a fun city with a great climate, and make sure to have a balance of work and play that allows them to enjoy it. Whether you're just taking a quick break or arranging a soiree that would require an event planner, can't beat what's on offer in St. Petersburg.

Museums

As a tourist destination, St. Petersburg recognizes the value of museums. There are numerous specialty museums in the city, so you should be able to find one in a subject you're interested in. Home Health Services has made sure they're all accessible to persons with disabilities, so you should be able to go and learn no matter what your situation. Some of St. Petersburg's better known museums include: the Children's Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, the History Museum, the Holocaust Museum, and the Salvador Dali Museum, which has the largest collection of Dali's works in the world.

Shopping

Though St. Petersburg does have a lot of tourist-oriented shopping, especially along the St. Petersburg Pier, where you can buy the traditional t-shirts and snow globes advertising your tropical vacation, there are also plenty of specialty shops. The Baywalk shopping center is where you would go if you were looking for a birthday gift idea for a woman or perhaps some new clothes. You can shop for art appealing to a variety of budgets at the galleries downtown. Additionally, from October to May there's a farmer's market near Al Lang Field where you can pick up locally grown produce and unique decorative crafts.

Music, Theater, and Nightlife

St. Petersburg has a thriving live entertainment scene centered upon the downtown area. Larger venues like the Mahffey Theater host operas and traveling Broadway shows while smaller ones showcase local and regional productions. Food publicity has traveled fast about the St. Petersburg Pier, and now its restaurants, which range from casual to upscale, are always busy with hungry patrons. The Baywalk and Jannus Landing are the nightlife destinations. Their vibrant music scene draws in sociable patrons to drink and dance until the wee hours of the morning.

Nature and Sport

There are no major sports teams in St. Petersburg like there are in Toronto. Hockey tournaments at the minor league level still take place, however, and there are major league teams in neighboring Tampa. You can take a cruise of the harbor on the replica of the HMS Bounty or visit the aquarium if sea life is your passion. The sunken gardens contain over 4 acres of botanical gardens easily accessible to anyone living in the city while the more remote Boyd Hill Nature Park on Lake Maggiore is a 245 acre preserve popular with bird watchers. The most well-known outdoor destination is, of course, the beach, home of swimmers, surfers, wind-surfers, and suntanners. Fort Desoto beach is ranked #1 in America.