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MJ Morning Show

Tampa Bay Lightning’s New Sensory Room At Amalie Arena

Author Roxanne Wilder
Play with all the Tampa Bay sport mascots including Raymond, and Pelican Pete!

The Tampa Bay Lightning have introduced an incredible new sensory room at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa.

So much to love about our team. The Tampa Bay Lightning organization is first class in every way. It appears the Bolts have a “community first” mentality. I’ve always loved the way the honor local heroes during games. The organization has been proactive in terms of inclusion. And they just recently made a move to make nights at games even more comfortable and inclusive.

Here’s how their new sensory room came about. The Lightning’s DET Council got together with CARD, which is University of South Florida’s Center for Autism & Related Disabilities. Between the two teams working together, they were able to come up with amazing room that is geared toward making guests at Amalie who have sensory processing challenges comfortable. When a guest visits the room, they have access to tools and environment that can either help stimulate or calm them, depending on their needs.

Elizabeth Frazier is Lightning executive vice president of community and development and social impact. I’ve had a chance to speak with her during interviews on Q105. She’s incredible at her job and really cares about the community. She spoke about the new sensory room at Amalie Arena explaining, “The addition of the sensory room reflects our ongoing commitment to providing innovative solutions to support the diverse needs of our community. We want every guest who enters our building to feel welcome, safe, and supported, and this new sensory room is a significant step towards achieving that goal.”

How to Access the Sensory Room at Amalie Arena

Imagine having a child with sensory challenges or having those challenges yourself. You can step away from the noise of the game and the crowd and go to the room which is located in the Lexus Suites entrance lobby at Gate C.

On April 9, the Lightning celebrated Neurodiversity Night when they played Columbus. Before the game, Lightning players and employees held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to usher in the new era of the sensory room at Amalie Arena.

Check out the Tampa Bay Lightning season schedule here.

Best UNOFFICIAL Spots To Watch Tampa Bay Lightning Away Games

The first two games in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s quest for another Stanley Cup will be in Toronto. That’s an awful long drive so if you want to be around fellow Bolts fans, here are some great spots all over the Tampa area to catch the games where it’ll get loud and rowdy.

The team’s official watch parties that have been announced so far are both at Sparkman Wharf. There will be live entertainment, playoff swag, giveaways, autographed prizes, concession specials, Thunderbug and more. The watch parties will begin one hour before game time and are free to the public. While that’s cool, maybe you want to stay closer to home. So here are our favorite spots to catch Lightning games.

  • Brandon

    Head to Dave & Buster’s near the Westfield Brandon Mall. Lots of big screens and lots of parking. Try the soft pretzels with honey mustard.

  • Clearwater

    Thanks to Cari Batstone McLaughlin for this tip. She loves Norton’s Sports Bar because they make special Lightning shots for her.

  • Oldsmar

    Head to Shaker & Peel. It’s definitely American style Mexican but the margaritas are pretty solid.

  • Palm Harbor

    Head to Fairway Pizza & Sports Page Pub. Some buffalo shrimp sound good?  Their wings are good too.  But most come for the pizza.

  • Port Richey

    Located on the water, get some Loaded Island Fries at Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill.  They’re sweet potato waffle fries topped with BBQ pulled pork.

  • St. Pete

    The party’s always on at Ferg’s near Tropicana Field.  Sure you’ll find mostly Rays games, but you’ll find a few TVs showing Bolts games too.

  • Tampa

    Hattricks is the no brainer choice if you’re in Tampa.  The best wings around and it’s a hockey themed bar even when the game’s  not on. Other good Tampa choices include Riveters, Brickhouse Tavern, The Blind Goat, and Yoeman’s.

  • Wesley Chapel

    A huge beer and cocktail selection, the Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery is a great spot for a pint of Guiness and a burger.

Roxanne is a co-host on the MJ Morning Show and host of Middays on Q105 in Tampa Bay. She also hosts segments on The Current, which features local feel-good stories and health and wellness segments, and airs on five of the six Tampa-based Beasley Media Group stations. Roxanne has conducted hundreds of interviews, from athletes to Oscar winners, including Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Chadwick Boseman. She also specializes in media training, having worked with clients in the NFL, NBA and WWE for television, in print, and online. Roxanne is a published author and will be releasing a thriller novel in 2024. Her favorite thing in the world is being with her two daughters and husband. As a content creator for Q105, Roxanne writes about family activities in the Tampa Bay area, as well as reviews for local restaurants and travel.

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Author Roxanne Wilder
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