Fall color near Tampa
Honest answer: Tampa doesn't do fall color. Palms and live oaks hold their green straight through winter. The closest thing is bald cypress rusting over the swamp boardwalk at Lettuce Lake and along the Hillsborough River — moody and beautiful, just not New England. For real leaves, the north Georgia mountains are a long day's drive.
Fall activities in Tampa
Little classic fall color reaches Tampa itself — these are the closest real shows, ranked by distance.
In Tampa itself
Peak: November 28–December 4
Color builds from November 16 · mostly bare by December 27
Method: daily ERA5 temperatures (Open-Meteo) drive a photoperiod + chilling phenology model, sampled at Tampa’s own coordinates rather than a regional average. Dates are computed for Tampa itself at 9 m elevation. Estimates, not promises — street trees vary block to block. Check locally before you plan around a weekend.
Things to do in fall in Tampa
Orchards, cider, haunts, and harvest season — the iconic fall stops within a day trip of Tampa.
UNDead in the Water
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks December 2
This Tampa haunt sends you through the darkened decks of the WWII cargo ship American Victory, docked behind the Florida Aquarium downtown. The 2026 run covers select Friday and Saturday nights from late September through Halloween weekend.
Don’t miss: Aboard the WWII ship American Victory · Multiple decks, walk-through haunt · Select nights, late September to Halloween weekend
Ybor City Ghost Tour
Ghost tourColor nearby peaks December 2
A nightly walking tour through Ybor City's old cigar-factory streets, starting at King Corona Cigars and ending inside the Cuban Club, one of the neighborhood's oldest buildings. Guides mix real local history with the ghost stories that have grown up around it.
Don’t miss: Meets at King Corona Cigars · Ends inside the historic Cuban Club · Nightly, 8 p.m. start
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Haunted attractionColor nearby peaks December 2
Busch Gardens' after-dark Halloween takeover, billed as Tampa Bay's most terrifying event, fills the animal-and-coaster park with haunted houses and roaming scare zones on select nights. The 2026 run is September 11 through November 1; gates open at 5 p.m. and the frights start at 7.
Don’t miss: Haunted houses and scare zones after dark · Coasters run into the night · Select nights, Sept 11-Nov 1
Pemberton Haunted Acres
19 miHaunted attraction
Color nearby peaks December 4
This Plant City haunted house sits on Rocking V Ranch and runs two mazes, Hillbilly Mayhem and Krow's Revenge, with a third attraction promised as a full re-theme this year. Parking is free, tickets are sold online, and a season pass covers repeat visits.
Don’t miss: Hillbilly Mayhem and Krow's Revenge mazes · Third attraction getting a re-theme · Season pass for repeat nights
in Florida
Fox Squirrel Corn Maze
21 miCorn maze
Color nearby peaks December 5
East of Plant City, this family farm cuts a new corn maze every year and opens weekends only, late September to late October. One ticket covers the maze, hayrides, duck races, a giant jump pad, and a pumpkin patch set up for photos.
Don’t miss: New corn maze cut every year · Duck races and hayrides · Weekend-only, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
in Florida
Scream-A-Geddon
30 miHaunted attraction
Color nearby peaks December 2
This horror park spreads five haunted attractions across a wooded stretch of Pasco County, from a rebuilt circus maze to a pitch-dark bayou walk, plus a separate zombie paintball assault. The 2026 season opens August 29 and runs weekend nights into November.
Don’t miss: Five haunted attractions plus zombie paintball · Circus maze and bayou walk themes · Season opener August 29, 2026
in Florida
Guides
Frequently asked
- Does Tampa get fall colors?
- Not really — Honest answer: Tampa doesn't do fall color. Palms and live oaks hold their green straight through winter. The closest thing is bald cypress rusting over the swamp boardwalk at Lettuce Lake and along the Hillsborough River — moody and beautiful, just not New England. For real leaves, the north Georgia mountains are a long day's drive.
- Where's the closest good foliage to Tampa?
- Florida, about 60 mi away, peaking around December 5. Florida offers only muted color, but bald cypress, sweetgum, and red maple along the Panhandle's river bluffs at Torreya State Park and Blackwater River turn rust and gold in late November into December.
- When does Tampa see what color it gets?
- The model predicts the area's late-season change around November 28–December 4 — subtle in town, and no match for a trip toward Florida and Georgia.
- What are the best things to do in fall in Tampa?
- Beyond the leaves: UNDead in the Water (1 mi); Ybor City Ghost Tour (1 mi); Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (6 mi); Pemberton Haunted Acres (19 mi); Fox Squirrel Corn Maze (21 mi). All of them are mapped on this page.
- What are the best things to do in autumn near Tampa?
- Come autumn — autumn (September–November) — locals head for UNDead in the Water (1 mi); Ybor City Ghost Tour (1 mi); Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (6 mi); Pemberton Haunted Acres (19 mi); Fox Squirrel Corn Maze (21 mi). Each is on the map with the distance from Tampa.