Florida attractions

Stretching for 11 miles (18 kilometers) from the Orlando Premium Outlets to near Walt Disney World® Resort, Orlando’s International Drive (I-Drive for short) serves as the city’s major tourist hub. Several of the city’s top theme parks and attractions—including SeaWorld Orlando, Universal Studios Florida™, ICON Park, and more—are all located along this stretch, and many visitors spend the bulk of their trip exploring its various offerings.

Disney Springs® is an entertainment district at Walt Disney World® Resort that’s home to themed shops, more than 150 restaurants, and venues inspired by Florida’s waterfront towns. It’s a great spot for snacks, souvenir shopping, and live entertainment, including Drawn to Life Presented by Cirque du Soleil®. Visitors can also enjoy the Aerophile balloon ride for panoramic views, live music performances, and Amphicar Tours on Lake Buena Vista.

Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay combines the thrills of a theme park—replete with looping roller coasters, drop towers, white-water rafting, and more rides for all ages—with the educational discovery of a zoo. One of the largest zoos in North America, Busch Gardens is home to more than 200 species, from rhinos and zebras to cheetahs and gorillas, that you can see up close on a Serengeti-style safari.

A hidden gem amid the hustle and bustle of the city, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden offers a secret oasis from the frenetic urban energy. Find diverse flora carefully comingling with lush lawns, fountains, and atria brimming with colorful flowers. This free attraction offers a near-perfect spot to unwind in nature while exploring Miami.

With miles of pristine beaches, a peaceful pine forest hiking trail, and plentiful wildlife, Honeymoon Island State Park is one of the best places to spend a day outdoors in Florida. Once a privately owned honeymoon destination, the barrier island is now a state park that’s easy to reach from anywhere in Tampa Bay. Come to search for shells on the white sand, and stay for the top-notch boating and bird-watching.

Situated on Key West’s Mallory Square, the Key West Aquarium is home to an array of undersea wonders. Exhibits offer an up-close look at some of the Florida Keys’ wildest and most fragile species, from kid-friendly touch tanks—featuring shells, urchins, and crabs—to rescued sea turtles that can’t survive in the wild. They’re swimming alongside translucent jellyfish, sharks, and a wide range of rainbow-hued tropical fish that flaunt their fins at daily feedings.

Miami’s Jungle Island (formerly Parrot Jungle) is an eco-adventure park where you can experience animal encounters, treetop walks (or bolder explorations), and educational shows to learn about different creatures. The park is home to a range of animals—including sloths, wallabies, lemurs, capybaras, and Burmese pythons; there are also parrots and macaws that fly freely in indoor aviaries, as well as flamingos, tortoises, and other tropical species.

American President Harry S. Truman used this 1890 landmark as a winter White House, visiting 11 times over the course of his presidency. Now a presidential museum, the house preserves Truman’s legacy with original furnishings, personal items, and memorabilia. Guided tours of the museum uncover personal stories from Truman’s time here.

With soft white sand and calm, clean water, Las Olas Beach is one of the top family-friendly spots in Fort Lauderdale. Whether sunbathing—with umbrellas and chairs available to rent—or venturing out in the water to try out surfing, Las Olas Beach has something for everyone. There are also plenty of restaurants just across the street, making it an excellent all-day destination.

Waving palm trees and pristine white sand stretch for .5 miles (.8 kilometers) at Smathers Beach, among Key West’s best places to soak up Florida’s generous sunshine. While many simply come to enjoy the views, this beach also stands out for its wide range of activities. Gaze offshore, and you’ll spot parasailers gliding through the sky, as other visitors swim, snorkel, kayak, or drive Jet Skis.

Centuries of history are on display at the Governor’s House Cultural Center and Museum in St. Augustine. History buffs come to see archaeological artifacts such as Spanish gold and Native American canoes. For a thorough introduction to several centuries of St. Augustine history, check out the diverse exhibitions at this museum, managed by the University of Florida.

Don’t let the friendly pink stucco exterior fool you. Although this building might look like an old-fashioned luxury resort, it was actually one of the most feared places in all of St. Augustine—the St. Johns County Jail. Built in 1891, the jail housed prisoners until 1953, when it opened to the public for tours.

Discover the sunshine state’s untouched side in the vast Big Cypress National Preserve, which borders Everglades National Park but receives a fraction of its annual visitors. Explore the preserve by scenic drive, trail, or boat to see basking alligators in their natural habitat. The landscape here spans mangrove swamps and woodlands, and is dotted with eight campgrounds where you can stay overnight in the Florida wilderness.

Home to an array of animals ranging from native Florida species to African wildlife, ZooTampa at Lowry Park is a top family attraction in the Tampa Bay area. In addition to the animals, the zoo features a train and other kid-friendly rides.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is one of the four parks that make up the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, Florida. This park combines the best of a zoo, safari, and a theme park all in one. Guests can discover animals such as Sumatran tigers and African elephants, witness enchanting new worlds such as Pandora—The World of Avatar, enjoy thrilling rides and wilderness excursions, and much more.

