722 Best Sights in Florida, USA

Flamingo features a visitor center where you can consult with rangers and join walking tours, and it's also where you'll find a well-stocked marina store with beverages, snacks, camping provisions, and a gift shop. There are also boat rentals, guided boat tours, walking trails, an RV and tent campground, and a collection of "eco-tents" on the shores of Florida Bay that lean toward "glamping." The winter season is traditionally the busiest, so be sure to arrive with reservations in hand, while during the hot and rainy summer season, portions of the campground may be closed due to flooding. 

This kid-friendly coaster is a simple way to introduce your children to the pleasures of g-forces and vertigo. The queue takes you past Hagrid's hut and then on board for a "training flight" above the grounds of Hogwarts Castle. On the brief journey, there are some nice little twists and dips that'll give them a pint-sized dose of adrenaline—just enough to please parents as well as the kids themselves. That said, this ride isn't appropriate for people with heart, back, or neck problems or who are prone to motion sickness. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to a ride vehicle. Lines are usually long, so consider using Express Pass for this one.

Although eels, sharks, and stingrays are the headliners, this aquarium is much more than a giant fishbowl. The architectural landmark features an 83-foot-high, tiered glass dome; 250,000 square feet of air-conditioned exhibit space; and more than 20,000 aquatic plants and animals—from blacktip sharks to leafy sea dragons—from Florida and elsewhere in the world. Interactive displays, behind-the-scenes tours, and in-water adventures let you get hands-on—and get your feet wet.

The 500,000-gallon Coral Reef Gallery has a 43-foot-wide panoramic opening, viewing windows, and a walk-through tunnel where you feel as if you've entered the depths. A thicket of elkhorn coral teems with tropical fish, a dark cave reveals sea life normally seen only on night dives, and South African penguins make daily appearances. Another highlight is the Indian Ocean coral reef at the Journey to Madagascar exhibit, which also features ring-tailed lemurs and hissing cockroaches.

Younger kids love the Explore a Shore, an aquatic playground with a waterslide, water-jet sprays, and a climbable replica pirate ship. If you have an extra 90 minutes, try the Wild Dolphin Cruise, which takes up to 130 passengers onto Tampa Bay in a 72-foot catamaran to see bottlenose dolphins and other wildlife. 

Florida flora and fauna shine in more than a dozen gardens and natural areas at these botanical gardens, open to visitors for free nearly every day of the year. You can wander through areas devoted to native plants, cacti and succulents, and a butterfly garden. You never know what sort of wildlife you might encounter–alligators, birds, and turtles–in the Aquatic Habitat, consisting of a gorgeous retention pond and McKay’s Creek.

You won't want to miss the cave tours revealing stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, columns, rim stones, flowstones, and "waterfalls" of solid rock at these underground caverns, where the temperature hovers at an oh-so-pleasant 68°F year-round. The park includes a visitor center with museum exhibits and a video in addition to picnic pavilions, campsites, a small playground, and a ½-mile loop trail. Tours can be booked in advance online ( www.floridacavernsgiftshop.com).

In front of the modern, 22-story tower that serves as Florida's new state capitol sits the "old" circa-1902 capitol. The domed, classical-styled building with whimsical candy-striped awnings now houses a museum, and its stained-glass interior dome, hallways, governor's suite, and chambers of the state legislature and supreme court have been restored. Other rooms have been filled with artifacts that trace Florida's political history from territorial days to the present as well as revolving exhibits. Docents will provide information for self-guided tours, and you can download a free audio tour from the museum's website.

Downtown St. Petersburg's Florida Holocaust Museum is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. In addition to hosting rotating exhibits, it has the permanent History, Heritage, and Hope exhibit; an original boxcar; and an extensive collection of photographs, art, and artifacts. One compelling display includes portraits and biographies of Holocaust survivors.

The museum was conceived as a learning center for children, so many of the displays avoid overly graphic content. Signs are posted outside galleries where the subject matter might be too intense for kids.

On Monday, September 2, 1935, more than 400 people perished when the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the United States swept through this area of the Keys. Two years later, the Florida Keys Memorial was dedicated in their honor. Native coral rock, known as keystone, covers the 18-foot obelisk monument that marks the cremated remains of some 300 of the storm victims.

Have a nose-to-beak encounter with ospreys, hawks, herons, and other unreleasable birds at this bird rehabilitation center. The birds live in spacious screened enclosures along a boardwalk running through some of the best waterfront real estate in the Keys.

On the campus of the University of Florida, the state's official museum of natural history (and the largest of its type in the Southeast) has more than 40 million specimens of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, mollusks, reptiles, vertebrate and invertebrate fossils, recent and fossilized plants, and archaeological and anthropological artifacts. It also holds one of the world's largest collections of butterflies and moths. Permanent exhibits include those on Florida's geological and fossil history, its early Indigenous peoples, and the biodiversity of its flora and fauna. Enjoy live butterflies at one of many feeding stations, experience a life-size limestone cave, and see fossil skeletons of a mammoth and mastodon from the Ice Age. The museum also features changing temporary exhibits.

