Florida Attractions

Selected Travel Guide:		More Florida Travel Guides:			Adjust Font Size:

View Florida Photos

Subscribe to Our Newsletter Get exclusive travel deals, trip reviews, and unique adventure travel ideas monthly. We hate spam! Privacy Policy

Norton Museum of Art
City/Region: Gold Coast
Resort Name: Palm Beach
Culture vultures should not miss out on one of Florida's major cultural attractions, the Norton Museum of Art in trendy, upmarket West Palm Beach. The museum's permanent collection is internationally renowned, including European, American, Chinese and contemporary art, from Renaissance through Baroque. There is also a photography section. The museum also hosts traveling exhibitions and offers education programs for children. There is a museum shop and café serving refreshments. Guided tours are available.
Address: 1451 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach
Phone Number: (561) 832 5196
Email Address: museum@norton.org
Website: www.norton.org
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Closed on Mondays between May and October
Admission: $8 (adults), $3 (13-21 years)

Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex
City/Region: Gold Coast
Resort Name: Boca Raton
Situated in Boca Raton at Red Reef Park on a barrier island, Gumbo Limbo (named after a species of tree) is an eight-hectare (20-acre) marine and estuarine reserve dedicated to showcasing and preserving a concentration of plants known as a 'tropical hammock'. The Environmental complex also includes large outdoor aquariums containing local marine life, including the area's ubiquitous sea turtles. Visitors can also visit a butterfly garden, see visual presentations and interpretive displays, catch the view from an overhead observation tower, and stroll an elevated boardwalk through the hammock and mangrove swamp.
Address: 1801 North Ocean Boulevard
Phone Number: (561) 338 1473
Email Address: gumbo@gumbolimbo.org
Website: www.gumbolimbo.org
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm; closed New Year's Day, 4 July, Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $3 donation suggested

Seminole Reservation
City/Region: Gold Coast
Resort Name: Fort Lauderdale
An hour west of Fort Lauderdale on the road to Naples the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation boasts the Ah-Tah-Thi-Khi Museum, giving visitors an insight into the history and culture of Florida's so-called 'unconquered' Indian tribe. The museum features exhibits and a living village where visitors can watch artisans at work. There is also a nature trail to explore, and a film on Seminole history is shown regularly.
Address: Big Cypress Seminole Reservation
Phone Number: (863) 902 1113
Email Address: museum@semtribe.com
Website: www.seminoletribe.com/museum
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Admission: $6 (adults), $4 (children 4-12 and seniors)

Miami Science Museum
City/Region: Miami
Nothing is staid or boring in Miami, least of all its museums. The Miami Science Museum north of Coconut Grove, contains more than 140 exhibits, all designed to be hands-on and interactive, coupled with live demonstrations and collections of rare natural history specimens that make discovering and learning a great deal of fun. The Wildlife Center boasts more than 175 live reptiles and birds of prey, and the adjacent Space Transit Planetarium provides more thrills with projected astronomy and laser light shows.
Address: 3280 South Miami Avenue
Phone Number: (305) 646 4200
Website: www.miamisci.org
Hours: Daily 10am to 6pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $20 (adults), $13 (children 3-12), free for under 3s. Other concessions available. Prices include museum galleries, planetarium shows and wildlife center

Miami Seaquarium
City/Region: Miami
At least a half a day is required to fully enjoy south Florida's premier attraction. The Seaquarium is world-renowned for its marine life shows and attractions, including performing killer whales and television aquatic star and dolphin, Flipper. Another favorite star is the sea lion Salty and his colleagues, who amuse and amaze with their antics.
Address: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway
Phone Number: (305) 361 5705
Website: www.miamiseaquarium.com
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 6pm
Admission: $27.95 (adults), $21.95 (children 3-9)