Filled with more than 100,000 items reflecting the times of the early 20th century, the Oldest Store Museum reflects what you might have found in a typical general store at the turn of the century. A tour with in-character guides gives you an engaging look at authentic antique items with a fun explanation of local history.

Zoo Miami (Miami-Dade Zoological Park and Gardens) is home to thousands of animals, trees, and plants. Florida’s subtropical climate allows the zoo to feature large swathes of natural habitat, making it one of the most diverse wildlife parks in the country and a great place to explore. If you’re interested in the state’s native environments, visit interactive conservation exhibits showcasing flora and fauna from the Everglades and the Pine Rockland habitats. It’s the perfect family-friendly Miami activity.

Visitors to St. Augustine looking for an alternative to historical landmarks are often drawn to the fun, family-friendly Potter’s Wax Museum. Kids are especially fascinated by this entertaining museum, featuring dozens of wax sculptures of well-known personalities, from actors to historical figures and beyond. Photographs with life-like figures are a favorite thing to do at this museum.

Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen, and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios Florida™, the world’s premier movie- and TV-based theme park. This Orlando favorite, one of several parks that make up Universal Orlando Resort™, offers rides, shows, movie sets, and attractions that bring to life blockbuster movies such as Transformers, Despicable Me, and Harry Potter.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure™—part of Universal Orlando Resort™—is a theme park that’s designed around the concept of exploration, with each area of the park representing different themed islands. Highlights include Marvel Super Hero Island, Jurassic Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, and Seuss Landing. Visitors can enjoy comic book-style architecture, character meet-and-greets, rollercoasters, water rides, and other attractions to suit a diverse range of ages.

Universal Volcano Bay™ is a tropical-themed water park located within Universal Orlando™. At its center, visitors can find Krakatau™, a 200-foot (61-meter) volcano that anchors several major water slides. It also features waterfalls and lava effects. The park offers a wide mix of attractions, from water coasters and giant slides to wave pools and lazy rivers, ensuring fun for visitors of all ages and thrill levels.

Downtown Tampa's Florida Aquarium highlights the diverse marine habitats of the Sunshine State and far beyond. Spot wetlands dwellers such as alligators and river otters, watch tiger sharks and moray eels circle coral reefs, and see many more species native to everywhere from Madagascar to Australia. Suitable for all ages, the aquarium has a variety of habitats and temporary exhibition spaces, plus touch tanks and animal encounters.

Just offshore of Florida in the Tampa Bay, Egmont Key State Park features a lighthouse built in 1858. The island was used as a prison during the Third Seminole War and a Union Naval station during the Civil War. Fort Dade, now in ruins, was built during the Spanish-American War. Today, Egmont Key is a state park and wildlife refuge.

Treacherous waters off Key West have brought down ships carrying gold and silver for centuries. The Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum puts those treasures on display, alongside cannons, swords, and other artifacts dredged from the bottom of the sea. Wrecks from the 1700s and 1800s are the heart of the museum's collection.

In a city rich with historic landmarks, the Oldest Wooden School House in St. Augustine remains a striking sight—this small wooden structure is chained to the ground to protect it from hurricanes. Dating back to the 1700s, this schoolhouse offers a glimpse into the layered history of St. Augustine. See the schoolhouse, gardens, and historic kitchen during a visit.

The somber Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach is a fitting place to reflect on the tragedy of World War II and learn the story of the Holocaust. Beyond its stunning bronze sculpture, the memorial offers educational programs, lectures, and seminars. The Memorial Wall, etched with thousands of names, honors those who lost their lives.

The Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum lets you step back in time and immerse yourself in the nautical and maritime heritage of what was once the richest city in the US. Discover the perils of shipwrecking and climb the 65-foot (20-meter) lookout tower, from which folks would watch out for Spanish galleons and alert the authorities in case of a wreck.

The Spanish Military Hospital Museum in St. Augustine stands out in a destination full of fascinating historic landmarks. This site offers educational tours and a glimpse of the Spanish Colonial period, including an overview of medical practices. Learn about an ancient apothecary and medicinal herbs grown in the garden during a visit to this popular attraction, which includes the Hospital West building, the Apothecary, and the Hospital East.

Fort De Soto Park is one of the most peaceful outdoor spots near St. Petersburg—a far cry from its former life as a military fort, with a past that features the Spanish-American War and World War II. The chain of five interconnected islands is home to hundreds of bird species, white-sand beaches rated among the best in the country, and a variety of ecosystems that you can explore by land or from the warm gulf waters.

Not to be confused with Sea World, 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) away, SEA LIFE Orlando is a separate aquarium in the ICON Park entertainment complex. As part of the largest family of aquariums on the continent, SEA LIFE Orlando is an educational tourist attraction and a facility providing marine health care.