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Tours
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Thursday, July 31, 2025
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Amalie Arena - Behind the Scenes and Cigar City Brewing
10 a.m.–1 p.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $60
Home of the three-time Stanley Cup Champions Tampa Bay Lightning, this tour offers a fascinating look at its innovative design by Ellerbe Becket, blending modern and traditional elements that reflect Tampa's maritime history and urban landscape. Key highlights include the sail-inspired roof, which disperses rainwater and withstands hurricane winds, and the sleek façade of glass and metal panels that integrates seamlessly with downtown Tampa's architecture. Inside, sustainable features like energy-efficient lighting contribute to its LEED Gold certification, while unique design elements such as Tesla coils generating "lightning" and a massive digital pipe organ showcase creative engineering. Renovation projects have enhanced the arena with features like the Budweiser Biergarten, RIPA Rooftop, and cutting-edge digital displays, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal.
As part of the tour, attendees will be treated to light snacks and drinks on the arena's Thunder Alley at the Cigar City Brewing Taproom, a renowned Tampa brewery known for its award-winning, Tampa-inspired beers, and combining a lively atmosphere with a rich connection to Tampa's culture and history.
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Tampa Urban River Boat Tour
10:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
CE Credit: 1 HSW
Fee: $45
Join urban designer Josh Frank and architect Ross Tisdale for a unique tour aboard the Pirate Taxi, exploring the history and development of downtown Tampa and its riverfront. As the boat cruises the Hillsborough River, speakers will highlight the evolution of the city’s urban core, waterfront revitalization efforts, and the architectural significance of key buildings along the way. Gain insights into Tampa’s growth, planning strategies, and design trends while enjoying a waterfront perspective of the city’s skyline. This tour offers a dynamic way to experience Tampa’s past, present, and future through the lens of planning, architecture, and sustainability.
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Building Cigar City: Historic Ybor City Walking Tour
6-8 p.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $30
Sometimes referred to as a "city within a city" you'll explore historic Ybor City on this guided walking tour, learning about the neighborhood's origins as an immigrant factory town and working-class immigrant community. Known as the "Cigar City," Ybor is both a Local and National historic district, home to some of Tampa's most iconic historic architecture dating to the 1880s. You'll learn about the rise, fall, and rebirth of one of Florida's first industrial "company towns" and the stories and struggles of the people who helped build and ultimately remake the city of Tampa.
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Friday, August 1, 2025
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Tampa General Hospital: Weathering the Storms with Design and Resiliency
8–10:45 a.m.
CE Credit: 2 HSW
Fee: $50
Join us for an exclusive tour of Tampa General Hospital’s cutting-edge resiliency features, designed to protect critical infrastructure and ensure operational continuity during extreme weather events. This tour will cover the hospital’s innovative flood-proofing strategies, including the elevated central energy plant located 35 feet above sea level, a key element in safeguarding essential systems. Explore the advanced emergency well reverse osmosis (RO) systems, engineered to provide a sustainable water supply during crises as well as the application of the “Aqua Fence,” the water-impermeable barrier that can withstand storm surge up to 15 feet above sea level. Review the resilient design strategies of the new surgical, neuroscience and transplant tower currently under construction, and discuss how its structural design integrates resiliency planning into every stage of development, construction and operation. This tour offers a unique perspective on how innovative design and engineering can enhance durability, functionality, and community impact in the face of climate challenges.
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Historic Tampa Theatre Tour and Accessibility / Life Safety Upgrades
8:30-11 a.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $60
Experience the grandeur of the historic 1926 Tampa Theatre, one of the world's few remaining movie palaces. This tour explores the architectural marvel designed by John Eberson, featuring a Mediterranean courtyard theme and a twinkling star-lit sky. You'll learn about the theatre's rich history, its near-demolition in 1973, and the community efforts that saved it. Discover the ongoing restoration projects, including the recent $14 million renovation and the addition of the intimate 43-seat John T. Taylor Screening Room microcinema, which opened in June 2024. The tour highlights how this landmark has adapted to modern needs with life safety upgrades and accessibility improvements while preserving its unique charm. Witness firsthand how the Tampa Theatre continues to thrive as a cultural icon, balancing historical authenticity with contemporary audience expectations.
