722 Best Sights in Florida, USA

Highlights here include a Seminole dugout canoe, pictures from the Hill Photographic Collection, and a life-size re-creation of the P. P. Cobb General Store. A room is also devoted to the U.S. Navy Amphibious Training Base of World War II, which was located on St. Lucie's beaches. A guided tour of the Gardner House (the 1908 home of the Register family), with furnishings typical of the period, is included in the price of admission.

It's a replica of St. Sophia's in Istanbul and an excellent example of new Byzantine architecture. It's also the home of a weeping icon that received national and international headlines in the 1970s.

Founded in 1858, the church is a Gothic Revival structure with Tiffany-glass-style memorials and a turn-of-the-20th-century L.C. Harrison organ with magnificent hand-painted pipes.

Though this sandy stretch is technically in the city of Treasure Island, the city of St. Petersburg owns and maintains it. Due in part to a concession stand and playground, it's excellent for families. The beach here is extremely wide, near hotels, and great for volleyball. Amenities: food and drink; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: solitude; partiers; sunset; swimming.

Learn about the history of the Tampa Bay region, from indigenous Tocobaga people to St. Pete's spring training history to America's first commercial airline, at the St. Petersburg Museum of History. Exhibits include those on Native American primitive shell tools and thousands of baseballs signed by the likes of Babe Ruth. There's also a full-size replica of the Benoist Airboat flown by pioneer aviator Tony Jannus.

This is the spot to check out costumes, concept art work, replica props, models, and artifacts from the Star Wars films on display in several galleries. A 10-minute film runs continuously in the Launch Bay Theater, documenting the creation of Star Wars through interviews with the directors, writers, and producers of this wildly popular film series. There's also an area where you can meet and have your photo taken with Star Wars characters. For people with disabilities: Guests can remain in wheelchairs and ECVs in specialty seating in the back of the theater. Handheld captioning, assistive listening, and audio description are available. Disney Visa Cardholders can show their card ID for an exclusive Star Wars Magic Shot experience.

If visiting a Star Wars thrill ride isn't enough, why not an overnight stay? The extremely expensive (up to $6,000 for a family of four), immersive, three-day, two-night ride, experience, and "resort" offers accommodations on a fictitious,100-cabin cruise ship, where guests join the battle between the Resistance and the First Order, enjoying a journey to Batuu, themed meals, and interactive experiences with costumed cast members. The details, portrayals and overall atmosphere are incredibly true to the galaxy far, far away and start the moment you are "launched" into space, continuing through meals and cocktails at the famed Cantina, lightsaber training, and roleplaying missions to the Rise of the Resistance attraction.  Kids will probably want to order their Star Wars costumes in advance to arrive "in character"

This 10,000-square-foot Victorian mansion, built in 1886 for hatmaker and philanthropist John B. Stetson, is regarded as Florida's first luxury home. Though the mansion is now a private residence, tours allow you to marvel at the wood parquet floors, intricate interior carvings, and 10,000 panes of original leaded glass windows. You'll also learn about the Gilded Age mansion's rich history, including famous visitors and a "contractor" named Thomas Edison, who installed his friend Stetson's electricity. In November and December, the mansion is decked out with one of the most elaborate Christmas decoration displays in the country.

On this whirling ride, X-Men character Storm harnesses the weather to battle Magneto by having people like you board Power Orbs. Yes, the story line is that the containers convert human energy into electrical forces through the power of "cyclospin." Strip away the veneer, however, and what you've got seems like a faster version of Disney World's twirling teacups. Still, it's a high-adrenaline ride that's not for anyone who suffers from motion sickness. It's also not suitable for guests who are pregnant or who have heart, back, or neck problems. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to a ride vehicle. Ride whenever—except right after eating.

When the waves robustly roll in, the surfers are rolling in, too. Beginning surfers are especially keen on Stuart Beach because of its ever-vigilant lifeguards, and pros to the sport like the challenges that the choppy waters here bring. But the beach is equally popular with surf fishers. Families enjoy the snack bar known for its chicken fingers, the basketball courts, the large canopy-covered playground, and the three walkways interspersed throughout the area for easy ocean access. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee); showers; toilets. Best for: surfing; swimming.

What started off in 1901 as the tin-roofed George W. Parks General Merchandise Store and in 1946 became Stuart's Feed Store (the name is still emblazoned on the pine facade) is now the Stuart Heritage Museum, an interesting trip down nostalgia lane with Americana artifacts, photographs, and goods detailing the town's history, just steps from city hall.

Across from the children's museum along the eastern edge of town, this splashy park has a Tadpole Pool as well as dumping buckets, spray guns, and other interactive features that will delight younger kids. The whole family will go for the diving pool, Sunny's Lazy River, and five waterslides. The park is generally closed from October to President's Day weekend (except during some local school breaks).