This museum, now housed in new digs in historic Ybor City, is the epicenter for the photographic arts in the region. With a series of rotating exhibits that runs the gamut, there’s something for everyone, from historic images to contemporary works.

Florida's 1,500-mile hiking trail starts in Big Cypress National Preserve and stretches all the way to the western tip of the Panhandle, at Gulf Islands National Seashore. It's broken up into smaller trails of 6 to 28 miles each. Two 5-mile trails, Concho Billie and Fire Prairie, can be accessed in Big Cypress off Turner River Road. Pick up maps and a hiking permit at the Oasis Visitor Center. Moderate.

This hydroland is the place to go for an interactive marine experience and to live the center's mission "to inspire environmental stewardship of Florida's coastal ecosystems through education and research." Petting and feeding stingrays can be done at various times; in the morning, a sea turtle program introduces you to three full-time residents. Make sure to catch the "feeding frenzy," when keepers toss food into the 750,000-gallon lagoon tank and sharks, tarpon, and snook swarm the surface. Join a 1-mile guided walk through the coastal hardwood hammock and mangrove swamp habitats, or explore the trails on your own—you may see a dolphin or manatee swim by.

Though most of this 26,000-acre refuge is off-limits to the public to protect endangered Florida panthers, it has two short loop trails in a region lightly traveled by panthers, where visitors can get a feel for the wet prairies, tropical hammocks, and pine uplands where panthers roam and wild orchids thrive. The 1.3-mile trail is rugged and often thigh-high underwater during summer and fall; it's closed when completely flooded. The shorter trail meanders through a hardwood hammock, is wheelchair-accessible, and open year-round. For both, bring drinking water and insect repellent. Sightings are rare, but you may spot deer, black bears, and the occasional panther—or their tracks. In spring the refuge and its nonprofit host an Open House event, in which areas normally closed to public access are open for buggy tours, swamp hikes, birding tours, and plant ID walks.

Ever since the Disney film Frozen hit the jackpot, Disney's theme parks have been mining the blockbuster with character meet and greets, entertainment vignettes, a ride, and this show, which packs the house up to 10 times a day. The comical emcees are two costumed "Royal Historians" of Arendelle, who pepper their Frozen story narration with witticisms. Animated segments of the film accompany the narration on a giant screen, and live actors portray Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff convincingly as they interact with the historians and audience. Song lyrics are displayed on two additional video screens, and everyone sings along to the film's playlist, especially the Academy Award–winning "Let It Go" and the sweetly melodic "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". For people with disabilities: Wheelchair accessible. A large theater makes this is a great option for the afternoon.

Spread over 130 acres along the St. Johns River 13 miles northeast of Downtown Jacksonville (via Route 113), this site is part of the vast Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, which has both historical and recreational options. Exhibits explore first contact between the Timucua people and Europeans, and the waterways and shady paths offer hikes and pristine beaches.

The original fort was built in the 1560s by French Huguenots, who held what may have been the original Thanksgiving on the site. They were later slaughtered by the Spanish in the first major clash between European powers for control of what would become the United States. An oak-wood pathway leads to a replica of the original fort—a great, sunny place to picnic (bring your own food and drink), stretch your legs, and explore a small museum. There's a 1-mile, self-guided nature trail and wayside exhibits between the visitor center and the fort.

This redbrick Civil War fort never saw a lick of action during the war. Today it serves as a museum, operated by the Key West Art & Historical Society, with exhibits about the 19th and 20th centuries, including relics from the USS Maine, cigar factory and shipwrecking displays, and a collection of Stanley Papio's "junk art" sculptures and Cuban folk artist Mario Sanchez's chiseled and painted wooden carvings of historic Key West street scenes. You can climb to the top of the citadel tower.

If you need to relax after a long day of playing in the water, this remote beach is it, and getting here is half the fun. Situated at the terminus of Fort Island Trail, the same road where you'll find the Plantation on Crystal River, the beach is a 9-mile drive through wetlands with sweeping views along the way (though the Crystal River nuclear plant looms to the north). The beach itself is raw and subdued, with few frills, though there are picnic shelters, barbecues, and a fishing pier. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset.

Constructed of more than 21 million locally made bricks, the fort, dating from 1834 and now part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, once served as a prison for Apache chief Geronimo. A National Park Service plaque describes the complex as a "confusing jumble of fortifications," but the real attractions here are the beach, nature exhibits, a large campground, an excellent gift shop, and breathtaking views of Pensacola Bay and the lighthouse across the inlet. It's the perfect place for a picnic lunch and a bit of history, too.

Across the inlet at the northern side of Hutchinson Island, a fishing oasis lures beachgoers who can't wait to reel in snook, flounder, and bluefish, among others. The park is also known as a prime wave-riding locale, thanks to a reef that lies just outside the jetty. Summer is the busiest season by a long shot, but don't be fooled: it's a laid-back place to sun and surf. There are covered picnic tables but no concessions; however, from where anglers perch, a bunch of casual restaurants can be spotted on the other side of the inlet that are a quick drive away. Note that the area of Jack Island Preserve has been closed indefinitely. Amenities: lifeguards (summer only); parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

It comes in two parts: a shady mainland picnic area with barbecues and a white-sand beach island. The causeway is a popular hangout for windsurfers, and the entire area is great for birding. The beach itself is very relaxed and family-friendly, and you can find kayak rentals on the island's eastern side. Amenities: parking (fee); showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; windsurfing.

