Space Coast
Directly across the Indian River Lagoon from Kennedy Space Center, this park is one of the best spots on the coast from which to observe launches. Its 2…
Must-see attractions in Florida
Northeast Florida
A slate of innovative temporary exhibitions traipses across the gallery space and attractive atrium of this energetic local museum, which has been…
St Augustine
Built in 1891, this is the former prison and residence of the town's first sheriff, Charles Joseph 'the terror' Perry (towering menacingly at 6ft 6in tall…
Orlando
County-fair-like amusement park, with go-carts, kiddy rides, a wooden roller coaster and more. There's a small section called 'Gator Spot' (an overflow…
Gulf Coast
Off Pensacola Scenic Bluffs Hwy, this 32-acre park has wooden boardwalks that lead you along the side of the steep bluffs, through clutches of live oaks,…
Gulf Coast
Be on the lookout for ghosts of past lighthouse keepers as you climb the 177 steps of this 160ft, 1859 lighthouse, rumored to be haunted. The views are…
Treasure Coast
It may not be a 'nature' activity, but an afternoon here will get you outdoors. This small but immaculate stadium is home to spring-training action for…
St Augustine
Built from red cedar and cypress, the 200-year-old building contains animatronic teachers and students, and provides a glimpse into 18th-century life and…
Sarasota
This community-oriented nonprofit gallery has four exhibition spaces that mix local and out-of-town artists. Hosts frequent events, including a lecture…
St Augustine
Just north of downtown on the A1A, the mission dates back to the earliest days of Spanish settlement. Today, the peaceful memorial gardens feature a…
Key West
The historic Strand Theater was one of Key West’s great old-time movie houses, and it was used as a theater in the 1993 film Matinee. Today it’s a…
Miami
Coral Gables–designer George Merrick planned a series of elaborate entry gates to the city, but the real-estate bust meant that projects went unfinished…
TT Wentworth Jr Florida State Museum
Gulf Coast
Housed in an enormous historic mansion, this state museum showcases two floors of Florida and Pensacola history, and one floor of Wentworth's collection…
St Augustine
Free hour-long tours at this winery are capped with wine tastings and a video about Florida wine-making since the 1600s; if you're around in August, join…
Gulf Coast
This handsome church was built in New York state and cut into sections, which were shipped down the Atlantic Coast and around the Keys before making their…
Northeast Florida
This small museum offers a vibrant overview of life in American Beach, one of the few seaside resort communities built for African Americans in the…
Gulf Coast
Originally built in 1858, this little lighthouse was painstakingly reconstructed in 2008 after collapsing into the sea in 2005 due to erosion. Today you…
South Beach
Besides having one of Miami Beach's most recognizable neon facades, the Crescent has signage that draws the eye down into its lobby (the better to pack…
Cedar Key Historical Society Museum
Florida Panhandle
This small museum packs a punch with its exhibits of Native American, Civil War and seafood-industry artifacts, and especially for its extensive…
Tampa
This crayon-bright, interactive museum provides a creative play space for kids under 10. The staff are delightful and the adjacent Curtis Hixon Park is…
Florida Panhandle
Florida's history is splayed out in fun, crisp exhibits, from mastodon skeletons to Florida's Paleo-Indians and Spanish shipwrecks, the Civil War to 'tin…
Gold Coast
This is the formal name for the beach, though there is a suburban-style green space behind the boardwalk here, with picnic tables and barbecue grills.
Sarasota
A short stroll north along the Island Park waterfront is this towering statue of WWII's most famous kiss.
Miami
The Alhambra Watertower, where Greenway Ct and Ferdinand St meet Alhambra Circle, resembles a Moorish lighthouse.
Space Coast
The closest beach to downtown Cocoa Beach, Fischer Park is crowded with surfers and cruise-ship visitors.
Fort Lauderdale
This dog-friendly beach is the 100-yard swath running from E Sunrise Blvd to lifeguard station 5.
Tampa Bay
For an industrial-strength concentration of Florida seaside tackiness, tie up the boat (er, park the car) at this former fishing village now…
St Augustine
Insert tongue firmly in cheek and step right up for an acrid cup of eternal youth at this kitschy 'archaeological park.' As the story goes, Spanish…
Daytona Beach
This perfectly planar stretch of sand was once the city's raceway. Sections of the beach still welcome drivers to the sands at a strictly enforced top…
Gulf Coast
Dr John Gorrie (1803–55), one of Apalachicola's most famous sons, developed an ice-making machine to keep yellow-fever patients cool during an epidemic…
St Petersburg
The understated exhibits of this Holocaust museum, one of the country's largest, present mid-20th-century events with moving directness. Temporary,…
Gulf Coast
Sitting behind a white-picket fence and a facade of grand columns, this small museum occupies the former 1838 Southern style–plantation home of David…
Southwest Gulf Coast
A 10-acre, dog-friendly park at the east end of Bay St in Osprey that serves as an end point to the 20-mile cycling route, the Legacy Trail. There are…
Florida Keys
The marina, better known as Boot Key Harbor, is one of the best maintained working waterfronts in the Keys. Come during Christmas to see a ‘boat parade’…
St Augustine
Inside the old Castle Warden (1887), this is the first of the now-ubiquitous Ripley's 'Odditoriums.' Shrunken heads, a drum made from skulls and goofy…
Tampa Bay
Honeymoon Island's Nature Center offers exhibits on local habitats and wildlife, and hosts monthly presentations from wildlife experts, artists and other…
Maritime Museum of Amelia Island
Northeast Florida
This small museum on the harborfront has an entertaining collection of maritime bric-a-brac presented with a kid-friendly lashing of pirate-y flair.
Southwest Gulf Coast
Home to charter boats and a sightseeing fleet, and also the jumping-off point for boat tours, a pirate cruise and fishing trips.
Gulf Coast
Located at the edge of the cape, this little park offers an over-dunes boardwalk, waterfront views and good spots for a picnic.
