722 Best Sights in Florida, USA

North of the bustling beachfront at Sunrise Boulevard, quieter sands run parallel to Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, an exquisite patch of Old Florida. The 180-acre subtropical oasis forms a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway—surprisingly close to the urban core. Lush vegetation includes mangroves, and there are lovely nature trails through the hammock system. Visit the Birch House Museum, enjoy a picnic, play volleyball, or grab a canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddleboard. Amenities: toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; walking.

Kids love the wonderful interactive exhibits at this lively museum–aquarium combo that explores technology, physics, weather, and other science topics. Check out the stingrays and other marine life in the aquariums, touch tanks, and the USS Mohawk artificial reef tank featured on Animal Planet’s show Tanked. Feed the fish, turtles, and swans in the outdoor lagoon; see a tarantula, python, hissing cockroach, juvenile alligator, and other live critters in the Animal Lab; dig for dinosaur bones; watch a 3-D movie in the theater; take part in a hands-on Animal Encounter demonstration, and touch a cloud. Other highlights include the Mini Museum early childhood area, Backyard Nature, aquaponics area, Nano Lab, Idea Lab engineering design center, Build-Your-Own-Coaster, and Science of Motion. History exhibits include underwater plane wrecks, a Columbian mammoth, and giant ground sloth, as well as a replica Cracker House.

The highly regarded zoo offers the chance to hop on a train and see animals from different regions of the world, from the Land of the Tiger, a 2½-acre Asian attraction featuring Sumatran and Malayan tigers, to the African Plains area, which houses elephants, white rhinos, and highly endangered leopards, in addition to other mammals and birds. The Range of the Jaguar takes you to a 4-acre Central and South American exhibit, with exotic big cats and 20 other native species.

The Reptile House showcases some of the world's most venomous snakes, and the 2½-acre Wild Florida has black bears, bald eagles, white-tailed deer, and other of the state's creatures. Play Park contains a seasonal Splash Ground, a forest play area, two mazes, and Stingray Bay with a 17,500-gallon pool where you can pet and feed the mysterious creatures. The zoo also has a Manatee Critical Care Center. What's more, parking is free.

Administered by Florida State University, this 20-acre waterfront compound encompasses the entire estate of circus magnate John Ringling and his wife, Mable. This includes not only the museum built to house their enormous personal art collection, but also their Ca' d'Zan mansion and its expansive gardens; the Circus Museum; the Historic Asolo Theater, home to the Asolo Repertory Company; restaurants; an education center; and a research library.

The Museum of Art, completed in 1931, was a dream long in the making, with setbacks that included a land bust and Mable's death. Works here range from Indian doorways elaborately carved with Jain deities to paintings by Rubens and other Old Masters—all of it displayed in a seemingly endless number of gorgeously appointed rooms. Contemporary art has dedicated space here, too, as do selections from the museum's photography collection. A newer wing, with its facade of jade-tinged terracotta, houses ancient and contemporary Asian art.

Patterned after the Doge's Palace in Venice, Ringling's grand home, Ca' d'Zan, has 32 rooms, 15 bathrooms, and the 61-foot Belvedere Tower. Completed in 1925, the mansion sits along the bay, and its 8,000-square-foot terrace overlooks the dock where Mable moored her gondola. Thirty-minute mansion tours occur on the hour; if you prefer to explore on your own, show up on the half hour for a self-guided tour. Allow time to wander around in Mable's Rose Garden, a lush labyrinth surrounded by towering banyans and filled with rare blooms and haunting statues.

Although the Circus Museum offers a colorful glimpse at the history of the American circus, it's main attraction is arguably the world's largest miniature circus, a 40-year endeavor by master model builder Howard Tibbals. His impressive to-scale replica of the circa 1920s and '30s Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is astonishingly detailed and accurate—from the number of pancakes the cooks are flipping to the likenesses and costumes of the performers to the names of the animals marked on the mess buckets. If you're looking for clown noses, ringmaster hats, and circus-themed T-shirts, check out the Ringling Museum of Art Store.