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Dali Museum - Art and Architecture
1-5 p.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $60
Openedin 2011,the award-winning Dali Museum, an HOK project designed by Yann Weymouth, FAIA,is internationally recognized as an architectural landmark that seamlessly blends artistic expression with innovative design. The building incorporates resilient construction, natural lighting, and thoughtful spatial planning to create a secure, welcoming, and enriching environment for visitors while providing an innovative way to safely display the works of Salvador Dali. Through its unique design elements, including the Enigma, a geodesic glass structure, and a helical staircase, the museum maintains a strong connection to Salvador Dali’s surrealist vision while integrating practical and forward-thinking architectural solutions. This tour, led by Yann Weymouth himself, will provide exclusive insights into the design process and the architectural principles that shaped this iconic museum.
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Judy Genshaft USF Honors College
2-5:30 p.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $60
This tour offers an in-depth look at the building's design and layout, showcasing its unique features and key spaces. Visitors are guided through the various floors and functional areas, highlighting how the building supports its intended purpose while providing a comfortable, efficient, and aesthetically appealing environment.
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Saturday, August 2, 2025
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USF Health Morsani College of Medicine Building Walking Tour
8:30–10:45 a.m.
CE Credit: 2 HSW
Fee: $30
Join Dr. Charles Lockwood, Dean of USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, for a tour of this 13-story, 395,000-square-foot facility in downtown Tampa. As part of the Water Street WELL Certified District, the building integrates sustainability, wellness, and innovative design to enhance medical education and research. Explore the 400-seat auditorium, experimental learning lab, classrooms, clinical research unit, and public spaces, all designed for collaboration and well-being. Learn how daylighting, biophilic elements, and sustainable materials create an optimal learning environment. This tour offers a firsthand look at a state-of-the-art medical facility that blends functionality, aesthetics, and health-focused design in an urban setting.
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University of Tampa Sykes Chapel and Plant Hall & Museum
8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
CE Credit: 2.5 LU
Fee: $60
Sykes Chapel and Center for Faith and Values… The design of the chapel by TVSdesign is expressed as two praying hands, sheltering the space within and allowing space and light to pass between them. Brick, granite and zinc make up the building’s exterior. We will highlight the masonry details that utilized modern technology to create traditional details relating Sykes Chapel to the red brick construction throughout the campus. Sykes Chapel was awarded the 2011 Brick in Architecture Award for the House of Worship Category.
Sykes Plaza and Ars Sonora – a truly, “one of a kind” project… The Ars Sonora Engineered and built by Satil with 63 bells formed by the Paccard Bell Foundry is the centerpiece of Sykes Plaza. A carefully planned environment that offers the University community a place for inspiration, reflection and entertainment. Each element of the plaza has been intentionally designed by Pennoni — from the fountain to the lighting, seating and landscaping — to complement the Ars Sonora and Sykes Chapel, creating a holistic, inspirational experience for all. The Hardscapes design combines standard paver modules of design installed with craftmanship and simple modifications to satisfy the geometry of the design. We will discuss the Ars Sonora, the plaza materials and their relationship to the campus. Sykes Plaza was awarded 1st Place at the 2023 Hardscapes North America Show for the Commercial Clay Brick Category. In September 2025 PBS air will air the documentary “The Art of Sound” documenting the conception and construction of the most technologically advanced bell tower in the world – the University of Tampa’s Ars Sonora.
Once the Tampa Bay Hotel, Plant Hall now serves as the University of Tampa’s main building and stands as one of the most important historic landmarks in Tampa Bay. Its Moorish Revival architecture, designed by J.A. Wood, features distinctive minarets, domes, and arches, with its striking silhouette indelibly associated with the City of Tampa. The museum, located in the south wing, showcases Gilded Age opulence, featuring original furnishings and exhibits on historic tourism. This tour highlights the building’s transformation from a grand hotel to a landmark and museum, blending history, architecture, and education in one of Tampa’s most treasured sites.
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Florida Aquarium Hard Hat and Behind the Scenes Tour
11:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
CE Credit: 1.5 HSW
Fee: $30
The Florida Aquarium offers a unique opportunity to explore biophilic design in action. This tour provides an in-depth understanding of how architectural spaces can incorporate natural elements to create environments that support both human and animal well-being. Participants will learn about the principles of biophilic design, with a focus on how the aquarium integrates various ecosystems to enhance visitor experience through connections to nature. The tour also delves into the crucial role of life support systems, showing how these systems help sustain thousands of animals within the building. The ongoing construction of new habitats for puffins, penguins, and sea lions exemplifies how natural elements are carefully incorporated to improve the animals' habitats and welfare. Additionally, the tour highlights the connection between sustainable transportation and biophilic design, as visitors take the streetcar from the JW Marriott to the aquarium, promoting eco-friendly travel as part of the overall environmental ethos of the project.
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