Top 10 Best Free Things to Do in St. Petersburg, Florida TODAY! (2023)

FAQs

How do I spend a day in St. Petersburg Florida? ›

Nicknamed “The Sunshine City,” St. Petersburg, Florida offers a vibrant mix of tropical weather, arts and culture, shopping, dining, sports, and outdoor recreation all along a stunning shoreline that features some of the nation's top-ranked beaches.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness in a report issued earlier this year - 57 homeless for every 10,000 residents." This area has approximately 16,000 homeless, and about one-fifth of them are children.

You should plan to spend around $163 per day on your vacation in Saint Petersburg, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, $39 on meals for one day and $38 on local transportation.

Freebee is a free, door-to-door, on-demand transportation service, brought to you by St. Pete Beach!

The buses will run every 15 minutes, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to midnight. It is free for the first six months, then it will cost riders $2.25 for one-way trips or $5 for a day pass. A one-day group pass for up to five people is just $10. Kids who are 8 years old or younger can ride for free.

The Downtown St Pete Looper is a free trolley service that runs 7 days a week with stops at the Sundial parking garage and Pier Entrance every 15 minutes. To find out more on route information and hours of operation, click here.

Is St. Pete nicer than Tampa? ›

These two anchor cities of the Tampa Bay area offer a great quality of life, sunshine, beaches, and excitement, but they differ in many ways. Tampa is larger which means more diversity and job opportunities – and more traffic. St. Pete has a more condensed, exciting downtown and it's closer to the beach.

- Transitional months such as April and May (Florida's Spring) and September, October and November (Florida's Autumn) are excellent periods to visit Southern Florida (Autumn is a particularly good period in terms of temperatures and low precipitation).

Perhaps the most exciting area in the city, University Park-South Downtown is one of the best neighborhoods in St. Petersburg for singles and young professionals. Home to the coolest block in St. Pete and both the Central Arts District and Waterfront Arts District, it's not hard to find something to do!

The Unsheltered homeless count has declined from 1,152 in 2017 to 808 in 2020. been evident in both St. Petersburg and Clearwater despite a decline that was seen in Clearwater from 2018 to 2019. yet are nevertheless facing challenges associated with housing.

How Many Days Should I Spend in St Petersburg? Three days is a must, as there is so much to do and see. It's best to gauge your stay on how much time it will take to do all the main sites. A 4 Day itinerary will allow you to complete a day trip to Catherine's Palace or The Peterhof Grand Palace.

Retiring in St. Petersburg is popular because it provides active adults with great weather, plenty of recreational and entertainment opportunities, and a reasonable cost of living. There's professional baseball, the world-famous Dali Museum, and hundreds of miles of coastline.

Nevsky Prospekt is the most famous street in St. Petersburg. Originally planned by Peter the Great as a road linking St. Petersburg to Novgorod and eventually onward to Moscow, this is a nice place to spend time sightseeing and dining.

Pete Beach was named the #1 Beach in the U.S. for 2021 by Tripadvisor's community of travelers, and gorgeous Caladesi Island was named #2 Beach in the U.S. by Dr. Beach in 2022! St. Pete/Clearwater's beaches have soft, white sands, warm Gulf waters and friendly, laid-back vibes.

Which beach is nicer St Petes or Clearwater? ›

Both have been ranked year after year for their award-winning beaches. In 2019, Clearwater Beach was #1 Beach in the US by TripAdvisor's Best Beaches. Then in 2021, St Pete Beach was ranked #1 by TripAdvisor! Needless to say, they have a lot in common with their natural beauty.

The Suggested Gratuity to travel outside your Local Free Area is approximately $2 per mile, which is generally less than a taxi rate/fare PLUS Gratuity. ​Do you take credit cards?

Navy Pier Free Trolleys operate seasonally. Check schedules and track trolleys in real time.

Hours and Pricing

The regular cash fare is only $2.25 and children five years old or younger may ride for free with an adult. Visitors may also purchase unlimited ride fares for either three, seven or 31 days for between $18 and $70.

PSTA buses run throughout the city and cost $2 each way. You can also purchase a GO card on the bus for unlimited bus rides — a daily pass costs $4.50 and the seven-day card costs $20.

Petersburg, Virginia is working with The Cordish Group to develop a $1.4 billion casino, hotel and entertainment district. The city hopes to obtain the Richmond casino license rejected by Richmond voters in Nov. 2021.

The SunRunner is free to ride until April 2023. The route is 10 miles and includes 30 stops. It runs seven days a week from 6 a.m. to midnight. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc.

Yes, the St Pete Pier is open and it's also free! After three years of being built and a cost of $92 million, the new St Pete Pier officially opened in July of 2020. The pier district offers 26 acres of family-friendly entertainment with lots of activities for kids.

Downtown Public Parking: For long-term parking, designates convenient parking garages and lots available to the public. At city owned garages the normal work day rate is $1 per hour, $6 maximum. During non-event nights and weekends customers may park at the Sundial Garage up to four hours for only $1.

Getting There & Parking

There are two huge parking lots in the Pier District, the Pelican and Dolphin lots. The fee to park in either of these lots is $2 per hour for the first 4 hours, $3 for the 5th hour and $4 for the 6th hour, with a 6-hour maximum per day.