If getting far from rowdy crowds is your goal, this spot on the north end of Singer Island is a good choice. Encompassing 2 miles of beach and a lush subtropical coastal habitat, inside you'll find a great place for kayaking, snorkeling at natural reefs, bird-watching, fishing, and hiking. You might even get to see a few manatees. A 4,000-square-foot nature center has aquariums and displays on local flora and fauna, and there's a long roster of monthly activities, such as surfing clinics, art lessons, and live bluegrass music.  Guided sea turtle walks are available at night in season, and daily nature walks depart at 10 am.  Check the website for times and costs of activities. Amenities: parking (fee); showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: solitude; surfing; swimming; walking.

This serene state park provides a glimpse of predevelopment "real" Florida. A beautiful showcase of Florida inland habitat, the park teems with endangered gopher tortoises and manatees. From Hobe Mountain, an ancient dune topped with a tower, you are treated to a panoramic view of this park's more than 11,000 acres of varied terrain and the Intracoastal Waterway. The Loxahatchee River, named a National Wild and Scenic River, cuts through the park and is home to plenty of charismatic manatees in winter and alligators year-round. Two-hour boat tours of the river depart daily. Kayak rentals are available, as is horseback riding (it was reintroduced after a 30-year absence). Among the amenities are a dozen newly redone cabins for rent, tent sites, bicycle and hiking trails, two established campgrounds and some primitive campgrounds, and a new food-and-beverage garden with wine, beer, and local foods. The park is also a fantastic birding location, with about 150 species to spot.

Wander the jungles of Moana's world in EPCOT's newest attraction, Journey of Water. Trails wind through beautiful jungle landscapes with plenty of chances to get completely soaked as kids direct a water symphony, run through small geysers, and find hidden images of characters from Moana. Adults can join in on the fun or follow Te Fiti's dry path, which includes a beautiful statue from the climax of the film. For people with disabilities: This attraction is wheelchair accessible, and audio description is available.

Famous throughout all Florida for a unique pooch-loving stance, the town of Jupiter's beach welcomes Yorkies, Labs, pugs—you name it—along its 2½-mile oceanfront. Dogs can frolic unleashed (once they're on the beach) or join you for a dip. Free parking spots line A1A in front of the sandy stretch, and there are multiple access points and continuously refilled scooper-bag boxes. The dog beach starts on Marcinski Road (Beach Marker No. 25) and continues north until Beach Marker No. 59. Before going, read through the guidelines posted on the Friends of Jupiter Beach website; the biggest things to note are be sure to clean up after your dog and to steer clear of lifeguarded areas to the north and south.

Dogs fare best early morning and late afternoon, when the sand isn't too hot for their paws.

Amenities: showers; toilets.  Best for: walking.

Designed by Civil War hero lieutenant George Gordon Meade, this working brick lighthouse has been under the Coast Guard's purview since 1860. Tours of the 108-foot-tall landmark are held approximately every half hour and are included with admission. (Children must be at least 4 feet tall to go to the top.) The museum tells about efforts to restore this graceful spire to the way it looked from 1860 to 1918; its galleries and outdoor structures, including a pioneer home, also showcase local history dating back 5,000 years.

Predatory velociraptors patiently await your arrival on this new-in-2021 roller coaster featuring extremely wild twists and turns. Sparking the adventure is a high-speed launch that accelerates the string of cars from 0–50 mph in just 2 seconds. What immediately follows is a 90-degree twist and then a series of rises, turns, and S-bends before yet another boost that increases the speed from 40 to 70 mph in 2.4 seconds. It's just enough acceleration to get you to the peak of the attraction, a 155-foot "top hat" that's essential for what follows, namely, a 140-foot drop at an 80-degree angle, followed by a rapid series of turns of varying degrees and culminating with the "Mosasaurus Roll"—a loop at 53 mph. What you experience on this adrenaline-filled attraction might just explain why dinosaurs are extinct. It probably goes without saying, but we'll say it anyway: women who are pregnant and anyone who has a heart, neck, or back condition should avoid this coaster. For people with disabilities: the attraction has a device that can help people using wheelchairs transfer to the ride (see an attendant).