Miami-Dade Cultural Center
City/Region: Miami
The outwardly unattractive complex of the Miami-Dade Cultural Center, in the rather unsavory area of West Flagler Street, is worth a visit because it houses a plethora of interesting artistic and historic exhibits. The Center contains the Miami Art Museum (www.miamiartmuseum.org), featuring a collection of modern and contemporary works by American, Latin American and Caribbean artists. There are also themed exhibits, which bring art and artists to life, as do the twice-monthly 'happy hour' parties, organized to highlight a particular exhibit. The Cultural Center also contains the Historical Museum of Southern Florida (www.historical-museum.org) with exhibits that relate to the fascinating history of the area and the culture, folklore and archaeology of South Florida and the Caribbean.
Address: 101 West Flagler Street
Phone Number: Art Museum: (305) 375 3000; Historical Museum: (305) 375 1492
Email Address: info@hmsf.org (Historical Museum)
Transport: Government Center metrorail station
Hours: Art Museum: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm, third Thursdays until 9pm. Historical Museum: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 12pm, third Thursdays until 9pm
Admission: $5 (adults) to each museum. Children under 12 are free at the Art Museum and $2 at the Historical Museum (Saturdays are free for Historical Museum)

Vizcaya Villa
City/Region: Miami
Lovers of antiques revel in visiting the magnificent 34-room Vizcaya bayfront villa, built in the Italian Renaissance style in 1916 as a winter retreat for wealthy industrialist, James Deering. The grand mansion took hundreds of artisans five years to complete, and the formal gardens, which surround the villa fronting on Biscayne Bay, took even longer to lay out. Today visitors can tour the villa and grounds, enjoying the original furnishings and décor in a variety of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococco and Neoclassical styles.
Address: 3251 South Miami Avenue
Phone Number: (305) 250 9133
Website: www.vizcayamuseum.com
Transport: Metrorail to Vizcaya station
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm; closed 25 December
Admission: $12 (adults), $5 (children 6-12). Under 5s free

Spanish Monastery
City/Region: Miami
Miami boasts the oldest building in the Western Hemisphere. Dating from 1133 the Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux in North Miami Beach is a hugely popular tourist attraction, although not quite indigenous to the area. The monastery stood originally in Segovia in Spain, but in the early 1950s the medieval building was bought by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, disassembled, shipped to Miami and rebuilt on its present site.
Address: 16711 West Dixie Highway
Phone Number: (305) 945 1461
Website: www.spanishmonastery.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm; Sunday 1.30pm to 5pm
Admission: $5 (adults), $2 (children), other concessions available

Coral Castle
City/Region: Miami
Legend has it that unrequited love led a Latvian immigrant to spend 25 years single-handedly carving a castle out of rock between the Florida Keys and Miami, on the South Dixie Highway. The amazing monument to the man's determination has been called America's Stonehenge and has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. Visitors are awed by the castle, which also contains affidavits from neighbors testifying to the fact that the builder had no assistance with his mammoth task.
Address: 28655 South Dixie Highway
Phone Number: (305) 248 6345
Website: www.coralcastle.com
Hours: Sunday to Thursday 8am to 6pm, Friday and Saturday until 9pm
Admission: $9.75 (adults), $5 (children); other concessions available

Everglades National Park
City/Region: Miami
The vast Everglades National Park that spans the tip of the Florida peninsula, 35 miles (56km) southwest of Miami, has been described as a 40-mile-wide (64km) slow-moving river of grass, interspersed with shallow wetlands. It is the only subtropical preserve in North America, containing temperate and tropical plants. It also boasts dozens of endangered species that find a home in this natural habitat, like the swallowtail butterfly, American crocodile, leatherback turtle, southern bald eagle and West Indian manatee. The best way to explore the Park is by canoe; private operators however run rapid air-boat tours, which are popular with thrill-seeking visitors. The Park has been accorded several honors including its designation as a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance.
Phone Number: Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center: (305) 242 7700
Website: www.nps.gov/ever
Transport: Greyhound buses service Homestead, but no public transport is available from there to the park entrance. There is no public transportation within the park, but canoes and kayaks can be rented in the park
Hours: Open year round; the main park entrance (near Homestead and Florida City) is open 24 hours a day
Admission: $10 per vehicle, or $5 per pedestrian or cyclist, valid for seven days

