Family Adventure: 13 Big Ideas for Summer Fun

Texas may have the reputation of growing everything “big,” but the Tampa Bay area has its own larger-than-life claims to fame. We’ve put together a list of 12 of the Bay area’s largest and often wackiest landmarks, some of which may be in your own backyard.

So pack up the kids, your favorite snacks and music, and load these locations in your GPS (or get a map). Along the way, feel free to stop and enjoy an ice cream cone or bowl a game or two. The real adventure is in the journey!

P.S. Don’t forget your camera. Get creative and take some family shots with these landmarks. We’d love to see your pictures.

1) Big glove, bat and soccer ball, Ed Radice Sports Complex
14720 Ed Radice Drive, Tampa, FL 33626

Here’s a set of sports equipment fit for Paul Bunyan! The Ed Radice Sports Complex, located in northwest Hillsborough County, sprawls across 138 acres and features five baseball, five softball and nine soccer fields.

2) Giant green iguana, The Green Iguana Bar and Grill
9202 Anderson Road, Tampa, FL 33634
813-288-9076 www.greeniguana.com

Leapin’ lizards! We’re not sure what this lizard has been eating, but small children and animals should beware. Check out the giant green iguana that is perched above the entrance to the Green Iguana Bar and Grill. This restaurant features casual American dining with both indoor and outdoor seating under the tiki hut.

3) Gigantic ice cream cone, Twistee Treat 
6900 Hanley Road, Tampa, FL 33634
813-882-9396 twisteetreatusa.com

You won't be able to miss this ice cream stand. The kids will be screaming for ice cream as soon as they see it. The building is shaped like the company’s signature soft serve ice cream cone. There are five locations in the Tampa Bay area.

4) Really big guitar, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
5224 Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33610
813-627-7625 seminolehardrocktampa.com

Imagine the size of the rock star who would jam on this 50-foot-tall Hard Rock guitar! This neon-lit sign marks the entrance to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. This 12-story, rock-themed hotel has earned AAA's 4-Diamond rating. Its amenities include 250 guest rooms, 7 restaurants and, of course, the casino.

5) World's Largest Bowling Pin, Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Dinner Lounge
615 Channelside Drive #120, Tampa, FL 33602
813-514-2695 ‎splitsvillelanes.com

Channelside is home to the world’s largest bowling pin. The pin measures 30 feet tall and has stood outside Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Dinner Lounge since it opened in 2003. This upscale bowling facility features 12 lanes and a menu that is definitely not your average alley fare. If you’re in the mood to bowl a game and get a bite of sushi, this place is for you.

6) I-4 dinosaur, Dinosaur World
5145 Harvey Tew Road, Plant City, FL 33565
813-717-9865 ‎dinosaurworld.com

You’re not seeing things if you see a giant Brontosaurus on the side of Interstate 4 in Plant City. You’ve just found Dinosaur World, an educational park for young and old featuring 150 life-size dinosaur statues. If you want to go into the park, admission is $12.75 for adults, $9.75 for ages 3 to 12 and $10.75 for age 60 and older. Prices do not include tax.

Go ahead and pack a lunch; the park features picnic tables and a play area for the kids. You’ll have a hard time getting the little ones to leave.

7) Car parts lizard of Pinellas County
Seventh Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33713

If you’ve ridden up the ramp onto northbound Interstate 275 near St. Petersburg’s historic Kenwood neighborhood, chances are you’ve seen the hungry metal lizard on top of the St Petersburg Fleet garage. The sculpture (including the prey) is made out of chrome car bumpers and other salvaged auto parts.

8) Recyclosaurus Rex, MOSI Museum of Science and Industry
4801 Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33617
813-287-8844 www.mosi.org

The Recylosaurus Rex, located outside the Museum of Science and Industry on Fowler Avenue, has been a Tampa landmark since 1993. This 20-foot-tall recycling reminder is made out of recycled steel beams and plastic fencing. After a proper feeding, his stomach is full of aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

9) Twin horses, P.F. Chang's China Bistro/WestShore Plaza Mall
219 WestShore Plaza, Tampa, FL 33609
813-289-8400 www.pfchangs.com

Two graceful, 11-foot-tall horses oversee the entrance to P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in the WestShore Plaza Mall in South Tampa. According to the company’s Web site, the horses symbolize the original Forbidden City in China, which was built for China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi.

10) The Muffler Man, Muffler and Brake City
2802 S. 50th St., Tampa, FL 33619
813-248-5127

This gentle 20-foot giant makes his home at the original Muffler and Brake City on the corner of South 50th Street (U.S. Highway 41) and Causeway Boulevard. He is just one of the once-popular giant advertising sculptures now known as “the muffler men.” Just don’t mess with his wrench.

11) World’s Largest Chicken Wing, Hooter’s Restaurant

192 John's Pass Boardwalk W., Madeira Beach, FL 33708
727-797-4668 originalhooters.com

The Hooter’s Restaurant in John’s Pass lays claim to the world’s largest chicken leg. The giant chicken wing supposedly weighs in at 1,037 pounds and hangs outside the restaurant’s entrance like a prized catch. Can someone pass the hot sauce?

12) Pink elephant sale, West Brandon Boulevard
1350 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon, FL 33511

Here’s a Brandon landmark that has been there for years. This pink elephant greeted customers and lounged among the tropical foliage that once was Shelton’s Nursery. The nursery is long gone, and now he sits in the vacant lot waiting for a new owner. You can adopt this elephant for a cool $700,000, which includes his .72-acre habitat and housing. His friend, President George Washington, still rides his camel on the east side of the property.

13) Giant pelican, Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary
18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, FL 33785
727-391-6211 or 727-392-4291 www.seabirdsanctuary.com

A huge Eastern Brown Pelican marks the entrance to Pinellas County’s Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary. This facility is known as one of the top avian rehabilitation centers in the world. The center takes in 23 to 30 injured birds a day, or an estimated 10,000 birds each year. It is open to the public daily, from 9 a.m. to sunset, and admission is free. Public tours are Wednesdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Contact the sanctuary for details.