Tampa Bay MOSI

This one does not fall under the under $50 for four people.  We went and saw the limited engagement of the Sea Monster Exhibit.  It cost us close to $88 for parking and admission to the museum and  sea monster exhibit. The museum is really cool.

The Sea Monster exhibit is a must if a member of your family loves sea creatures.  The animals are done much like the controversial Bodies exhibit that came through about 7 years ago.  The bodies of several of the animals are positioned and dissected so that you can the different layers of the body.  My kids thought it was pretty cool, but it may be a little scary for the younger set (4 and under).

The rest of the museum is pretty neat!  it opens up with two large sauropods guarding the stairway.  Up the stairs , and you enter in the permanent exhibits of the museum; Disasterville, Your Body, and the Bay News 9 Experience.  Disasterville has visitors experience natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. The bodies exhibit is relatively safe for kids.  It has exhibits on everything from the beginning of life (stages of the fetus), to the stages of death.  They had and interesting exhibit on aging and cancer.  It was aimed for the older crowd, so my kids really didn't get it.

The last place we hit was "Kids in Charge" or the children's museum.  My boys loved it.  They had something for everyone.  My oldest loved the journey to the moon exhibit that simulated a space flight to a moon colony.  The youngest got a kick out of the Publix exhibit where kids picked "oranges" took them to the processing barn and then moved them to the super market.

It was a fun trip.  I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes and ears peeled for a discount day!