Ybor City
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
Ybor City in central Tampa, with its cobblestone streets and huge old cigar factory buildings, is a National Historic Landmark District that beckons visitors back to an era when this Latin Quarter was known as the cigar capital of the world. The historic enclave, founded in 1886, has been fully restored and although the cigar factories are no longer operational, the buildings now house shops, restaurants, clubs and art galleries drawing large numbers of visitors. It is still possible to watch locals demonstrate the ancient art of premium hand-rolled cigar making, or spend a wild night applauding Spanish Flamenco dancers.
Website: www.ybor.org

Busch Gardens
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
Busch Gardens is a massive zoo-come-theme park, which predates Florida's more famous Walt Disney World and offers an equally exciting and entertaining experience for visitors. The park is based on an overall African theme, divided into eight different areas with thousands of animals living in naturalistic environments. The site also contains thrill rides, live entertainment venues, shops and restaurants, all easily viewed from above from the Skyride cable car that crosses the park. In one day it is possible to visit Tutankhamen's Tomb in Egypt, cross the plains of the Serengeti and watch snake charmers in a Moroccan sultan's tent.
Address: McKinley Drive
Phone Number: 1 888 800 5447
Website: www.buschgardens.com
Hours: Opening hours vary according to the day and month, but the park is generally open daily from between 9am and 10am, closing between 5pm and 9pm; June and July opening hours are 9am to 9pm or 10pm
Admission: $61.95 (adults), $51.95 (children 3-9). Multi-day, and combination park tickets are also available

Museum of Science and Industry
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
The hands-on Tampa Science Museum is designed to educate, amaze and amuse both young and old with more than 450 interactive exhibits. Visitors can, for example, experience what it is like to be in a Gulf Hurricane with winds of up to 74 miles per hour (200km/h), or defy the laws of gravity in space. The biology section features a unique way to explore the human body and stroll through a butterfly garden. Also at the museum is Florida's first IMAX dome theater, and the museum building is set in a 47-acre nature reserve which features walking trails.
Address: 4801 East Fowler Avenue
Phone Number: (813) 987 6100
Website: www.mosi.org
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Admission: $19.95 (adults), $15.95 (children 2-12), includes one IMAX film. Other concessions also available

Tampa Museum of Art
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
In downtown Tampa on the east bank of the Hillsborough River, the Tampa Museum of Art houses a collection of 20th century and contemporary art, as well as a renowned collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. The complex has eight galleries and the exhibitions are changed regularly. The museum is set in a seven-acre riverfront park and has a sculpture garden.
Address: 600 North Ashley Drive
Phone Number: (813) 274 8130
Email Address: lanicz@tampagov.net
Website: www.tampamuseum.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; every third Thursday 10am to 8pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm. Every third Friday includes Art After Dark from 8pm to 11pm
Admission: $8 (adults), $3 (scholars). Other concessions available. Free on Saturdays 10am to 12pm, and every third Thursday 5pm to 8pm

Henry B. Plant Museum
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
The Henry B. Plant Museum in the heart of downtown Tampa is designed to transport visitors back to the turn of the century. The ornate building is Moorish in design, featuring 13 silver minarets, said to be a copy of the famed Alhambra Palace in Spain, and in itself is worth a visit. Railroad tycoon Henry Plant built the edifice in 1891 as the 511-roomed Tampa Bay Hotel. Today it houses period art and furnishings from Europe and the Orient, and details via exhibits the history of the resort and the early days of the tourist industry.
Address: 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, University of Tampa campus
Phone Number: (813) 254 1891
Website: www.plantmuseum.com
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm
Admission: $5 (adults), $2 (children)