You may not be able to find monkeys in the wild in the Tampa Bay area (at least not naturally), but you can catch them bouncing around in their cages at this low-key facility. The alleged final home of Cheetah, the chimp who played Tarzan's sidekick for a couple of years in the 1930s, the sanctuary houses a whole slew of primates. One of the first you'll meet is Pongo, a massive Bornean orangutan; if he's in the right mood, he will greet you when you walk up.

The sanctuary also hosts baboons, lemurs, spider monkeys, macaques—you name it—many of them former pets or onetime laboratory test subjects that aren't deemed able to make it in the wild. There are also a few reptiles (you can get a picture of yourself holding a baby alligator) and a colorful array of birds. You may find the colorful plastic toys in the primate enclosures odd, but they actually serve to enhance the animals' senses.

A cool oasis amid St. Pete's urban clutter, this lush 4-acre plot was created from a lake that was drained in 1903. Explore the cascading waterfalls and koi ponds, and walk through the butterfly house and exotic gardens where more than 50,000 tropical plants and flowers from across the globe thrive amid groves of some of the area's most spectacular palm trees. The flock of wading flamingoes is a favorite here.

As the name suggests, this beach park is known as one of the best places in North Pinellas County to watch the sunset. It's a small beach but a great place to barbecue. From April through November there's a weekly concert. Amenities: toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming.

Inspired by the classic novel by Johann Wyss about the adventures of the Robinson family, who were shipwrecked en route to America, this attraction shows what you can do with a big faux tree and a lot of imagination. Disney detail abounds: the kitchen sink is a giant clamshell; the boys' room, strewn with clothing, has two hammocks instead of beds; and an ingenious system of rain barrels and bamboo pipes provides running water in every room. As you clamber around the narrow wooden steps and rope bridges that connect the rooms in this split-level dwelling, notice the Spanish moss. It's real, but the tree itself—some 90 feet in diameter, with more than 1,000 branches—was constructed by the props department. The 300,000 leaves are vinyl. Toddlers unsteady on their feet might have trouble with the stairs. For people with disabilities: With its 100 steps and lack of narration, this attraction gets low ratings among those with mobility and visual impairments. If you're with children 4 to 12 who like to explore, plan to climb while you're already in Adventureland.

These parks, including Big and Little Talbot islands, have 17 miles of gorgeous beaches, sand dunes, and golden marshes that hum with migratory birds and native waterfowl. Come to picnic, fish, swim, snorkel, or camp. Little Talbot Island, one of the state's few undeveloped barrier islands, has river otters, marsh rabbits, raccoons, alligators, and gopher tortoises. Canoe and kayak rentals are available, and the north area is considered the best surfing spot in northeast Florida. A 4-mile nature trail winds across Little Talbot, and there are several smaller trails on Big Talbot.

Located about 20 minutes from downtown, this expansive, bucolic park has a lot to see and do. A village of 19th-century buildings—including a pioneer farm, a one-room schoolhouse, and a Southern manor—showcases Old Florida and has weekend living-history demonstrations on cooking, blacksmithing, quilting, and other period activities. A boardwalk meanders through 52 acres of a natural-habitat zoo with panthers, bobcats, white-tailed deer, bald eagles, red wolves, hawks, owls, otters, and black bears. Guest animals drop in for visits, and animal encounters are scheduled daily. Don't miss the nature walk, which has colorful dinosaur sculptures created entirely from recycled car parts. For an extra charge, you can get a bird's-eye view everything at Tree-to-Tree Adventures, which features sky-high zip lines and an aerial obstacle course.

Tampa has long been a baseball city. The first Tampa team was organized in Ybor City in 1887, and the love of the game grew with the influx of Cuban immigrants who flocked to the area to work in the then-thriving cigar industry. Housed in the childhood home of Al Lopez, Tampa’s first Major League Baseball player, manager, and Hall of Fame inductee, this museum honors baseball heritage with exhibits that highlight, among other things, the city's factory, inter-social, municipal, Cigar City, and Negro leagues. 

From the early civilizations that once flourished on its shores to the 2000 presidential vote recount, the Tampa Bay region has long played integral roles in the history of Florida and the rest of the nation. The interactive exhibits here let you peer back in time at the people and events that helped shape the area. You'll learn about the Tocobaga and other coastal peoples, as well as the Spanish explorers who encountered them. You'll get insight on pirates with the help of a massive replica ship.

Information and artifacts also highlight the Seminole Wars, Ybor City's cigar industry, and the Florida crackers who once drove their cattle in areas now saturated with busy roads and shopping centers. Exhibits also cover sports teams that have called Tampa Bay home, not to mention the war heroes and politicians of the 20th and 21st centuries. When it's time for a bite to eat, you're in for a treat: the café here is a branch of Columbia, Tampa's most famous and historic restaurant.