This 450-acre, oceanfront city park and campground just north of Atlantic Beach is beloved by surfers, swimmers, campers, hikers, and especially cyclists, who regularly hit the many off-road trails that range from novice level right up to those named Grunt and Misery. You can rent canoes, kayaks, or paddleboats to go out on the 60-acre freshwater lake. The Kids Splash Park is open April through October, and younger kids delight in the lakefront playground. There are restrooms, picnic areas, and grills throughout, and, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, lifeguards supervise all water activities. Camping is available for tents and RVs, and there are cabins to rent. The popular Dolphin Plaza offers a unique venue for weddings and other special events.

America's space program—past, present, and future—is the star at this must-see attraction, just 45 minutes east of Orlando, where you're treated to a multitude of interactive experiences. Located on a 140,000-acre barrier island, Kennedy Space Center was NASA's launch headquarters from the beginning of the space program in the 1960s until the final shuttle launch in 2011. Thanks to an invigorated NASA program and to high-tech entrepreneurs who have turned their interests to space, you can once again view live rocket launches from the Cape. In fact, there were a record 56 of them from the Space Coast in 2022, with even more expected in 2023.

The visitor center is divided into Mission Zones, with tours and exhibits organized chronologically, beginning with the Heroes & Legends attraction, which celebrates the men and women who've journeyed to space and features the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. The original Mercury 7 team and the later Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle astronauts have contributed artifacts and memorabilia to make it the world's premium archive of astronauts' personal stories. You can watch videos of historic moments in the space program and see one-of-a-kind items such as Wally Schirra's Sigma 7 Mercury space capsule, Gus Grissom's space suit (colored silver only because NASA thought silver looked more "spacey"), and a flag that made it to the moon. Throughout the visitor center, a wide range of hands-on interactive exhibits teach about space travel. One of the more challenging activities is a space-shuttle simulator that lets you try your hand at landing the craft—and afterward replays a side view of your rolling and pitching descent.

Opened in 2022, Gateway: The Deep Space Launch Complex simulates the Space Port of the Future, offering a glimpse of a world when catching a flight to a distant planet is as routine as jetting from Chicago to Boston. You choose from among four journeys and are taken on an immersive ride packed with interstellar marvels. The Red Planet trip soars over Mars' ancient oceans, while the Uncharted Worlds journey ventures 40 light years away to the Trappist-1 system of exoplanets. While waiting in the main concourse to board your flight, you can check departure and arrival listings and view rockets landing, taking off, and taxiing to their gates. 

The IMAX film Journey to Space, narrated by Star Trek legend Sir Patrick Stewart, fills a five-story movie screen with dramatic footage shot by NASA astronauts during missions highlighting the bravery of all space travelers and capturing the spirit of the human desire to explore and expand. The film also honors the milestones of the Space Shuttle Program—deploying and repairing the Hubble Space Telescope, assembling the International Space Station—and then looks forward to the deep-space exploration missions to come, offering a glimpse of the Space Launch System rocket that will send the Orion crew capsule toward Mars.

The drama of the IMAX films gives you great background for the many interactive programs available at the complex. The bus tour included with admission (buses depart every 15 minutes) takes you past iconic spots, including the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and launch pads, where rockets once more await departure. Stops include the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you can look up in awe at one of three remaining Saturn V moon rockets, the largest ever built. Attractions include artifacts in the Treasure Gallery and the Lunar Theater, which shows the first moon landing. You can also dine next to a genuine moon rock at the cleverly named Moon Rock Café.

Several in-depth tours (extra charge) offer more intimate views of the VAB and the Cape Canaveral launch pads, where NASA, SpaceX, and the United Launch Alliance rockets await takeoff. Other iconic images include the countdown clock at NASA’s Press Site, a giant crawler transporter that carried Apollo moon rockets and space shuttles to the launch pad, and the Launch Control Center.

