Turn in your Gasparilla beads for discounted, free admission to The Florida Aquarium
TAMPA, Fla. - Once again, The Florida Aquarium is offering a discount on tickets for those who recycle their Gasparilla beads in an effort to keep them from ending up in our waterways or streets.
The aquarium will accept beads for recycling through January 31 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Like last year, guests can receive $10 off a general admission ticket in exchange for 10 pounds of beads. Visitors who bring 30 pounds or more will receive free admission.
The discount cannot be used with other discounts. The beads do not have to be from Gasparilla, according to The Florida Aquarium.
In December, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor announced a campaign, “Bead-Free Bay,” to keep beads and other little out of the bay. During last year’s Gasparilla festivities, divers from The Florida Aquarium retrieved more than 120 pounds of beads.
City officials are also opening bead collection sites starting January 22. A list of those locations can be found by clicking here.