722 Best Sights in Florida, USA

In 2023, Universal Orlando joined the escape room trend to create two of its own, each one themed to a legendary film. After entering a classic movie theater and passing into a lobby, you'll embark on your chosen adventure—either Back to the Future: Outatime or Jurassic Park Escape—following a series of hidden clues and tasks through eight rooms to complete your mission. This involves either tracking down Biff, who's stolen Doc Brown's latest time-travel device, or solving a puzzle that will keep you from coming face-to-face with an escaped dinosaur (which technically could be avoided if you had Doc Brown's time-travel device).

You can go solo, but you might be assigned to participate with a group of other guests (no more than six other people). Plus it's much more fun solving puzzles, completing tasks, and looking for clues with a group. The venue is open daily, with the first experiences starting at around 10:45 am and the last ones at around 10:30 pm. In addition, two on-site bars serve beer and wine as well as specialty cocktails and mocktails.  Reservations are a good idea, and you should arrive about 15 minutes before the start of your experience, which will take about an hour to complete. 

Just across the inlet on the northern tip of Longboat Key, Greer Island Beach is accessible by boat or by car via North Shore Boulevard (you can walk here at low tide, but be sure to leave before the tide comes in). You'll also hear this place referred to as Beer Can Island. The secluded peninsula has a wide beach and excellent shelling, but no facilities. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.

The best place to start exploring Everglades National Park's watery western side is at this visitor center just south of Everglades City (5 miles south of U.S./Highway 41/Tamiami Trail), where rangers can give you the park lowdown and provide you with informational brochures and backcountry permits. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center serves as the gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extends to Flamingo and Florida Bay and are accessible only by boat in this region. Naturalist-led boat trips are handled by Everglades Florida Adventures of Guest Services, Inc., the concessioner that also rents canoes and kayaks.

This park is a winner with kids thanks to things like alligator and otter exhibits; educational chats and shows featuring dolphins, sharks, and birds; and a tropical garden. The stingray-petting pool and the shark-feeding and scuba demonstrations are big crowd pleasers, and the old favorites—performing sea lions, otters, and bottlenose dolphins—still hold their own. For an additional fee, you can participate in the interactiveTrainer for a Day program or one of the swim-with-the-dolphins experiences. Gulf World is also home to the Gulf World Marine Institute, dedicated to sea turtle and marine mammal rescue, rehabilitation, and release.

A beloved local attraction since 1955, this marine adventure park is home to dolphins, otters, penguins, alligators, harbor seals, and sharks. In addition to a range of exhibits, there are daily dolphin and sea lion shows, penguin and otter chats, and premium animal encounters including a VIP Trainer Experience and interactive swims or feedings. The Gulfarium is also home to the C.A.R.E. Center, which rescues and rehabilitates injured sea turtles and, when possible, releases them back into the wild.

A big draw for kids, this stellar spot has four huge saltwater tanks brimming with sea life, from coral to stingrays to spiny lobsters, and touch tanks, plus a sea turtle rehabilitation center. Nocturnal walks in spring and early summer, when staffers lead a quest to find nesting female turtles coming ashore to lay eggs, are popular; so are the hatchling releases in August and September. (Call to purchase tickets in advance, as there are very limited spaces.) This is one of only a handful of centers that offer this. There is also a nature trail and butterfly garden, a ¼-mile boardwalk, and a 40-foot observation tower, where you're likely to see brown pelicans and osprey.

Memorabilia from the early days of beach automobile racing are on display here, as are historic photographs, Native American and Civil War artifacts, a postcard exhibit, and a video that details city history. There's a shop for gifts and antiques, too. Admission is by donation on Thursday; on Saturday, kids 12 and under are free.

With the latest in Disney Audio-Animatronics (this attraction introduced the technology in 1971 and underwent a total high-tech transformation in 2017), this show, housed in a redbrick building inspired by Philadelphia's Independence Hall, tells a moving story of "The Idea of a President." Producers reshot the accompanying film in high-definition video and added more than 130 images culled from the National Archives, Library of Congress, and other collections. A digital soundtrack, LED lighting, and a dramatic narration further enhance the experience. The film covers more than two centuries of U.S. history and emphasizes what it means to lead the nation. Both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln grab a bit of the spotlight, the latter by delivering his famous Gettysburg Address.