Florida Aquarium
City/Region: Tampa
Resort Name: St Pete Beach
More than 5,000 aquatic creatures, including crocodiles and moray eels, live at the three-story Florida Aquarium where it is possible to explore the underwater world in air-conditioned comfort. The aquarium utilises behind-the-scenes tours, dive shows, audio tours, close-up animal encounters and touch-tanks to spice up the experience. There are also numerous informative and entertaining theme exhibits.
Address: 701 Channelside Drive
Phone Number: (813) 273 4000
Website: www.flaquarium.org
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 5pm; closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $17.95 (adults), $12.95 (children 3-12). Other concessions available

Walt Disney World
City/Region: Orlando
Orlando's most familiar landmark is undoubtedly the turreted Cinderella Castle that stands in the center of the original Disney Florida theme park, the Magic Kingdom, at Lake Buena Vista. The park was opened in 1971 and has been making childhood fantasies come true ever since. Today it is just one of four Disney parks that cover more than 28,000 acres of Orange and Osceola counties in central Florida, with accompanying resorts, shopping complexes, hotels and waterparks. Apart from the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Orlando now includes Epcot, a futuristic showcase of the world's different cultures and traditions; MGM Studios, a working animation and television studio; and Animal Kingdom, where a huge variety of animals are kept in themed surroundings along with a cast of Disney characters.
Phone Number: (407) 824 4321
Website: www.disneyworld.com
Hours: Open daily, but park hours vary according to the month and day; it is best to check on their website for up to date information
Admission: Admission to any one park: $63 plus tax (adults), $52 plus tax (children 3-9). Park Hopper tickets can be added to the price for $40 for access to all parks. Various other packages and combination tickets are also available

Sea World
City/Region: Orlando
Spread out between the Disney parks at Lake Buena Vista and the downtown Orlando area is the renowned Sea World attraction, which has been making a major splash in central Florida for more than a quarter of a century. The park, owned and operated by Annheuser-Busch, is designed to give an interactive look at the sea and all its facets, featuring themed animal habitats from tidal pools to iceberg lakes. In addition visitors can hug a dolphin or kiss a killer whale, and watch the famous aquatic Sea World stars go through their paces in various shows. The park also features fun rides like the very popular water roller coaster thrill ride called Journey to Atlantis. Neighbouring Discovery Cove (part of the Sea World group) offers visitors a chance to swim with dolphins, view wildlife, sunbathe on gorgeous beaches and snorkel amongst the coral. See www.discoverycove.com for details.
Phone Number: (407) 351 3600
Website: www.seaworld.com
Hours: Daily from 9am, but closing hours vary according to the month, closing earlier in winter
Admission: $64.95 (adults), $53.95(children 3-9). Packages and combination tickets are available

Universal Studios
City/Region: Orlando
Experienced theme parkers recommend that it takes at least two days to fully appreciate all the delights on offer at the Universal Orlando entertainment complex, which includes two theme parks: the Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios. The movie-themed park with its thrilling, innovative fun-rides, production studios and film sets also has three superb luxury on-site hotels so spending a night is a good idea. At Universal Studios visitors are invited to go behind the scenes and become involved in the movie action, while Islands of Adventure offers thrilling rides, shows and attractions from five different islands.
Phone Number: (407) 363 8000
Website: www.universalorlando.com
Hours: Daily from 9am, but closing hours vary according to the month, closing earlier in winter
Admission: Each park is $63 plus tax (adults), $52 plus tax (children 3-9). Multi-day and multi-park tickets are also available