The space shuttle Atlantis attraction offers views of this historic spacecraft as only astronauts have seen it—suspended as if in space, rotated 43.21 degrees with payload bay doors open and its robotic arm extended, as if it has just undocked from the International Space Station. The attraction includes a variety of interactive highlights, including opportunities to perform an Extravehicular Activity (EVA), train like an astronaut, and create sonic booms while piloting Atlantis to a safe landing.

Don't miss the outdoor Rocket Garden, with walkways winding beside a group of vintage rockets, from early Atlas spacecraft to a Saturn IB. The Children's Playdome enables kids to play among the next generation of spacecraft, climb a moon-rock wall, and crawl through rocket tunnels. Astronaut Encounter Theater has two daily programs where retired NASA astronauts share their adventures in space travel and show a short film.

More befitting a theme park (complete with the health warnings), the Shuttle Launch Experience is the center's most spectacular attraction. Designed by a team of astronauts, NASA experts, and renowned attraction engineers, the 44,000-square-foot structure uses a sophisticated motion-based platform, special-effects seats, and high-fidelity visual and audio components to simulate the sensations experienced in an actual space-shuttle launch, including Max Q, solid rocket booster separation, main engine cutoff, and external tank separation. The journey culminates with a breathtaking view of Earth from space.

A fitting way to end the day is a stop at the black-granite Astronaut Memorial, which honors those who lost their lives in the name of space exploration.

South Florida locals count down the days until the seasonal opening (from November to April) of this Homestead bakery and U-pick strawberry farm, owned and operated by the Knaus family since 1956. Line up early for a box of legendary, gooey cinnamon rolls and a milkshake, and walk it off by picking a bag of fresh strawberries and tomatoes to take home.  The Farm Store is cash only.

Ringed by modern high-rises, this peaceful, beautifully landscaped, 43-acre park is the verdant heart of Downtown. Its mile-long walking path attracts families, health enthusiasts out for a run, and culture mavens exploring area offerings; its well-lighted playground is alive with children; and ducks, geese, swans, and native Florida birds like cormorants call its lake home. A popular farmers' market takes up residence on Sunday; the lakeside Walt Disney Amphitheater is a dramatic site for concerts, festivals, and July 4 fireworks; and a landmark fountain sometimes features LED-and-music shows.

Don't resist the park's biggest draw: a ride in a swan-shape paddleboat that can comfortably accommodate up to five people (children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult). The Relax Grill, by the swan-boat launch, is a great place for lunch, and the park is surrounded by a variety of restaurants and lounges in both Downtown and Thornton Park.

What Lincoln Road is to South Beach, Las Olas Boulevard is to Fort Lauderdale. Regarded as the heart and soul of Broward County, Las Olas has historically been the premier street for restaurants, art galleries, museums, shopping, dining, and strolling. Lined with high-rises in the downtown area and original boutiques and ethnic eateries along 10 blocks of the main stretch, it's also home to beautiful mansions and traditional Florida homes along the Intracoastal Waterway to the east, which typify the modern-day aesthetic of Fort Lauderdale. The ocean appears beyond the residential swath, and that's where you see that the name "Las Olas" (Spanish for "The Waves") begins to make more sense. It's a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare, but it's not closed to vehicular traffic at any point.

Preferred by divers and snorkelers, this laid-back beach is a gateway to magnificent coral reefs. When you're not underwater, look up and you'll likely see a pelican flying by. It's a super-relaxing retreat from the buzz of Fort Lauderdale's busier beaches. That said, the southern part of the beach is crowded near the restaurants at the intersection of A1A and Commercial Boulevard. The no-frills hotels and small inns for families and vacationers visiting for a longer stay are typically filled with Europeans. Look for metered parking around Commercial Boulevard and A1A. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee). Best for: family outings; snorkeling; swimming.

