The room is the line you can still move
The Tampa Sports Collectors Expo runs Dec. 4 to 6, 2026 at the Florida State Fairgrounds Special Events Center, 4800 U.S. Hwy 301 N, Tampa. The venue page lists daily admission at $5 and parking at $10 online or $12 onsite. The organiser repeats the $5 and adds a 4 percent processing fee on online tickets. The venue partner list puts one property 0.2 miles from the grounds.
Friday opens at 2 p.m. and sets the arrival day
Friday runs 2:00 to 8:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The three days hold 18 show hours, and six of them fall on Friday.
A Friday 2 p.m. gate makes Friday the arrival day. Check in Friday morning and the room is open before the doors are. The organiser counts 250-plus dealer tables.
Two nights cover the weekend
A Friday arrival and a Sunday departure run Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5, with checkout on Sunday morning. That pair of nights holds the Friday afternoon session, the seven Saturday hours and the walk-in to Sunday's 10 a.m. opening.
Sunday closes at 3 p.m. Ask the property to confirm a 3 p.m. Sunday checkout in writing, or price the Sunday night, Dec. 6, to keep the room through the last hour.
A three-night stay runs Dec. 3 to 6 and starts on Thursday. Ask for both prices: two nights with a 3 p.m. Sunday checkout, and three nights with the Thursday night quoted on its own.
The property across the street
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Tampa Fairgrounds Casino carries 0.2 miles on the venue hotel partner list and the line "directly across the street from the Florida State Fairgrounds." The venue directions from I-75 northbound use the same hotel as a landmark: "Turn LEFT at The Fairgrounds entrance across from the Holiday Inn Express and Winghouse Restaurant."
The venue page, the organiser page and the partner card publish no nightly rate. Put four questions to the property: the nightly rate for Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, the 3 p.m. Sunday checkout, the parking arrangement on the hotel side, and a cutoff date. A 0.2 mile walk keeps the fairgrounds lot out of the budget.
The 1.5 mile fallback with a free lot
Wyndham Garden Tampa Fairgrounds/Casino sits 1.5 miles out on the same list. It opened in 2025 and publishes free Wi-Fi and parking, an outdoor heated pool, a 24/7 fitness center, and a pet-friendly non-smoking policy. Its own description says "just one mile from the Florida State Fairgrounds" while the distance field on the same card reads 1.5 miles. Plan on 1.5.
The hotel lot covers the room. Three days in the fairgrounds lot cost $30 prepaid or $36 on arrival.
Gate 3 here, Gate 1 across the grounds
The Special Events Center sits behind the MLK Blvd Entrance, Gate 3. The prepaid parking item for this show reads "Enter thru MLK Blvd."
Two other events share the grounds that weekend. The Florida Gun Show runs in Expo Hall behind the U.S. Hwy 301 Entrance, Gate 1. The Showcase of Champions cheer competition runs in Entertainment Hall on Sunday, Dec. 6 from 8 a.m., also Gate 1. Sunday carries three shows across two gate lanes.
The lot charges per entry
Parking runs $10 online and $12 onsite for this show. Each ticket covers one entry and the item is dated Dec. 4 to 6. Three show days need three tickets: $30 prepaid against $36 at the gate. The organiser warns of a second parking charge for a guest who leaves the grounds and returns. The wristband covers same-day re-entry inside the gate.
Admission, and the child age with three readings
The venue page reads "Children 8 And Under – Free." The organiser FAQ reads "Children 10 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult." The organiser About page reads 8 and under. Ask at the door, or buy the child a $5 ticket.
Each day is its own admission and the wristband allows re-entry through the day. Online tickets carry a 4 percent processing fee. The organiser encourages cash at the door and accepts Venmo and tap-to-pay.
Autographs sit outside the room budget
The organiser lineup page names Saturday guests from the 1986 Mets group, Dennis Martinez, Warren Moon, Richard Wood and Martin Gramatica. Friday and Sunday read to be announced, and every signing time reads TBA. JSA takes submissions at the show for authentication of cards, photographs, jerseys, balls and bats. Autograph and grading prices come from the guest and the grader.
What to send the property
Four dated lines: two nights, Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, with a 3 p.m. Sunday checkout; the third-night price for Dec. 3; a cutoff date; and the cancellation term.