Florida attractions

Icon Park is an entertainment complex located on one of Orlando's main drags—International Drive—commonly known as I-Drive. Opened in 2015, Icon Park (formerly known as I-Drive 360 and Icon Orlando 360 is home to a variety of restaurants, shops, and attractions—including an aquarium, Madame Tussauds, and a 400-foot-tall (122-meter observation wheel, appropriately named The Wheel—which is the centerpiece of the park.

Walt Disney World® Resort is the world’s largest theme park, featuring a total of four different parks to explore—Magic Kingdom® Park, EPCOT®, Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. Enjoyable for the whole family and guests of all ages, these four theme parks (plus two water parks and Disney Springs® a themed retail and entertainment center) provide an atmosphere of magic and adventure. Guests can expect to find unique attractions in each area of the resort, many of which are inspired by beloved Disney characters and films.

Located in the former Alcazar Hotel in St. Augustine’s historic downtown, the Lightner Museum houses an eclectic collection of fine and decorative art, natural history and geological specimens, Victorian collectibles, and Americana. There’s also a robust schedule of special events, exhibitions, and educational programs.

More than just an aquarium, Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a marine life rescue and rehabilitation center. Set on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the center gained fame when it rescued Winter, a baby dolphin that later starred in theDolphin Tale movies. You can visit Winter and other dolphins, sharks, stingrays, and such at the aquarium.

Clematis Street is a roadway acting as a “Main Street” of downtown West Palm Beach. A commercial district since the 1890s, Clematis Street is both the historical heart and lively hub of the city. Running west to east, the street features shopping, dining, entertainment venues, and views of the Intercoastal Waterway.

The Key West Lighthouse is one of the island's oldest structures. It was first built in 1825 to help ships navigate the dangerous reefs of the Lower Keys. The lighthouse that stands today dates back to 1847, and the 92-foot (28-meter) building offers some of the best views in town, as well as a maritime museum in the keeper’s house.

Test your mettle at St. Augustine's Medieval Torture Museum, the first museum of its kind in the United States. This trove of recreated torture instruments, enriched by academic research, demonstrates just how much suffering humanity infllicted during the Middle Ages. Uncover how these deadly objects were employed and why they were used.

Don’t let the friendly pink stucco exterior fool you. Although this building might look like an old-fashioned luxury resort, it was actually one of the most feared places in all of St. Augustine—the St. Johns County Jail. Built in 1891, the jail housed prisoners until 1953, when it opened to the public for tours.

Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen, and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios Florida™, the world's premier movie and TV-based theme park. This Orlando favorite, part of Universal Orlando Resort™, offers rides, shows, movie sets, and attractions that bring to life blockbuster movies like Transformers, Despicable Me, and Harry Potter.

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.

Duval Street, running from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, is Old Town Key West’s main strip, offering a mix of restaurants, bars, boutiques, live music, kitschy souvenir shops, and theaters. Walk the street at your leisure, or plan to attend a Duval Crawl; the street hosts some of the wildest pub crawls in the United States.

The Ten Thousand Islands archipelago covers more than 35,000 acres (14,164 hectares) of Florida’s southern tip. The eponymous national wildlife refuge lies in the northern portion, while the southern part is in Everglades National Park. The islands—which number in the hundreds, not thousands—are a perfect place to decompress in nature.

Tampa’s Busch Gardens combines the thrills of a theme park—replete with myriad roller coasters, ziplines, a white rapids ride, and other rides—with the wonder of a zoo, including more than 12,000 animals from 300 different species. Across its 335 acres (136 hectares), the Africa-themed park also hosts live performances for the whole family.

Once a Second World War transport ship, the Vandenberg now lies on the seafloor, south of Key West. Scuttled in 2009, the 522-foot (159-meter ship has become a home for sea life, and a popular destination for scuba divers. In addition to the ship itself, divers are likely to see barracuda, groupers, and a wide range of corals here.

A glimpse into early US history can be found at Mission Nombre de Dios, a Franciscan mission in St. Augustine dating back to 1587. It is suspected that this landmark might be the first mission established in America, and today, it is a pilgrimage site for travelers focused on religious and architectural history. Expect a peaceful atmosphere at this small, ivy-covered stone church with wide walkways and manicured gardens.

Caladesi Island State Park floats just off the shores of Dunedin and is only 2 nautical miles (3.7 kilometers) from Clearwater Beach. Palm trees, sand dunes, and mangroves lend it a wild feel, while elevated boardwalks, picnic facilities, restrooms with showers, and a café make it an inclusive spot for family-friendly relaxation.

If you're looking for a laugh in Naples, don't miss Off the Hook Comedy Club. Known for hosting big names in comedy—from Louie Anderson to Jim Breuer—the club offers great performances with intimate seating. Be sure to snag advance tickets as shows often sell out, and arrive early to order dinner and drinks before the show starts.