In addition to its 1:20-scale LEGO reproductions of U.S. cities and sights, this theme park has more than 50 rides, shows, and attractions throughout 10 zones. The Danish toy company's philosophy is to help children "play well." And play they do, as attractions here are very hands-on. Kids can hoist themselves to the top of a tower, power a fire truck, or navigate a LEGO robot. Sights include huge LEGO dragons, wizards, knights, pirates, castles, roller coasters, racetracks, villages, and cities. In the heart of the park, you'll also find a marvelous botanical garden, which preserves one of the world's largest banyan trees and is a remnant of the original Cypress Gardens theme park.

The cityscapes in Miniland USA fascinate children and adults, who delight in discovering what's possible when you have enough bricks. Miniland opens with Kennedy Space Center, where a 6-foot shuttle waits on the launchpad. Miami Beach features bikini-clad bathers and Art Deco hotels; St. Augustine and its historic fort play into LEGO's pirate theme; Key West's Mallory Square is accurate right down to the trained cats leaping through rings of fire. The rest of the country is not ignored: New York City, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., all have intricate, often-amusing details (like New York's purse snatcher) hidden in each.

Among other highlights are Ninjago, where kids battle computer-generated bad guys; LEGO Kingdoms, whose castle towers over a jousting area and a roller coaster and where knights, damsels, dragons, and ogres are found; Land of Adventure, where you can explore hidden tombs and hunt for treasure; and the Imagination Zone, showcasing LEGO Mindstorms robots and where a giant head of Albert Einstein invites kids to explore and invent. Things get wild in LEGO Technic, the most active of the park's zones, where Test Track, Aquazone Wave Racers, and Technicycle let the family expend some energy.

During the live Brickbeard's Watersport Stuntshow, seafaring sailors wearing LEGO suits defend a huge ship from attacking pirates on water skis. LEGO Movie World features rides and attractions from the blockbuster, including Splash Battle, Masters of Flight, where guests soar above The LEGO Movie universe aboard a triple-decker flying couch, and Unikitty's Disco Drop, taking riders to the top of Cloud Cuckoo Land.

LEGOLAND Water Park features a wave pool; Build-a-Raft, where families construct a LEGO vessel and float down a lazy river; a 375-foot pair of intertwined waterslides that plunge riders into a pool; and a DUPLO toddler water play area. Three on-site hotels offer LEGO-theme accommodations and park packages. While you're here, you might want to also check out the neighboring, stand-alone Peppa Pig Theme Park, which delights preschoolers with its six rides, play spaces, splash pads, and characters.

SEA LIFE Florida Aquarium, with 10 underwater galleries bustling with marine life, 25 interactive exhibits that include rock pools where you can touch critters, and a stingray bay, opened here in June 2025. You can buy tickets just to SEA LIFE or opt for packages that wrap in the other LEGOLAND attractions, too.

Lincoln Road has some of Miami's best people-watching. The eclectic interiors of myriad fabulous restaurants, colorful boutiques, art galleries, lounges, and cafés are often upstaged by the bustling outdoor scene. It's here, amid many alfresco dining enclaves, that you can pass the hours easily. Indeed, Lincoln Road is fun, lively, and friendly for everyone—old, young, gay, and straight—and their dogs. A few of the shops are owner-operated boutiques with a smart variety of clothing, furnishings, jewelry, and decorative elements, but more often you'll find typical chain stores.

Two landmarks worth checking out at the eastern end of Lincoln Road are the massive 1940s keystone building at No. 420, which has a 1945 Leo Birchansky mural in the lobby, and the 1921 mission-style Miami Beach Community Church at Drexel Avenue. The Lincoln Theatre ( 541–545 Lincoln Road, at Pennsylvania Avenue) is a classical four-story art deco gem with friezes that now houses an H&M.