The best part of the show is a roll call of all 45 U.S. presidents. (Fun fact: Joe Biden is officially the 46th president because Grover Cleveland is counted twice due to his having served nonconsecutive terms.) The current president always recites the oath of office. Each chief executive responds with a nod or a wave, and both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln rise from their seats. The robots nod and whisper to each other as the roll call proceeds. Anyone interested in presidential artifacts will enjoy the wait in the lobby area, where First Ladies' dresses, presidential portraits, and even George Washington's dental instruments are on display. For people with disabilities: The attraction is wheelchair accessible; enter through a door on the right. Reflective captioning available; equipped for assisted-listening devices. Visit in the afternoon when a chance to rest will be welcomed.

If you arrive too late to find a prime spot on Waturi Beach, this smaller, secluded, less-crowded beach near the back of the park is the perfect alternative. It's between the Taniwha Tubes and TeAwa the Fearless River attractions.

Almost crowded out by the glitz of new shops, restaurants, and art galleries is the original, once-thriving area of Hannibal Square, one of the oldest African-American communities in the country and home to Pullman porter families to this day. The Heritage Center has a permanent collection of photographs and oral histories of the significant West Winter Park area. It's a touching and important memorial to a neighborhood that influenced American history.

The posh Harbor Beach community includes Fort Lauderdale's most opulent residences on the Intracoastal Waterway. Due east of this community, a stunning beach has adopted the name of its surroundings. The Harbor Beach section has some of the only private beaches in Fort Lauderdale, and most of this beach belongs to hotels like the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa and Lago Mar Beach Resort & Club. (To be clear: Only hotel guests have access.) Such status allows the hotels to provide guests with full-service amenities and dining options on their own slices of heaven. Amenities: water sports. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This 112,800-square-foot museum has five main collections: Asian, with works dating back to the Neolithic era; African, encompassing costumes, domestic wares, and personal adornments; Modern, featuring the works of Georgia O'Keeffe, William Morris Hunt, Claude Monet, and George Bellows; Contemporary, with original pieces by Yayoi Kusama and El Anatsui; and Photography, including the work of Jerry N. Uelsmann, a retired University of Florida professor.

Renovations to this circa-1890 landmark have restored the home and gardens to the Truman era, down to the wallpaper pattern. A free photographic review of visiting dignitaries and presidents—John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton are among the chief executives who passed through here—is on display in the back of the gift shop. Engaging 45-minute tours, conducted every 20 minutes, start with an excellent 10-minute video on the history of the property and Truman's visits. On the grounds of Truman Annex, a 103-acre former military parade grounds and barracks, the home served as a “winter White House” for Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. Entry is cheaper when purchased in advance online; tickets bought on-site add sales tax.  The house tour does require climbing steps. Note that you can also do a free self-guided botanical tour of the grounds with a brochure from the museum store.

Stroll through this 3½-acre green space, which includes a palm walk, a Japanese garden, and a collection of 100 bonsai trees. There is also a gift shop with whimsical and botanical knickknacks. Guided tours are available by appointment for an extra fee.

When Burney Henderson sold his family's land to the state, it preserved the last remaining coastal scrub area in Destin. The park has more than a mile of undisturbed beachfront, campsites, and a boardwalk atop 30-foot snow-white sand dunes. Make a day of it: Walk the nature trail early in the morning, spend the afternoon at the beach, and hang around to enjoy a spectacular sunset. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: swimming; walking.

You'll learn that more grapefruit is shipped from the Indian River area than anywhere else in the world at this museum in downtown Vero Beach. The memorabilia harks back to when families washed and wrapped the luscious fruit to sell at roadside stands and cattle hauled citrus-filled crates with distinctive Indian River labels to the rail station.

