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Highly-Anticipated New St. Pete Pier Makes its Debut

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As the highly-anticipated new St. Pete Pier opened on July 6th – it was utterly worth the wait and why not check it out today!

Take a glimpse and experience the New St. Pete Pier District on St. Pete’s Beautiful Bayfront

The new St. Pete Pier is a sprawling 26 acres of shimmering Tampa Bay waterfront. It offers a public expansive green area that is truly one-of-a-kind. Enjoy waterfront restaurants, interactive areas for families, a marketplace for local vendors and artisans, a fishing deck, remarkable public art, and many more. The best part – you can exPIERience it for free!

What to expect at the New St. Pete Pier?

If you are planning to visit the new St. Pete Pier with family or friends, expect the following.

Enjoy or relax

Recognized as the largest waterfront playground in the southeast, the St. Pete Pier District offers a lot of options to enjoy and to relax.

  • Stroll or swim at Spa Beach or even relax by reading a good book.
  • Bike, rollerblade or walk alongside the waterfront and appreciate stunning views of St. Pete’s Municipal Marina and the skyline of the city.
  • Check out the local goods at The Marketplace.
  • Allow your children to try getting a catch at the fishing deck or have fun at the splash pad and family playground.
  • Try out the tilted lawn that both kids and adults can enjoy.

Delectable dining by the water

If you want to enjoy a waterfront view and listen to the lapping waves, St. Pete Pier District offers a good selection of restaurants with great views of Tampa Bay.

Learn something at the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center

When visiting St. Pete Pier, one of the main attractions is the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center where you can learn about the recuperation and preservation efforts of the Tampa Bay estuary. Within the expansive glass walls and an outdoor “wet classroom”, you will find a variety of interactive exhibits, docent-led tours, live marine habitats, and video presentations. Children will surely enjoy this experience.

Enjoy stunning public art

The “Bending Arc” that was created by Janet Echelman, a world-renowned artist is a great sight. The sculpture is nearly 430 feet wide and more than 75 feet high that gracefully moves with the wind. One way to enjoy this feat is lying underneath it to experience the fluttering artwork uniquely. The artwork is quite dramatic during night time. Visitors can also enjoy more public art including an expansive mosaic by Xenobia Bailey.

Get your hands on local goods

One way to make your visit to St. Pete Pier a memorable one is to get a souvenir. You will find something special at the sheltered stalls and market-style pavilions of local artisans and vendors.

Parking and transportation

There are two parking areas for guests – the large Pelican lot is on the south of Pier Plaza and Pavilion while the Dolphin lot is north of the marketplace.

Street parking with a meter is also available close to the Pier complex along with several downtown parking garages a short distance away.

There are also trams to aid visitors in moving around with stops close to the Pelican lot, the Tampa Bay Watch Discover Center, and at the Pier itself. While exploring, watch out for message panels with maps and other useful information.

st petersburg pier in Florida
Photo by @stpetepier

Visit the new St. Pete Pier today!

So what are you waiting for? When it comes to exploration, art, dining, and simply fun and relaxation, visiting the new St. Pete Pier is a recommended choice which is truly something new and worthwhile.

You can reach St. Pete Pier by following these directions:

From I-275, coming north or south take the I-375 exit. The I-375 merges into 4th Avenue N. Turn right (south) on 4th Street N. Move two blocks and turn left (east) on 2nd Avenue N. The entrance to the Pier is just four blocks away.

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