Citrus Park Mall Turns Indoor Theme Park
Citrus Park Mall turns indoor theme park. Just another reason to go to the mall! A Tampa Bay area mall is getting an indoor go-kart track and arcade!
What do you do with the now-closed Sears department store at Citrus Park Mall? Turn it into an entertainment complex! PrimeTime Amusements will be turning that unused space into Elev8 Fun, a family entertainment center that is chock full of things to do. The plan is to have go-kart racing, mini-golf, laser tag, arcades, e-sports, bowling, a kid-zone….and the icing on the cake; a restaurant and bar…in the Citrus Park Mall.
PrimeTime Amusements owner David Goldfarb saw the potential for Elev8 Fun in Tampa Bay. “We thought that Tampa is really missing a really good entertainment venue for such a big market,” Goldfarb said. “I mean you have facilities here, but not at the scale that we’re doing it.”
Goldfarb’s company recently opened an Elev8 Fun Center in Sanford’s Seminole Towne Center. He hopes that the 128,000-square-foot space he bought at Citrus Park Mall back in December 2019 will bring people back to the malls. “We call ourselves kind of an eight-dimensional facility. And what I mean by that is, is we try to get approximately eight different attractions under one roof,” Goldfarb said. He believes that malls need to change and evolve to compete with e-commerce platforms like Amazon.
PrimeTime is looking to open between 12 to 15 more entertainment centers in Florida. Barring any construction or supply chain delays, they plan to open the Citrus Park Elev8 Fun location by the end of this year.
Here is a look inside the Seminole Town Center Location:
An indoor go-kart track in Tampa Bay? Why do I have the feeling we will be spending a lot of time there!
The 7 Best Things To Do In The Tampa Bay Area Over Spring Break
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
The ride has been on the radar of roller coaster enthusiasts around the world. (G.Knight for BBGI)
Their highly anticipated new rollercoaster, Iron Gwazi, is now open. We have ridden it and it is awesome. Ever better at nighttime. Plus, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has their Food & Wine Festival happening as well. They also offer concerts on the weekends.
Florida Aquarium
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Have some fun and learn something on spring break! You can gaze at the amazing exhibits including the 500,000-gallon Coral Reef habitat. Plus, they have a Splash Pad that kids can’t get enough of. You can also make a day of it and grab a bite to eat next door at Sparkman Wharf after a day at the Florida Aquarium.
The Beach
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I love to visit Clearwater Beach. There is so much to do. You should plan your day at the beach before your head out for the day. The biggest obstacle can be parking. Either plan on getting to the beach and parking by 10a or see if it’s in your budget find a rental or hotel room close by and you can spend a couple of days soaking up the sun. There are other transportation options as well, like the Jolly Trolley and Florida Free Rides. You can also try to park in downtown Tampa and take the Clearwater Ferry to the beach. Plan your trip here.
Explore Downtown Tampa
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Have you been to downtown Tampa lately? Chances are if you haven’t been you may not even recognize it. There are so many new things to see, you may need a couple of days. I suggest looking into the Tampa Riverwalk Attraction Pass. For one ticket you can check out 8 places along the Riverwalk and save money, too! It includes the Pirate Water Taxi, the History Center, Tampa Museum of Art, Glazer Children’s Museum, and much more! The mobile-exclusive pass allows for one admission to each attraction. The one-day pass for a child is $35, $55 for an adult, and $45 for a senior.
Bay Area Renaissance Festival
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The 44th Annual Bay Area Renaissance Festival is going on in Dade City weekends through April 3rd. They have 8 stages of exciting and hilarious entertainment, full contact live armored jousting, mermaids, fairies, pirates, Vikings, 100 Artisans selling their treasures in the Marketplace, and food! the upcoming Theme Weekends are as follows:
- Barbarian Brew Fest March 12-13
- Shamrocks & Shenanigans March 19-20
Take An Art Class
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I love going to AR Workshop. They have a couple of locations in the Tampa Bay area and it’s really fun for all ages.
During the week of spring break, the south Tampa location is offering teen and youth workshops from a wood workshop, a cookie decorating workshop, and a chunky blanket workshop just to name a few.
St. Pete Pier
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If you have not explored the new St. Pete Pier, no is your chance. You can even take the Cross Bay Ferry from downtown Tampa over to St. Pete and really make a day of it!
