Lowry Park Zoo, at 1101 W. Sligh Ave., Tampa (813-935-8552). The zoo features more than 1,500 exotic animals, all on display until dusk. The zoo's interactive exhibits include Stingray Bay, Lorikeet Landing and the Petting Zoo. General admission is $7 for adults and $5 for ages 3-11.
Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Drive N.E., St. Pete (727-896-2667). Americanos: Latino Life in the United States is an exhibit of 120 images by 30 prize-winning photographers. The documentary photographs cut across economic groups and tell the story of an array of Latinos, from portraits of celebrities, like Carlos Santana and Sammy Sosa, to children playing chess to physicians at work. The show runs through Jan. 6, and is complemented by numerous educational programs. Admission costs $6 for adults, and hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa (813-987-6300 or 813-987-6100). Museum highlights include BioWorks Butterfly Garden, an engineered ecosystem that emulates natural wetlands; the Back Woods, 40 acres of special water conservation elements and outdoor exhibits; and the Saunders Planetarium. The IMAX Dome Theatre features an 82-foot hemispherical movie screen (see Movie Marquee for schedule). The Museum's combo admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors and $9 for ages 2 to 13. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call the info line at 813-987-6100 for IMAX show times.
Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third St. S., St. Pete. (727-823-3767). A retrospective of paintings by the French artist Jacqueline Lamba (1910-93) is currently featured at the museum. Lamba is best known for having inspired artistic contributions to the surrealist movement. The exhibition brings together 25 paintings produced between 1938 and 1988, including a portrait of her husband, the poet and writer Andre Breton, and a number of non-objective surrealist works from the 1940s. The museum also features one of the best collections of Salvador Dali's works in the world, including several masterworks. Admission costs $10 for adults. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. Hours extend to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, when admission is half off. Visit www.salvadordalimuseum.org.
St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 Second Ave. N.E. (on The Pier approach), St. Pete (727-894-1052). On permanent display is the Walk through Time and Try History on For Size galleries, where visitors can see themselves in vintage costumes through mirrors creating the illusion of wearing period clothing. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for ages 7-17, and free for kids 6 and under. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Tampa Bay History Center, in the Tampa Convention Center Annex, 225 S. Franklin St., Tampa (813-228-0097). The center highlights Tampa Bay's rich heritage and diverse culture by highlighting the area's milestones. Exhibits feature artifacts and photographs from the early Timucuan Indians and European explorers through the Civil War and both World Wars. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Visit www.tampabayhistorycenter.org.
Tampa Museum of Art, 600 N. Ashley Drive, Tampa (813-274-8130). A View into Antiquity, pottery from the collection of William Suddaby and David Meier, consists of 52 examples of ancient Greek and Italian ceramics from the Late Bronze Age to the Classical Period. The exhibit runs through Jan. 13. Craft is a Verb is a survey of the history of the American craft movement from the late 1950s to the present, drawn from the collection of the American Craft Museum in New York. The exhibit runs through Dec. 30. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday (extended to 8 p.m. on Thursday) and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission ranges from $3 to $5; free 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
USF Contemporary Art Museum, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Cam 101, Tampa (813-974-4133). Lucy Orta: Nexus Architecture & Connector IV is an exhibit of Orta's projects, which includes collaborations with Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa and a new architectural infrastructure for a modular social space. The exhibit runs through Dec. 8. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Veterans Memorial Museum and Park, 3602 U.S. 301 N., at the Tampa Bypass Canal, Tampa (813-744-5502). Permanent exhibits include Florida Soldiers Walk Through Time: 1590s-1990s, featuring Florida soldiers and American history from the 1590s through Desert Storm, and a Spanish-American War exhibit. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.
Ybor City State Museum, 1818 Ninth Ave., Ybor City (813-247-6323). Using historical photographs and artifacts, the Ybor City Museum Society's new exhibit, Matriarchs and Mantillas: the Women of Ybor, reveals the unique character of the women who settled the city and created a culture of their own in this immigrant community. These women are remembered as hardworking and business-like, yet also for representing femininity, illustrated by their lace mantillas and Spanish fans. The exhibit runs through March 31 at the Ybor City Museum State Park. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Visitors may see the Museum and the Casita (worker's home) for $2 per person.
