Center Activities

The center offers classes for all ages. First class is free! Check out the center's activities and try something new:

Activities for all ages:

About the Center

Bay Vista Recreation Center is nestled at the southeast tip of St. Petersburg with a scenic view of the iconic Skyway Bridge. The center focuses on adult programming and offers classes for all ages. Learn a new art or craft through one of our many classes, such as stained glass, watercolor or pottery. If indoor exercise programs are what you are interested in, attend Caribbean aerobics, karate, yoga or one of our many other exercise classes. Connect with others in the community and attend a day trip coordinated through the center. Plan your next event in our 1,500 square foot rentable room and kitchen combined for up to 100 people. Whether it's indoor or outdoor, Bay Vista has it all. Remember us when it comes to your next celebration, graduation, family reunion, wedding or reception. Reasonable rates.

History of the Center

Bay Vista was originally a private club known as the Bee Line Children's Playground. In 1960, it was renamed Bay Vista Community Center. The original block building was set on the inlet across the parking lot from the present structure. The Jaycees provided it to the city to be used as an adult center and to keep the open waterfront for the neighborhood. The name derives from the beautiful view of Tampa Bay.

There is a great amount of history in the Bay Vista Recreation Center area. The Tocobaga Indians lived here in 1000 AD, and Spanish explorers in the 1500s had inhabited the area. Later came the fishermen and farmers. In the 1920s, the Bee Line Ferry service motored across the bay to Manatee county from the present Bay Vista boat ramps. At the time, the only way to get to Manatee County was through Tampa and south on Route 301. The famed Pink Streets are nearby.