Wet 'n Wild
City/Region: Orlando
One of Orlando's numerous water parks, Wet 'n Wild has the distinction of being the most popular water attraction in the area and also the world's first amusement park devoted solely to water flumes, pools and slides. The park was designed by George Millay, creative genius behind the Sea World parks in San Diego and Orlando, and has been operating since 1977. Thrilling rides like The Storm, The Surge and The Bubba Tub are there to be enjoyed, along with numerous other attractions and facilities.
Address: 6200 International Drive
Phone Number: (407) 351 1800; or (800) 992 9453 (toll-free, US only)
Email Address: info@wetnwildorf.com
Website: www.wetnwildorlando.com
Hours: Open daily year-round, but hours vary according to the season. Generally the park opens between 9am and 10am and closes between 5pm and 7pm, with longer hours during June and July
Admission: $36.95 plus tax (adults), $30.95 plus tax (children 3-9); other concessions apply and passes are available. Afternoon discounts are available year round

Lee County Manatee Park
City/Region: Gulf Coast
Resort Name: Fort Myers Beach
A sighting of an endangered West Indian manatee, a shy and lumbering walrus-like creature whose numbers are dwindling, is a must for visitors to Florida. At the Lee County Manatee Park on the Orange River in eastern Fort Myers these animals can be viewed in their natural habitat from observation decks. The Park also offers information, walking tours and workshops, as well as picnic facilities, a fishing cove with deck and a pier. Kayak and canoe trails are also available.
Address: 10901 State Road 80
Phone Number: (239) 690 5030
Email Address: Bclemons@leegov.com
Website: www.leeparks.org
Hours: Daily 8am to sunset
Admission: Parking: $5 per day; kayak rentals $10 per hour

Orlando Odditorium
City/Region: Orlando
Housed in an odd-looking building that is tipped to one side and apparently sinking into the ground, the Orlando Odditorium contains a remarkable collection of weird and wonderful exhibits, amassed over a period of 40 years by explorer Robert Ripley. Examples of the exhibits are shrunken heads and a scale model of a Rolls Royce made entirely of matchsticks. Ripley's 'Believe it or Not' collection is world-renowned and has been documented in television series and best-selling books.
Address: 8201 International Drive
Phone Number: (407) 363 4418
Website: www.ripleysorlando.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 1am
Admission: $18.95 plus tax (adults), $11.95 plus tax (children 4-12)

Orlando Museum of Art
City/Region: Orlando
In true Florida style, Orlando's Museum of Art is not just another gallery but a fascinating world of creative themed exhibitions showcasing its permanent collections of American Art, Art of the Ancient Americas and African Art. The Museum also has an active program of visiting exhibitions on display in the elegant building with its marble floors and glass ceiling. Group tours are made memorable and educational with commentary about art appreciation and the lives of the various artists represented.
Address: 2416 North Mills Avenue
Phone Number: (407) 896 4231
Email Address: info@omart.org
Website: www.omart.org
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 4pm
Admission: $8 (adults), $5 (scholars 6-18), other concessions available

Kennedy Space Center
City/Region: Orlando
Resort Name: Cocoa Beach
The John F. Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, 46 miles (74km) southeast of Orlando on Florida's east coast, is one place in this fantasyland state where fact is just as entertaining as fancy. Visitors to the center follow the story of NASA's exploration of space through interactive exhibits, movies and tours. Guests can tour a full-size replica of the space shuttle 'Explorer'; walk through a giant model of a module from the new International Space Station; view films about Mars and the Pathfinder exploration; view historic authentic rockets, like that piloted by pioneer astronaut, John Glenn; and marvel at the Apollo/Saturn Center, which houses all the artifacts from the historic moon landing. The Space Center requires several hours to digest, and on the same site is the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, established on the land NASA did not require for its space operations. The 220-square-mile (570 sq km) refuge contains more endangered species than any other wildlife refuge in the US, including the southern bald eagle and Atlantic loggerhead turtle. The US Astronaut Hall of Fame, in the nearby town of Titusville, is another of the area's attractions.
Phone Number: (321) 449 4444
Website: www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 5.30pm, with shuttle-bus tours departing regularly between 10am and 2.15pm. The Astronaut Hall of Fame closes at 6.30pm
Admission: Maximum Access admission: $38 (adults), $28 (children 3-11). Astronaut Hall of Fame only: $17 (adult), $13 (children 3-11). Other options are available

