Tampa

Tampa is the largest city in Hillsborough County. The bay's port is the largest in the state, near Tampa’s downtown Channel District. Bayshore Boulevard runs along the bay and is east of the historic Hyde Park neighborhood. It is a major business center; it’s also known for its museums and other cultural offerings. The Gasparilla Pirate Fest, a February event highlighted by a pirate invasion of the city, is held annually in Tampa; its theme is based on legendary pirate Jose Gaspar, who is said to have terrorized western Florida in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, an amusement park and zoo with an African theme, is a popular tourist attraction. The city’s cultural institutions include the Florida Aquarium, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Tampa Museum of Art, and the Ybor City State Museum (which traces the history of the area’s cigar industry). 

Tampa is also the home of two professional sports teams, the National Football League Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the National Hockey League Tampa Bay Lightning. The region’s professional baseball team, the Tampa Bay Rays, plays in St. Petersburg.