Housed in an exquisitely designed building—overlooking Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the towering minarets of the University of Tampa, and the Hillsborough River—this museum is emblematic of the city's efforts to revitalize its Downtown riverfront. The main, 66,000-square-foot gallery space displays an impressive permanent collection of 20th- and 21st-century sculpture as well as Greek and Roman antiquities. Five additional galleries host traveling exhibits ranging from the classics to some of the most prominent artists working today. At night, the building's exterior comes alive with colorful LED lights, a sight best viewed from the Curtis Hixon park.

Two slides are better than one, but this attraction doubles that with four slides that mimic the snaking trunks and twisting roots of puka trees. The tubes alternate in color (green and blue), and they alternate in experiences from channels that are completely enclosed for the entire run to tracks that are enclosed until they suddenly reveal the open air and use your speed to send you up on a high-banked turn. So take it for a spin. Or two. Or four. For people with disabilities: Guests must be able to climb stairways and exit the splash pool unassisted.

Although it's not on par with larger facilities in Tampa and Clearwater, this is certainly an entertaining and interactive attraction. There are some good exhibits, including a 120,000-gallon shark tank complete with a coral reef. (Divers feed the sharks several times daily.) Also look for tropical fish exhibits and a tank where you can touch baby sharks and stingrays.

Six-passenger rafts zip along green slopes in one of the world's longest family white-water raft rides. Since its original construction, it has doubled its speed of departure onto its twisting, 1,200-foot channel of rushing water, which ends with a refreshing waterfall dousing. This ride is a good place for kids too big for Tike's Peak to test more grown-up waters. Those who are pregnant or have heart, neck, or back problems should avoid this one. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to the ride. This ride is great for the whole family: there aren't age or height requirements (beyond "no infants"), tubes seat four to six people, and lines move quickly.

This is definitely not your typical gentle river. The water's fairly shallow, but a strong current means life vests are required (and that's on top of the inner tube you're riding). There are several things to like about this attraction, and one of those is its duration: Other rides are as short as 10 seconds; this one lasts a good six minutes. In addition, the river flows through various areas of the park, traveling beneath bridges and passing rides and restaurants, from Hammerhead Beach to the volcano and Rainforest Village. For people with disabilities: A pool lift and a sloped entry make it easier for guests in wheelchairs to transfer into the water.

A surreal landscape by any measure, the Ten Thousand Islands are a 35,000-acre chain of islands and smaller mangrove islets south of Marco Island. The Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a magnet for kayakers, naturalists, birdwatchers, and photographers thanks to the refuge's proliferation of fish, birds, and other wildlife. Finding your way through the islands can be confusing, so the National Park Service recommends that visitors consult NOAA Charts #11430 and #11432. While the northern islands lie in the national refuge, the lower islands lie within Everglades National Park and are best accessed by boat tours leaving from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. If you're driving from Naples, you can also park at the Marsh Trail, the best spot for accessing trails. Kayaking and hiking are popular activities for day visitors, who may spot endangered species such as Florida manatees, peregrine falcons, and Atlantic loggerheads.

The second-oldest marine-mammal center in the world doesn't attempt to compete with more modern, more expensive parks. Even so, it's among the better attractions north of Key West, especially if you have kids in tow. In addition to seeing marine-life exhibits and shows, you can make reservations for up-close-and-personal encounters like a swim with a dolphin or sea lion or stingray and turtle feedings (which include general admission). Stop for lunch at the grill, shop in the extensive gift shop, or sunbathe and swim at the private beach.

Brand-new to the Magic Kingdom, this attraction will follow the same general track as its predecessor, Splash Mountain, but will feature songs and Audio-Animatronic characters from the beloved Princess and the Frog movie. Join Tiana on a trip through the bayou as she and her alligator friend, Louis, plan a one-of-a-kind Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans. Expect a good few twists, turns, and at least one major drop along the way. In addition, Princess Tiana will be expanding her restaurant to include Tiana's Foods, an employee-owned co-op and salt mine. The opening date for this ride was expected to be some time late in 2024; check the Walt Disney World website for updates on its status.

On the northwest side of the island is 2,500 feet of both developed and undeveloped areas. Once Gulf-front, in recent years a sand spit known as Sand Dollar Island has formed, which means the stretch especially at the north end has become mud flats—great for birding. There's plenty of powdery sand farther south and across the lagoon that draws a broad base of fans for its playgrounds, butterfly garden, volleyball nets, and kayak and umbrella rentals. Beach wheelchairs are also available for free use. Amenities: food and drink; parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

Grab your mat, wait for the signal, and go! You and eight other racers whiz simultaneously down the watery trail on the purple slopes toward the finish line at the base of the mountain. The racing aspect and dips along the 250-foot-long slope make the ride fun, but it lacks the speed of single-rider green-slope rides like Slush Gusher. For a ride combining speed and friendly competition, check out the Downhill Double Dipper. Expectant mothers shouldn't ride, nor should guests with heart, neck, or back problems. For people with disabilities: Guests using wheelchairs must transfer to slide mats. It's more fun when you race family members or friends—up to eight people can ride at the same time.