100 Things to See and Do in Florida

 

Florida is a state with much to see and do.

The Sunshine State is so much more than just Disney World and beautiful beaches. Although we are big fans of both, there is still so much to be discovered. Whether you live in Florida and are looking for something different to do, or planning a trip to Florida and want some different sights to see, here are some hidden gems in Florida.

Almost all of these places and activities are family friendly. Many would be great for making an “Edutravel” trip to Florida for homeschoolers. And, I did include a few beaches!

Other than being categorized by geographical area, they are not listed in any particular order.

Northwest Florida Things to See & Do (Gulf side)

USS Oriskany – Pensacola (great diving destination and largest artificial reef in the world)

National Naval Aviation Museum – Pensacola (FREE admission to the museum)

Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum – Pensacola

Adventures Unlimited – Panhandle (Canoes & Zip Line Adventures in beautiful surroundings)

Florida Caverns State Park – Marianna

Blue Angels – Pensacola

Destin History & Fishing Museum – Destin

Southwest Florida Things to See & Do

The Turtle Hospital – Marathon (Florida Keys)

Bok Tower Gardens – Polk County (between Tampa & Orlando)

5 Reasons to Visit Bok Tower Gardens

Giraffe Ranch – Dade City (a real working Giraffe Ranch!)

Old City Helicopter Rides – Tampa (take a helicopter tour of beautiful Tampa)

Cypress Breeze Farm Trail Riding – Horseback Riding in Pinellas County

Egmont Key Ferry – from Ft. DeSoto County Park – Pinellas County

Florida Orchestra – Tampa Bay area

Sarasota Opera – Sarasota

Caspersen Beach – Sarasota (reported to have a very high concentration of shark teeth)

Sharky’s on the Pier – Venice

Ding Darling Society – Sanibel Island

Crystal River Manatee Tours – Crystal River, tours, snorkeling and diving

Florida Strawberry Festival – Plant City

John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk – Madeira Beach

Feeding the Tarpon – Florida Keys

The Dali Museum – St. Petersburg

Everglades Alligator Farm – Homestead

Gatorama – Moore Haven

Caladesi State Park – Dunedin (take a ferry from Honeymoon Island)

Weeki Wachee Springs – Weeki Wachee (watch a mermaid show)

Glazer Children’s Museum – Tampa

Tampa Bay History Museum – Tampa

The Florida Aquarium – Tampa (very nice aquarium)

SS American Victory – Tampa Bay (war ship that served in WWII, Korean War & Vietnam)

Manatee Viewing Center – Tampa Bay

Lowry Park Zoo – Tampa

Lowry Park Zoo Review

MOSI – Tampa (Museum of Science and Industry – Zip Line and IMAX Theatre)

Sunken Gardens – St. Petersburg

The Ringling – Sarasota (Art collection and home of one of the 5 brothers of Ringling Brothers)

MOTE Aquarium – Sarasota

Yoder’s Amish Village – Sarasota (Amish cooking in Florida)

Sarasota Jungle Gardens – Sarasota

Clearwater Aquarium – Clearwater (see Winter!)

Edison & Ford Winter Estates – Ft. Meyers

South Florida Museum – visit Snooty, the oldest living Manatee in captivity

Key West Express – take the ferry from Marco Island or Ft. Meyers to Key West

Ybor City – historic part of downtown Tampa, many restaurants and there is a trolley stop. More family friendly during the day.

TECO Line Streetcar System – Tampa’s historic streetcar system – great fun for the family!

Gasparilla Pirate Festival – Tampa – the more family friendly version of the festival starts on January 24, 2015

Deep Sea Fishing – Clearwater, Tampa

Shelling in Florida – everything you wanted to know and more – mostly focused on Sanibel Island/Captiva Island

CROW Rehabilitation – Sanibel Island, wildlife rehabilitation hospital

Dry Tortugas National Park – 70 miles west of Key West – this isn’t a spur of the moment destination! Only accessible by boat or seaplane 🙂

Port Boca Grande Lighthouse – Gasparilla Island

Joy-Lan Drive-in – Dade City

Rainbow Springs State Park – Dunnellon – the 4th largest natural spring in Florida

Northeast Florida Things to See & Do (Atlantic side)

World Golf Hall of Fame – St. Augustine

Fort Mose Historic State Park – St. Augustine (a precursor to the Underground Railroad)

The Lightner Museum – St. Augustine – a glimpse into 19th century life

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum – St. Augustine

Florida Museum of Natural History – Gainsville

St. Augustine Alligator Farm – St. Augustine

Mt. Dora Steam Train – Mt. Dora

Jacksonville Zoo – Jacksonville

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse – Cape Canaveral

Space Coast Launches – Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Station

Southeast Florida Things to See & Do

Ancient Spanish Monastery – Miami

Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge – Vero Beach

Monkey Jungle – Miami

Spady Cultural Heritage Museum – Delray Beach

Bonnet House Museum & Gardens – Fort. Lauderdale

Reptile World Serpentarium – St. Cloud

Morse Museum – Winter Park (world’s most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany)

Boggy Creek Airboat Rides – Kissimmee

Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo – Orlando

Brevard Zoo – Melbourne

Jungle Adventures – Christmas

Jules Underwater Lodge – Key Largo (a very different lodging experience!)

Coral Castle – Miami (a carving of over 1,100 tons of coral rock)

Wild Bill’s Airboat Rides – Ocala

Miami Zoo – Miami

Lion Country Safari – near West Palm Beach (drive thru zoo)

Arnold’s Wildlife Center – Okechobee

Gatorland – meet alligators up close and personal

Gatorland Field Trip

Everglades Holiday Park – Airboat rides, Everglades Tours and Gator shows

Everglades National Park

Baseball Spring Training Venues

Detroit Tigers – Lakeland – great spot to take the family

Minnesota Twins – Ft. Meyers

Philadelphia Phillies – Clearwater

Atlanta Braves – Kissimmee

Baltimore Orioles – Sarasota

Boston Red Sox – Ft. Meyers

Houston Astros – Orlando

New York Mets – Port St. Lucie

New York Yankees – Tampa

Pittsburgh Pirates – Bradenton

St. Louis Cardinals – Jupiter

Toronto Blue Jays – Dunedin

Washington National – Viera

Florida Shrines

Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine – Orlando

Shrine of Our Lady of LaLeche – St. Augustine

The National Shrine of Saint Philomena – Miami

Shrine of Our Lady of Charity – Miami

More Florida Travel Ideas!

Central Florida without the Theme Parks

Summer Staycation: Tampa Bay and Surrounding Areas

 iHomeschool Network 100 Things series. Be sure to check out all the other great 100 lists!