Located in a certified green building in Loggerhead Park—and established by Eleanor N. Fletcher, the "turtle lady of Juno Beach"—the center focuses on the conservation of sea turtles, using education, research, and rehabilitation. The education center houses displays of coastal natural history, detailing Florida's marine ecosystems and the life and plight of the various species of sea turtles found on Florida's shores. You can visit recovering turtles in their outdoor hospital tanks; volunteers are happy to tell you the turtles' heroic tales of survival. The center has regularly scheduled activities, such as Kids' Story Time and Junior Vet Lab, and most are free of charge. During peak nesting season, the center hosts night walks to experience turtle nesting in action. Given that the adjacent beach is part of the second-biggest nesting ground for loggerhead turtles in the world, your chances of seeing this natural phenomenon are pretty high (over 15,000 loggerheads nested here during one recent season).

Come here for solitude, hiking, and fishing. On the ocean side, the 1.1-mile Golden Orb Trail leads to a boardwalk that cuts through the mangroves (may require some wading) and alongside a lagoon where waterfowl congregate. A 1¼-mile canoe trail leads through a tidal lagoon, and the grass flats are perfect for bonefishing. Bring a mask and snorkel to observe the marine life in the shallow water.

Camping, snorkeling, and bonefishing are popular activities along this narrow strip of natural, rocky shoreline. The day area offers a nice respite, and the campground is edged by shallow, sea-grass-bottom waters. Amenities: showers; toilets. Best for: snorkeling; swimming; walking.

Once a casual spot next to the local electric plant's discharge waters, this center celebrating the manatee—South Florida's popular winter visitors—opened at a spot where the peaceful creatures naturally congregate. The airy, two-story facility is surrounded by wraparound decks to accommodate sea-cow spotters from fall to spring. Educational, interactive displays tell the story of this once-endangered species. A long deck along the seawall leads to picnic pavilions from where you can watch the action at nearby Peanut Island and the Port of Palm Beach. Free admission makes it group-friendly; a live "manatee cam" shows manatee counts before you go. The center offers various community events but requires advance registration; check their calendar for details.

On the National Register of Historic Places, the 18-acre plot is a tropical jungle garden—one of the most lush and serene around. This is the place to see spectacular water lilies, and the property's original 1932 Hall of Giants, a rustic wooden structure that has stained-glass and bronze bells, contains what is claimed to be the world's largest single-plank mahogany table at 35 feet long. There's a bamboo pavilion, a gift shop, and a café (open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday in season), which serves especially tasty snacks and sandwiches.

In 1622, a flotilla of Spanish galleons laden with riches left Havana en route to Spain, but it foundered in a hurricane 40 miles west of the Keys. In 1985, diver Mel Fisher recovered items from two of the lost ships, including the Nuestra Señora de Atocha, said to carry the mother lode of the treasure, and the Santa Margarita. Fisher's adventures tracking these fabled hoards and battling the state of Florida for rights are as amazing as the loot you'll see, touch, and learn about in this museum. Artifacts include a 77.76-carat natural emerald worth almost $250,000. Changing second-floor exhibits cover other aspects of Florida maritime history.

One of the few museums in the United States devoted to folk art has intimate galleries, some with lovely lakefront views. Look for the nation's most extensive permanent collection of Earl Cunningham paintings, as well as works by many other self-taught artists. There's a wonderful video about Cunningham and his "curio shop" in St. Augustine, Florida. Temporary exhibitions have included the works of Wyeth, Cassatt, and Michael Eastman. 

At the museum shop you can purchase folk-art books, toys, and unusual gifts. The Marilyn L. Mennello Sculpture Garden is always open to the public. Oversized outdoor sculptures include works by Alice Aycock and Barbara Sorensen, shown alongside the 350-year-old live oak tree called “The Mayor.” The Mennello is also the site of the free annual Orlando Indie-Folkfest held the last weekend of October.