Fantasy of Flight
City/Region: Orlando
Midway between Tampa and Orlando, about 20 minutes drive west of Walt Disney World, the Fantasy of Flight resort is billed as the world's greatest aircraft collection. The attraction began as a vision of aviation enthusiast and historian, Kermit Weeks, as a tribute to the pioneers of flight, and today it features many rare and vintage aircraft, which actually take to the skies. Visitors are treated to an 'Aircraft of the Day' flypast, as well as the chance to fly themselves in a simulator. The site also offers tours of the aircraft collection in hangars, a sight and sound presentation detailing the history of aviation, a tour of the 'back lot' where vintage aircraft are restored, and an Exploration Center.
Address: 1400 Broadway Boulevard S.E, Polk City
Phone Number: (863) 984 3500
Website: www.fantasyofflight.com
Hours: Daily 10am to 5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $26.95 (adults), $13.95 (children 5-12). Other concessions available

National Museum of Naval Aviation
City/Region: Pensacola
The museum on site at the sprawling US Naval Air Station west of Pensacola is regarded as one of the largest and most remarkable air and space museums in the world, with more than 170 aircraft on display dating from the 1920s to the space age. In addition the museum boasts a very realistic recreation of a World War II aircraft carrier and a wartime Pacific airbase. Between March and November visitors might catch a practice session of the Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team soaring through the skies. If not the team can be seen in action on one of two Imax films shown at the museum, or keen would-be aviators can have a go at doing it themselves on the flight simulator.
Address: 1750 Radford Boulevard, Suite C
Phone Number: (850) 452 3604 or 452 3606
Email Address: museuminfo.navalaviation@mchsi.com
Website: naval.aviation.museum/intro.html
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Admission: Free

Pensacola Historical Museum
City/Region: Pensacola
The museum is a good place to learn about the city's diverse history and understand why Pensacola is known as the 'city of five flags'. The museum is housed in the Arbona Building, built in 1882, and the site includes an archaeological dig dating back to the Spanish colonial era, which visitors can view from a boardwalk with explanatory signs.
Address: 115 E. Zaragosa Street
Phone Number: (850) 433 1559
Email Address: phstaff@pcola.gulf.net
Website: www.pensacolahistory.org/museum.htm
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm

Civil War Soldiers Museum
City/Region: Pensacola
A store-front museum in Pensacola's business district houses a fascinating collection of Civil War artifacts gathered by a local physician, Dr Norman W. Haines Jr, throughout his lifetime. The exhibits have been arranged to give visitors an insight into what life as a civil war soldier was like. Particularly interesting are the medical exhibits. The collection also includes the handmade First National Confederate flag captured by Wilson's New York Zopuaves during the Battle of Santa Rosa Island in October 1861.
Address: 108 South Palafox Place
Phone Number: (850) 469 1900
Email Address: info@cwmuseum.org
Website: www.cwmuseum.org
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm
Admission: $6 (adults), $2.50 (children 6-12)

Tallahassee
City/Region: Pensacola
The capital city of Florida, Tallahassee is located 191 miles (308km) east of Pensacola on the 'Big Bend', close to the border with Georgia, 14 miles (23km) to the north. The city is set in rolling hills and sports moss-draped oaks, fragrant magnolia trees and grand old plantation houses more reminiscent of the Deep South than the Florida sunshine scene. Tallahassee hosts the Florida State University at the state's new Capitol Building, which towers 22 storys above the downtown area. The city's five Canopy Roads, where trees form virtual tunnels, are lined with interesting sites such as plantations, ancient Native American settlements and mounds, gorgeous gardens and scenic picnic spots. There is also a Museum of Natural History and Science combined with a natural habitat zoo of indigenous wildlife.
Website: www.seetallahassee.com