What is the most popular street food in St. Petersburg? ›

Shawarma is definitely one of the most popular street foods in St Petersburg. There are kiosks all around the city that serve up these calorie-heavy wraps, although many are suspect due to a lack of hygiene standards. Pita's, on the other hand, is a risk-free experience.

Today, in English the city is known as Saint Petersburg. Local residents often refer to the city by its shortened nickname, Piter (Russian: Питер, IPA: [ˈpʲitʲɪr]).

Artistic Powerhouse. St Petersburg is an almost unrivalled treasure trove of art and culture. You can spend days in the Hermitage, seeing everything from Egyptian mummies to Picassos, while the Russian Museum, spread over four sumptuous palaces, is perhaps the best collection of Russian art in the world.

The cool season lasts for 2.8 months, from December 7 to March 1, with an average daily high temperature below 73°F. The coldest month of the year in St. Petersburg is January, with an average low of 57°F and high of 69°F.

Hulk Hogan, Derek Jeter, Lou Pinella, Wade Boggs, Martina Navratilova, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, John Gruden, Stephen King, John Travolta, Chic Correa, Aaron Carter, Dick Vitale, John Prine, Melanie and many more.

Past travelers have spent, on average, ₽1,366 ($19) on meals for one day and ₽544 ($7.50) on local transportation. Also, the average hotel price in Saint Petersburg for a couple is ₽5,357 ($74). So, a trip to Saint Petersburg for two people for one week costs on average ₽66,125 ($912).

The hottest month of the year in Saint Petersburg is July, with an average high of 73°F and low of 54°F. The cold season lasts for 3.8 months, from November 20 to March 14, with an average daily high temperature below 34°F.

The cost of housing in St. Petersburg is lower than the U.S. national average. This applies even to cities close to St. Petersburg, including Tampa, FL, to the east of Tampa Bay, where home prices are around 3% higher on average.

Downtown St. Petersburg is one of the most sought-after destinations to purchase a home on the west coast of Florida. It is also home to some of the most expensive real estate in the city. Home prices typically hover between $1–2 million for a townhome or condominium downtown.

Where is the cheapest place to live in St. Petersburg Florida? ›

Night shelters are places to sleep for people who would be on the streets. You do not have to pay to stay in most night shelters.

The Tampa-St. Petersburg metropolitan area has the highest rate of homelessness in the nation, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness in a report issued earlier this year - 57 homeless for every 10,000 residents." This area has approximately 16,000 homeless, and about one-fifth of them are children.

Orlando now has more people than St. Petersburg, making it Florida's fourth largest city. The Census Bureau says Orlando now has over 255,000 residents, compared to St. Petersburg's 249,000.

Along with beautiful, award-winning beaches, St. Petersburg is home to the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum, top-rated restaurants and beautiful Fort De Soto Park. The waterfront escape is a perfect family getaway with so many things to do!

Petersburg is more walkable. One of the advantages of living in St. Pete, FL is its walkable downtown. In fact, it's one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Florida with a Walk Score of 90.9!

Florida's Favorite Neighborhood

The EDGE District is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in Florida, so ditch your car and take a stroll down Central Avenue, Downtown St. Pete's main retail corridor. Attend an event, grab a good deal, and explore our free outdoor art gallery.

The city has a thriving downtown district with a distinctly bohemian culture and many arts and cultural places to visit, including some of the country's top museums and galleries. The nearby city's of Tampa and Clearwater, with their world-famous theme parks and attractions, are always just a stone's throw away.

Is Clearwater or St. Petersburg better? ›

Both have been ranked year after year for their award-winning beaches. In 2019, Clearwater Beach was #1 Beach in the US by TripAdvisor's Best Beaches. Then in 2021, St Pete Beach was ranked #1 by TripAdvisor!

Hulk Hogan, Derek Jeter, Lou Pinella, Wade Boggs, Martina Navratilova, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, John Gruden, Stephen King, John Travolta, Chic Correa, Aaron Carter, Dick Vitale, John Prine, Melanie and many more.

The good news is that, as a maritime city, St. Petersburg is never really cold - at least by Russian standards - with temperatures rarely dropping much below -10 ºC even in the depths of winter. And, despite Dostoevsky's descriptions of the sweltering slums, summer temperatures higher than 30 ºC are almost unheard of.

How Many Days Should I Spend in St Petersburg? Three days is a must, as there is so much to do and see. It's best to gauge your stay on how much time it will take to do all the main sites. A 4 Day itinerary will allow you to complete a day trip to Catherine's Palace or The Peterhof Grand Palace.

ST. PETERSBURG — Almost three years after embracing red-light cameras, St. Petersburg is now the first city in the region to turn its back on them. With a 6-2 vote, the City Council decided Thursday to kill the controversial camera program by Sept.

Petersburg and Pinellas County have about 27,000 full-time Jewish residents, or 2.85% of the population, and Tampa and Hillsborough County across the bay have about 23,500 Jews, or nearly 2% of the population and another 8,400 Jews, or 1.8% of the population, live in Pasco County north of Pinellas.

Pete Beach was named the #1 Beach in the U.S. for 2021 by Tripadvisor's community of travelers, and gorgeous Caladesi Island was named #2 Beach in the U.S. by Dr. Beach in 2022! St. Pete/Clearwater's beaches have soft, white sands, warm Gulf waters and friendly, laid-back vibes.

Considering moving to St. Petersburg? The Sunshine City offers affordable living, incredible weather, some of America's best beaches, and a strong job market.