The Museum of Science and Industry, known as MOSI, is an imaginative space designed for curiosity and interaction. Opened in 1982, it’s about 10 miles (16 kilometers) outside of Tampa and two blocks from Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Its IMAX center was removed recently, but the museum still boasts hundreds of immersive permanent exhibits.

Universal Orlando's Harry Potter attraction is spread across two parks at the resort: Diagon Alley on the Universal Studios Florida side and Hogsmeade at Universal's Islands of Adventure. The two are connected by Hogwarts Express train, and each features shops, dining, and attractions inspired by the young wizard.

Palm trees line this prime stretch of Key West beachfront, where you can stake out the perfect stretch of white sand, lounge in the shade, or try one of many activities. Calm water makes Smathers Beach a favorite for snorkeling and swimming, and it’s great for families looking for a day by the shore.

Stretching for 17 miles (27 kilometers) between the Orlando Premium Outlets to Walt Disney World, Orlando’s International Drive (I-Drive for short) serves as the city’s tourist hub. Six of Orlando’s top theme parks—SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Wet ’n’ Wild, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and Aquatica—are located along this stretch.

American President Harry S. Truman used this 1890 landmark as a winter White House, visiting 11 times over the course of his presidency. Now a presidential museum, the house preserves Truman’s legacy with original furnishings, personal items, and memorabilia. Guided tours of the museum uncover personal stories from Truman’s time here.

Situated on Key West’s Mallory Square, the Key West Aquarium brings visitors up close to some of the Florida Keys’ aquatic wildlife. Exhibits feature guest favorites such as sharks, stingrays, American alligators, and jellyfish. The Atlantic Shores exhibit houses a living red mangrove ecosystem, a critical habitat in the Keys.

Miami is often called the "Magic City," and this opulent Italian Renaissance-style villa is its fairy-tale residence. Built for industrialist James Deering in 1916, Vizcaya Palace is as ornate as a Fabergé egg and brimming with 15th- to 19th-century furniture, tapestries, paintings, and decorative arts. The seaside grounds, which front Biscayne Bay, feature elegant gardens, fountains, sculptures, pools, canals, trails, and a charming Florentine gazebo.

In the Florida heat, families of all ages can cool off in the Big Kahuna’s Water and Adventure Park, which is home to dozens of thrilling water slides and rides. With its flowing waters and tropical theme, it attracts thousands of people every summer. The Big Kahuna is home to lazy rivers, cabanas, and shaded children’s areas for those who prefer to keep it low key, while white water raft rides and high speed flumes await the adventurous. Park visitors can choose from a variety of slide lengths, intensities, and speeds to race down guided by the water. There’s also a halfpipe surfing simulator, for those who prefer to hit the waves. It is the largest water park on the Emerald Coast.For those opting for adventure out of the water, the adventure park has a Go Kart race track, tropical mini golf course, and several thrilling rides on land. The Sky Coaster reaches heights of 100+ feet before flying toward the ground.

Fun Spot is a locally-owned Central Florida amusement park and entertainment center with locations in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Atlanta. This family-friendly destination opened in 1997 and its Kissimmee branch boasts the world’s tallest skycoaster at 300 feet (90 meters) while Fun Spot Orlando has the only wooden roller coaster in Orlando. Fun Spot Orlando has a splash pad and a wildlife oasis with birds, alligators, and other reptiles.

Located only 30 minutes outside downtown Fort Lauderdale, Sawgrass Recreation Park offers guided airboat rides through the marshy, humid swamp waters of the Florida Everglades. Visitors can spot alligators and other marshland animals, such as pythons, black leopards, and the endangered Florida panther living in the wild.

A mostly open-air aquarium, Gulf World Marine Park is located on the Gulf of Mexico in Panama City Beach, Florida. The park is home to rough-toothed and bottlenose dolphins, sea lions, stingrays, flamingos, sharks, turtles, penguins, alligators, and reef fish.

The historic Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum has played many roles in the state of Florida since being built more than 400 years ago. During the colonial period of the 16th century, it served as the official residence and offices of the Spanish governors of Florida. The mansion was then rebuilt in 1710 after being destroyed by British forces. British governors of East Florida ruled from the structure during the American Revolutionary War, often throwing lavish parties. In 1821, history was made here when the Spanish governor turned over the control of Florida to the United States.Once a part of the new nation, it served as a U.S. post office, courthouse, and customs building before opening as a museum in 1991. The structure itself holds centuries of history, though its exhibits go into further detail the significance of the house and the area. Many archaeological artifacts, including Spanish gold and Native American canoes, tell the stories of the multiculturalism that influenced Florida and St. Augustine as it is today.

Miami Beach’s Art Deco Historic District is a colorful, vibrant section of the trendy South Beach neighborhood. The area includes about 900 unique buildings—from nautical-themed hotels to pastel-colored mansions—and was the first 20th-century neighborhood to be recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.