The Marine Life Center of Juno Beach
City/Region: Gold Coast
Resort Name: Palm Beach
Some years ago Juno Beach resident Eleanor Fletcher, affectionately known locally as 'the Turtle Lady', began assembling a collection of turtle artifacts and information that has grown to become the Marine Life Center on the oceanfront at Loggerhead Park, which monitors turtles along the Gold Coast. The Center is essentially a turtle hospital, and visitors can see ill and injured creatures being rehabilitated. The Center has numerous exhibits, including tropical fish and shells, and a gift shop. Evening guided 'turtle walks' are offered during June and July, but bookings must be made in advance.
Address: 14200 US Hwy One, Loggerhead Park, Juno Beach
Phone Number: (561) 627 8280
Email Address: info@marinelife.org
Website: www.marinelife.org
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 3pm
Admission: Free

Edison and Ford Winter Estates
City/Region: Gulf Coast
Resort Name: Fort Myers Beach
Famous inventor, Thomas Edison, and his friend, automobile magnate Henry Ford, both spent dozens of winters in the city of Fort Myers in the early years of the 20th century. Edison's home is the region's top historic attraction, and has been preserved as it was during his lifetime. The Victorian house called Seminole Lodge still boasts working light bulbs, which he invented. They burn in the laboratory where he worked on more than 1,000 inventions during his winter visits. The house next door, Mangoes, was built by Ford in 1916. Visitors are given guided tours of both houses by costumed guides giving 'living history' accounts. Scenic river rides on board a replica of Edison's electric boat are also offered.
Address: 2350 McGregor Boulevard, Fort Myers
Phone Number: (239) 334 7419
Email Address: estatesinfo@cityftmyers.com
Website: www.edison-ford-estate.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 5.30pm
Admission: Homes and Gardens tour: $20 (adults), $11 (children 6-12); other options and concessions available

Koreshan State Historic Site
City/Region: Gulf Coast
Resort Name: Fort Myers Beach
In the dying years of the 19th century a former Civil War surgeon, Dr Cyrus Teed, founded a pioneer settlement on the banks of the Estero River south of Fort Myers where he led the community to practice a religion he termed Koreshanity. Chief among his beliefs was the equality of men and women and that the universe was a hollow sphere containing everything within it. Planning to build a utopian city, the community generated their own electricity, built boats, established a general store and constructed numerous buildings, of which 11 remain today to be explored by visitors. The last four members of the sect donated the land to the State of Florida in 1961 and it is now preserved as a park with a nature trail, picnic tables and campsite. Guided tours of the Koreshan buildings are offered.
Address: Intersection of U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road, Estero
Phone Number: (239) 992 0311
Website: www.floridastateparks.org/koreshan
Hours: Daily 8am until sundown
Admission: $4 per vehicle holding up to 8 passengers; $3 for single occupant

South West Florida Museum of History
City/Region: Gulf Coast
Resort Name: Fort Myers Beach
The Museum of History in Fort Myers is housed in the former Atlantic Coastline Railroad depot and chronicles the history of Southwest Florida, from the Paleo Indians through the Calusa, the Seminoles and the Spanish explorers to the early settlers. A pioneer cracker house, a 1926 fire pump and a 1929 Pullman private railroad car are among the exhibits. Pride of place is held by the 'Land of Giants' section depicting the huge animals like mammoths, mastodons and the Bison Antiqus that roamed the area about 12,000 years ago.
Address: 2300 Peck Street
Phone Number: (239) 332 5955
Email Address: museuminfo@cityftmyers.com
Website: www.cityftmyers.com/attractions/historical.htm
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 12pm to 4pm
Admission: $9.50 (adults), $8.50 (children), $4 (children under 12)