Owned by NASA but part of the National Wildlife Refuge System, this 140,000-acre refuge, which adjoins the Canaveral National Seashore, acts as a buffer around Kennedy Space Center while protecting 1,000 species of plants and 500 species of wildlife, 15 of which are considered threatened or endangered. It's an immense area dotted by brackish estuaries and marshes, coastal dunes, hardwood hammocks, and pine forests. You can borrow field guides and binoculars at the visitor center (5 miles east of U.S. 1 in Titusville on State Road 402) to track down falcons, ospreys, eagles, turkeys, doves, cuckoos, owls, and woodpeckers, as well as loggerhead turtles, alligators, wild boar, and otters. A 20-minute video about refuge wildlife and accessibility—only 10,000 acres are developed—can help orient you. This is a wild, natural area, not a zoo or theme park. Use appropriate caution, as this is home to snakes, alligators, and stinging insects.

You might take a self-guided driving tour along the 7-mile Black Point Wildlife Drive. Several roads and trails are vulnerable to hurricane damage, and may be closed if there has been a strong storm. Check the website or call ahead ( 321/861–2352) for updates on closures. If you exit the north end of the refuge, look for the Manatee Observation Deck, just north of the Haulover Canal (maps are at the visitor center). They usually show up in spring and fall. There are also fishing camps, fishing boat ramps, and six hiking trails scattered throughout the area. If you do want to fish, a free downloadable permit is required.

Inspired by the newest Mickey and Minnie shorts, this ride begins with you inside a new cartoon about Mickey and Minnie's desire for a perfect picnic. But all does not go according to plan, and when Pluto steals their picnic basket, that's when you're off. Aboard Engineer Goofy's railway, you'll chase after the picnic basket, twisting and turning inside the cartoon. The "trackless" cars seem to move on their own, letting you dance with Daisy or get caught in a massive tornado. Don't fret, though: despite the "runaway" part of the name, this is a tame ride that any age can enjoy. For people with disabilities: Audio description and handheld captioning are available. Those in a wheelchair or ECV will need to transfer to the ride vehicle using a transfer device located on a number of the cars. Those with little kids will want to visit here first thing, otherwise wait until around dinner when lines are shorter and the outdoor line isn't as hot.

Star Wars fans will love being able to actually pilot the Millennium Falcon on a supply run. Hondo Ohnaka, who fans will recognize from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, has hired you to fetch "precious cargo" that will bring him big profits and help the Resistance by providing much-needed supplies. Chewie has offered use of the Millennium Falcon, but it will take a team of six to complete the mission. Groups are split into two pilots, who drive the Falcon; two gunners, who defend the Falcon; and two engineers, who rope in the cargo. The effects, first with the Audio-Animatronic Hondo Ohnaka and then walking through the ship itself, are incredible. Be sure to take a picture at the legendary Dejarik (chess) table.

Once onboard, your crew must work together to retrieve the cargo and bring the Millennium Falcon back with minimal damage. At the end of your mission, Hondo tallies up how you did, minus repairs to the Falcon and his profit, of course. Most guests want to ride again to improve their score! For people with disabilities: Guests need to transfer to a standard wheelchair and then into the ride vehicle. Those wanting to be gunners or engineers can directly transfer; pilots will need to use a transfer wheelchair but will find the ride more secure once they are in place. Note that the many ramps throughout the line can be tough on standard-wheelchair users. Visit this attraction first upon entering, and then plan to wait to ride again.

This loftlike, five-story, Downtown building, the former headquarters of the Western Union Telegraph Company, packs a big art-wallop into just 14,000 square feet. Owned and managed by the University of North Florida, this museum has five galleries, where a permanent collection of 20th-century art shares space with traveling exhibitions, a theater, and a funky gift shop. Film series, theater performances, and workshops are conducted throughout the year, and the Art Walk, typically held on the first Wednesday evening of each month, is free to all. Guided tours are available on Saturday afternoon for an additional fee of $10.

A refined and dazzling private collection of American and international pieces by mid-20th-century modernist artists features the work of George Nakashima, Wendell Castle, and the more radical Memphis Group, as well as pieces collected by musician David Bowie. The museum shares resources and a gift shop with the 1921 restaurant across the street, so special dining and exhibition events are held throughout the year.