The gallery of this longtime figure in the Miami arts scene highlights emerging and mid-career artists, providing them that tipping point needed for national and international exposure and recognition. It maintains its warehouse roots, letting the art speak for itself amid the raw walls and ample natural light. Though a commercial gallery, the selection is highly curated. Rotating monthly exhibitions are usually thematic, with works by one of its represented artists, including Hernan Bas, Alice Aycock, Enrique Martínez Celaya, and Jon Pylypchuk. For the art novice, the team, including Snitzer himself, is readily available and willing to share their knowledge.

You can see the neon-lit rides from miles away as you approach International Drive. Four go-kart tracks offer a variety of driving experiences. Though drivers must be at least 10 years old and meet height requirements, parents can drive younger children in two-seater cars on several of the tracks, including the Conquest Track. Nineteen rides range from the dizzying Enterprise to an old-fashioned Ferris wheel to the twirling toddler Teacups.

Fun Spot, reminiscent of an old-fashioned fair, features Central Florida's only wooden roller coaster as well as the Freedom Flyer steel suspension family coaster, a kiddie coaster, and SkyCoaster—part skydive, part hang glide. There's also an arcade, and throwback rides such as the Tilt-a-Whirl. Gator Spot, created in partnership with the iconic Gatorland and starring several live alligators and other Florida wildlife, is a throwback to the old days of Orlando roadside attractions.

Families who scale Mount Mayday have to haul their raft to the peak before the adventure begins. Upon takeoff, a 6½-foot-long inflated raft plunges down the slide with impressive speed, with things getting bumpy at times along the 300-foot river. It's a pleasant ride for families—not too scary for kids, and not too dull for adults. Those who are pregnant or have heart, back, or neck problems should sit this one out.

The inner tubes are heavy, so have at least two willing carriers. Also be prepared to ride with two to four riders (five if some are smaller kids).

At Gator Park, you can really get to know alligators and even touch a baby gator during the park's wildlife show. You can also meet turtles, macaws, and peacocks. Native snakes also reside nearby, including the black pine snake, brooks king snake, Florida king snake, and red rat snake. The park, open rain or shine, also provides educational airboat tours through Everglades National Park, as well as a gift shop and restaurant serving swamp fare like burgers, gator tail, and sausage. Tickets include admission, a group airboat ride, and an alligator wrestling show. Private tours are available.  Gator Park is authorized by the National Park Service to give airboat rides inside Everglades National Park.

Built in 1875 on Hutchinson Island, this is the only remaining example of 10 such structures that were erected by the U.S. Life-Saving Service (a predecessor of the Coast Guard) to aid stranded sailors. The displays here include antique lifesaving equipment, maps, artifacts from nearby wrecks, and boatbuilding tools. The museum is affiliated with the nearby Elliott Museum; package tickets are available.

It's all about play here, and, with 53,000 square feet, more than a dozen themed areas, and over 170 interactive exhibits, there's plenty of opportunity for it. In areas designed to nurture imagination and strengthen confidence children and families can experience everything from flying an airplane to shopping for groceries. Kids can also create art, control the weather, navigate a mini-shipping channel, and "drive" a miniature (stationary) fire truck through Tampa. The Water's Journey Tree mimics the water cycle and lets kids climb to the second floor.

This bright, cheery, 30,000-square-foot ode to playful learning has 12 state-of-the-art permanent galleries that do not disappoint. Kids of many ages and abilities (exhibits were designed to be accessible for children with special needs, too) will love the gigantic Banyan Tree, a focal point at 45 feet tall and a climbing obstacle of sorts; the Farm & Market, a cooperative playground where roles are assigned (a harvester or cashier, for example) to subtly encourage team building and math skills; and the Green Construction zone, where hard hats and eco-friendly building materials will inspire future architects.  The museum is in the same place as the Sun-N-Fun Lagoon water park, and it's possible to do both in one day.

In this attraction—which shines with the polish of enhanced facades, sound system, and boat-ride props—Donald teams with old pals José Carioca (the parrot) and Panchito (the Mexican charro rooster) from the 1944 Disney film The Three Caballeros. The Gran Fiesta Tour film sweeps you along for an animated jaunt as the caballeros are reunited for a grand performance in Mexico City. Donald manages to disappear for his own tour of the country, leaving José and Panchito to search for their missing comrade. For people with disabilities: The boat is accessible to guests using wheelchairs, but those using ECVs or oversize chairs must transfer to a Disney model. Equipped for handheld-captioning and audio-description devices. It's worth a visit if lines aren't long, especially if you have small children, who usually enjoy the novelty of a boat ride.

"Don't touch" are words never spoken here. The museum is hands-on through and through, with an art studio, replica vet's office and grocery store, a "beach" with real sand, a touch tunnel, and other interactive play areas. Kids and grown-ups alike will marvel at Reefscape, a brilliantly colorful fabric and yarn interpretation of Florida's underwater ecosystems.