Local Indigenous peoples built a large mound here that is one of the largest prehistoric earthworks on saltwater. The site, which was a center of religious, political, and social activity, is still considered a sacred burial ground. A small museum explains the mound and the people who built it; displays of artifacts and weaponry and hands-on exhibits shed more light on the area's inhabitants between AD 700 and 1500. Admission includes entry to the museum, as well as a restored post office and schoolhouse on the site.

Colorful and quirky miniature Seussian trains on separate tracks embark on a slow and pleasing tour that provides an aerial view of the area, with Seusslike narration along the way. You'll roll right through the Circus McGurkus Café Stoo-pendous and along the shores of the lagoon, where you can see the Sneetches as they enjoy the beaches. Kids love trains, and with its cartoonish design, they'll love this one even more. A treat for kids (and grown-ups, too!). For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to a ride vehicle. Kids love trains, so plan to get in line (or possibly use Express Pass), especially if you have young ones.

About 2 miles north of Pompano Beach, you'll find a beautiful view across Hillsboro Inlet to a lighthouse, which is often called the brightest lighthouse in the Southeast and has been used by mariners as a landmark for decades. When at sea you can see its light from almost halfway to the Bahamas. Although the octagonal-pyramid, iron-skeletal tower lighthouse is on private property (inaccessible to the public), it's well worth a peek, even from afar. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society offers tours about eight times a year (sometimes on holiday weekends), and these include a boat ride to and from the lighthouse. Visit the society's website for the current schedule and tips on viewing vantage points. Tours cost around $35 per person.

Within the Seville Square Historic District is this complex of several museums and historic homes whose indoor and outdoor exhibits trace the area's history back 450 years. The Museum of Industry ( 200 E. Zaragoza St.), in a late-19th-century warehouse, has permanent exhibits dedicated to the lumber, maritime, and shipping industries—once mainstays of Pensacola's economy. A reproduction of a 19th-century streetscape is displayed in the Museum of Commerce ( 201 E. Zaragoza St.).

Strolling through the area gives you a good (and free) look at many architectural styles, but to enter some of the buildings you must purchase an all-inclusive ticket online or at Tivoli High House Shop, the Pensacola Museum of Art, the Pensacola Museum of History, or the Pensacola Children's Museum. Insightful, 60- to 90-minute, guided tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday at 11 am and 1 pm. Also, be sure to check on Victorian Holiday Traditions, Haunted Ghost tours, and other seasonal offerings.

What was once a funky—in some places even seedy—part of town is now a 20-acre historic district with restored structures containing waterfront restaurants, open-air bars, museums, clothing stores, and water-sports concessions. It's all linked by the 2-mile waterfront Harborwalk, which runs between Front and Grinnell Streets, passing big ships, schooners, sunset cruises, fishing charters, and glass-bottom boats. This is where the locals go for great music and good drinks.

The city's oldest surviving structure was once home to businessman Frank Stranahan, who arrived from Ohio in 1892. With his wife, Ivy, the city's first schoolteacher, he befriended and traded with the Seminole tribe. In 1901 he built a store that would later become his home after serving as a post office, a general store, and a restaurant. The couple's tale is filled with ups and downs. Their home remains Fort Lauderdale's principal link to its brief history and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973. Guided tours are about an hour long and are offered a few times a day; however, calling ahead for availability is a good idea. Self-guided tours of the museum are not allowed.

Nature lovers seeking to get as far as possible from the madding crowds will feel at peace at this refuge managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. It's a haven for people who want some quiet while they walk around and photograph the gorgeous coastal sand dunes, where turtles nest and shells often wash ashore. You can't actually venture within most of the 735 protected acres, so if hiking piques your interest, head to nearby Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Amenities: parking (fee); toilets. Best for: solitude; surfing; walking.

