Florida attractions

Everglades Holiday Park offers a family-friendly introduction to the vast Florida Everglades and its wild inhabitants. Visitors can explore the 29-acre (11.7-hectare) wetlands on narrated airboat tours. The park is also well known as the filming location of the Animal Planet series Gator Boys. In addition to airboat tours, the park offers animal encounters, shows, and talks from wildlife experts.

Daytona International Speedway is home to the Daytona 500—one of the most important annual races in the NASCAR calendar, drawing automotive enthusiasts from around the United States and the rest of the world. Located just a few miles from Daytona Beach, this storied racetrack also hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, including major motorsports races, motocross racing, and endurance events such as triathlons.

Built in 1869 as the Keeper’s Quarters of the Pensacola Light Station, the Richard C. Callaway Museum was converted into a maritime museum in 1995. The Pensacola Lighthouse, erected in 1859, is even older and is still an active U.S. Coast Guard navigation aid. U.S. Navy Blue Angels are based at NAS Pensacola, where the Lighthouse resides.

Discover contemporary and modern art on exhibit at PAMM, or the Perez Art Museum Miami. Set in a striking glass building with coastal views, PAMM relocated to its current location in 2013 and showcases a range of colorful exhibits with art from the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Australia.

Butterflies from across the globe flutter through this enclosed conservatory, one of Key West’s most colorful attractions. A garden-like space offers lush habitat for dozens of species, and there’s an on-site learning center devoted to the migratory monarch butterfly. Along with the butterflies, find artworks and educational exhibits here.

Step back in time to the 11th century—the era of kings, queens, and knights—at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Orlando. Watch a jousting tournament, sword fights, horsemanship, and falconry while eating a 4-course medieval style feast inside a European-style castle, complete with armor, artifacts, and coats of arms.

Walk down the red carpet for an afternoon at Madame Tussauds in Orlando. Here, guests are able to find out how they measure up against sports icons, strike a pose with a pop princess, shake hands with a smiling Barack Obama, and take a selfie with Einstein. The museum poses TV and film stars next to music legends, along with well-known pop culture personalities.

As a premier shopping and entertainment hub just a stone's throw from Miami, Dolphin Mall is the place to find some of the best deals on brand-name apparel. There are more than 200 stores here—like Calvin Klein, Banana Republic, and Tommy Hilfiger—plus plentiful dining options, valet parking, and the family-friendly CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19.

A far cry from the busy beaches of Miami or Fort Lauderdale, this 7-mile (11-kilometer) expanse of pristine Florida coastline has managed to preserve its sleepy charm. Beachgoers can enjoy the sprawling sky and white sand dunes of the Gulf Coast, all while staying in a nearby resort town that offers a relaxed vibe and upscale amenities.

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, situated on the breezy shores of the bay, are an ideal destination for gardeners, nature lovers, and travelers looking for a calm, nature-focused outing in Sarasota. Stroll through the gardens, visit the conservatory, and browse the Museum of Botany and Arts at this 15-acre oasis.

Extending a quarter mile (1,300 feet) over the Atlantic Ocean, the Edward B. Knight Pier is perhaps the best place in Key West to see the sunrise. The concrete, Brutalist-style pier is also an excellent place to soak up ocean views at any time.

Florida’s largest urban park is in Miami, offering over 1,000 acres (400 hectares for a range of outdoor activities from cycling to kayaking and fishing. Oleta River State Park is home to rugged trails, mangrove-spotted coastlines, and a 1,200-foot (350-meter sandy beach. The park is best known as a destination for cyclists, with 3 miles (5 kilometers of simple paved paths and 10 miles (15 kilometers of off-road trails.

One of the best places in Everglades National Park to spot alligators, birds, and other wildlife, Shark Valley is a popular destination for nature lovers. Part of a freshwater ecosystem with incredible biodiversity, Shark Valley is situated in the heart of what is often called the “true Everglades,” a river of grass that stretches 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Naturalist guides bring the scenery to life.

As the first welcome site upon entering the Everglades National Park, the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is a useful resource for first-time or returning guests. Offering educational exhibits and detailed maps, the visitor center provides a helpful overview of the park, its unique ecosystem, and animal inhabitants.

This former winter estate of circus magnate and art collector John Wringling is a piece of the Old World on the Gulf Coast shores. The centerpiece is John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (Florida's state art museum), but make a day of it and visit the Circus Museum, manicured bayfront gardens, and Cà d'Zan, an opulent Venetian-style mansion.

