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
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
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!