A trip on the Hogwarts Express will enchant you—from departure at Hogsmeade Station to arrival at King’s Cross Station (on Platform 9¾ no less) in Universal Studios. Settle into the compartment, and gaze out your window at the village of Hogsmeade and towering Hogwarts Castle. As the train leaves the station on its four-minute journey, Hagrid waves good-bye, centaurs gallop beside you, and the Weasley brothers fly by on their broomsticks. Hogwarts gradually recedes, and you move briskly through the rainy British countryside and to the streets of London. When the train stops, you're just steps from the magic of Diagon Alley. Remember that to travel between one area of the land known only to wizards and the other, you need a two-park Universal ticket.

When Universal announced the Studios’ Diagon Alley would connect to IOA’s Hogsmeade via a train ride, many people assumed an open-air train ride through the park’s backstage area. But many people aren’t nearly as creative as the geniuses at Universal. To reach Hogsmeade, you walk through an exact re-creation of a London rail station, where a magical effect takes you to Platform 9¾. When the train arrives, settle into the compartment with other guests. Outside your window as you chuff away from the station, an owl follows you, music plays, and it feel as if you’re traveling through the English countryside.

Adding to the magic, silhouettes of Harry, Ron, and Hermione appear in the corridor outside your window, with their narration adding to the drama of the trio's attempt to banish Dementors (and to corral a loose box of chocolate frogs). By the time Hagrid appears, and you arrive in Hogsmeade, you really feel as if . . . you’ve arrived in Hogsmeade. You need a two-park ticket to travel between the wizarding worlds. Also, Express Pass is available here, but it might not save much time except later in the day, when lines can be especially long.

A bronze sculpture depicts refugees clinging to a giant bronze arm that reaches out of the ground and 42 feet into the air. Enter the surrounding courtyard to see a memorial wall and hear the music that seems to give voice to the 6 million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis. It's easy to understand why Kenneth Treister's dramatic memorial is in Miami Beach: the city's community of Holocaust survivors was once the second largest in the country.

If you're seeking an almost completely undeveloped beach that's still easily accessible by car, this is one of your best bets. Northwest of Clearwater, this large state park offers some of the best shell hunting you'll find, as well as thousands of feet of serene beachfront. If you head north along the park road, you find extensive hiking trails, along which you'll see an astonishing array of birds. You can also catch a ferry to Caladesi Island from here. Amenities: food and drink; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

This attraction comes stamped with the postscript "Turtle and Whale," which simply means that when you reach the top you'll find two tubes (the other being the "Ika Moana" of Honu Ika Moana). It's similar to other rides where you slip into an inner tube and then ride through a slick channel, but the difference here is that you join three others in a four-person raft. Although the speed isn't as fast as single-rider attractions, the sensations are just as enjoyable as the raft sloshes and sweeps around huge walls and rounded corners, into tubes and then out again, before flopping into the final pool. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairways and exit the splash pool without assistance or with help from members of their party.

Though it's officially a Jacksonville city park, this popular spot on the northern side of the St. Johns River is often grouped with Amelia's beaches. It's one of a handful of beaches on which you can drive; no special permit is required; however, four-wheel-drive vehicles are highly recommended. Families with lots of beach equipment like the option of parking close to the water, but it takes vigilance to avoid soft sand and incoming tides. The ocean side offers good surfing, bodyboarding, and surf fishing. On the northwestern side is a shallow, sheltered lagoon that's a favorite with windsurfers, paddleboarders, and parents of small children. The southeastern side offers views of the aircraft carriers and destroyers at Mayport Naval Station. Rough campsites are available. The park is also an important stop for migrating birds, so at certain times of the year, some areas are closed to vehicles. Amenities: lifeguards (seasonal); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming; windsurfing.

Just south of the Driftwood Resort on Ocean Drive sits Humiston Park, one of the best beaches in town. Parking is free and plentiful, as there's a large lot on Easter Lily Lane and spots all over the surrounding business district. The shore is somewhat narrow, and there isn't much shade, but the vibrant scene and other amenities make it a great choice for people who crave lots of activity. With lifeguards on duty daily, there's a children's playground, plus a ton of hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops within walking distance. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; showers; toilets. Best for: partiers; sunsets; swimming; walking.