In Miami Beach, Mango's Tropical Cafe is synonymous with live performances, late night parties, and fantastic dancing. Stop by this two-story nightclub earlier for dinner and drinks, show up rejuvenated from a disco nap for a night out with your besties, or swing by to hydrate with refreshing cocktails after tanning at Lummus Park Beach.

Experience the culture of the Polynesian islands in Daytona Beach at the Polynesian Fire show, suitable for the whole family. The Polynesia Fire cultural show includes a luau-style buffet dinner and live entertainment: music, hula dancing, and a fire knife performance.

The youngest of Walt Disney World® Resort’s two water parks, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is a family-friendly attraction in Central Florida. Opened in 1995, its mythical history claims it was once a ski resort that melted into its current warm, welcoming setting. Along with waterslides and a lazy river, the park features wintery attractions like a snow-castle fountain.

With 95 acres of mostly undeveloped land, Sand Key Park is the serene tip of one of Clearwater’s barrier islands. Looking directly across the Clearwater Pass at Clearwater Beach, Sand Key Park offers wildlife viewing, picnicking, loggerhead sea turtle hatching, a nature trail, a boardwalk, fishing piers, a concession stand, and the white sandy beaches this part of Florida’s Gulf Coast is known for.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church enjoys a prominent location on Key West’s busy Duval Street. But even without this enviable piece of real estate, the church would be hard to miss. On sunny days, its white exterior stands out brilliantly against the bright blue Key West sky. Inside, you’ll find a peaceful sanctuary from the bustling city.

Hollywood Beach—located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale—is famous for its red-brick boardwalk, which has been named one of the best beach boardwalks in America. In addition to admiring the panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean, visitors flock here for beach time, cycling, rollerblading, and jogging. There’s also a water playground nearby, as well as plenty of shops and outdoor cafés.

HarborWalk Village is the central area of Destin as far as tourism is concerned. It is located on Harbor Boulevard, aka Highway 98, the main throughway through Destin. A waterfront shopping, dining, and entertainment complex adjacent to the Destin Harbor Boardwalk, HarborWalk Village is a popular place for sunset viewing, casual strolling, weekly fireworks displays, and countless family-friendly live events throughout the year.

North Straub Park is one of a series of bayfront parks in St. Petersburg. It’s surrounded by cafes, restaurants, and museums, often hosting community events and private gatherings. Its sibling park, South Straub Park, is just opposite the Museum of Fine Arts.

Fort Matanzas is an easy attraction to miss in St. Augustine if you’re not aware of its location on Rattlesnake Island, south of the historic center. But it’s worth seeking out, if only for the free scenic ferry ride to get there (it fills up quickly). A Spanish stronghold built to protect the city, this fort dates back to the 1700s. Today, the island fort is open for self-guided tours, picnics, and strolls along the Marsh Trail.

Shop until you drop at Sawgrass Mills, the largest outlet and value retail destination in the country. Just outside Fort Lauderdale, the shopping center features more than 350 stores, with plenty for both high-end fashion lovers and bargain hunters. A movie theater, a family fun area, and lots of dining options round out the experience.

The Loop Road is known for alligator viewing and being the Wild West of the Florida swamp. The 24-mile (38-kilometer) unpaved road offers an opportunity to get off the main road and explore Big Cypress National Preserve at a slower pace. The vegetation and swamps lining both sides of the road make it ideal for spotting alligators, birds, and otters.

An oasis in the heart of St. Petersburg, Sunken Gardens is a 4-acre, century-old living museum in the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood. Walking paths weave through the botanical gardens, adorned with hundreds of species of plants, flowers, exotic birds, and flamingos that add even more vibrant hues to the lush surroundings.

Celebrated for its elaborate, pirate-themed attractions—and offering several different courses—Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf is a popular Orlando destination for minigolf lovers. Located on International Drive (a quick trip from the city’s theme parks), it offers a fun-filled way to get outdoors and enjoy a sightseeing break.

While the self-guided Gumbo Limbo Trail only stretches for a mere 0.4 miles (0.64 kilometers, it is, perhaps, one of the most popular trails in the Everglades for its glimpse into a hardwood hammock ecosystem. Defined by its slight rise in elevation above the marshy waters, the arbored habit is comprised of a lush, tropical grove of trees.

Stroll through St. Augustine and its historic roots are everywhere—from the narrow streets to the charming architecture. To explore local history further, check out the 17th-century Father Miguel O’Reilly House, the second oldest structure in St. Augustine. What was once a Catholic parish rectory is now a museum and garden with beautiful architecture and small exhibits on St. Augustine’s Catholic traditions.