The Shell Factory and Nature Park
City/Region: Gulf Coast
Resort Name: Fort Myers Beach
The beaches along this area of the Florida coast are world-renowned for their seashells and the largest collection of shells, fossils, corals and sponges in the world is the focus of a unique family oriented attraction north of Fort Myers. The Shell Factory not only exhibits a fascinating collection, but the 18-acre complex includes shops selling a range of jewelry, ornaments, lamps, objets d'art and glassware. It is even possible to pick your own pearl and have it mounted in gold. The complex includes a petting zoo, wildlife refuge, eco laboratory, a restaurant, game arcade, miniature golf course and boating lake.
Address: 2787 North Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers
Phone Number: (239) 995 2141
Email Address: questions@shellfactory.com
Website: www.shellfactory.com
Hours: Shell factory: daily 9am to 9pm. Nature Park: daily 10am to 7pm
Admission: Shell Factory: free. Nature Park: $8 (adults), $4 (children 4-12)

Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
In the heart of Key West's old town is the house where Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway, one of America's most respected authors, lived and wrote for more than 10 years. The rooms and gardens are open to the public, enabling visitors to step back in time to Hemingway's most productive period, and to enjoy the lush garden where more than 60 cats have taken up residence. Entertaining guided tours are given.
Address: 907 Whitehead Street, Key West
Phone Number: (305) 294 1136
Email Address: hemingwy@bellsouth.net
Website: www.hemingwayhome.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Admission: $11

Key West Lighthouse Museum
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
The landmark beacon of the Key West Lighthouse was built in 1847 to warn ships of the hazardous reefs lying off the lower Keys, and, having been taken out of commission in 1969, is now a popular tourist attraction. Visitors can climb the 86-foot (26m) high tower to marvel at the spectacular view. The clapboard bungalow that was the keeper's quarters has been restored and maintained as a museum, providing a glimpse of life in Key West in the 19th century.
Address: 938 Whitehead Street, Key West
Phone Number: (305) 295 6616 Ext. 16 for information
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm. Closed Christmas Day
Admission: $10 (adults), $5 (children); under 6s free

Pigeon Key
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
Tiny Pigeon Key is an island west of Marathon on the Overseas Highway, which originally served as a construction camp for the original railroad built through the Keys. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and operated by the non-profit Pigeon Key Foundation as an historic preserve. Visitors can explore a railroad museum featuring artifacts and photographs about the original Flagler railroad and building of the old Seven Mile Bridge. Some of the cottages have been restored.
Address: Marathon
Phone Number: (305) 289 0025
Transport: A shuttle service runs from the Pigeon Key Visitor Center on Knight's Key at mile marker 47
Admission: $7 (adults), children are admitted free

Crane Point
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
In the downtown area of Marathon is a tropical oasis of nature trails and educational displays set among hardwood trees on a piece of land that was originally occupied by a Bahamian immigrant family in the early 20th century. Known as Crane Point Hammock, the Adderley's made a sparse and simple life here by selling sponges gathered from the sea and making charcoal. Their home has been restored and the grounds laid out with several miles of walking trails and wooden walkways through the botanic wonderland. One trail takes in the Marathon Wild Bird Center where injured Keys' birds are rehabilitated. There is also a natural history museum on site, dedicated to sea turtles, and a children's museum. Visitors can also witness fish feedings at a tropical saltwater lagoon, and an iguana enclosure.
Address: 5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon
Phone Number: (305) 743 9100
Email Address: trpcranept@aol.com
Website: www.cranepoint.org
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sundays 12pm to 5pm

Butterfly Conservatory
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
The Key West Butterfly Conservatory is billed as a trip to paradise, and a walk through the tropical wonderland filled with free-flying butterflies and colorful birds is certainly a magical experience.
Address: 1316 Duval Street, Key West
Phone Number: (305) 296 2988
Email Address: info@keywestbutterfly.com
Website: www.keywestbutterfly.com
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm
Admission: $10 (adults), $7.50 (children 4-12), under 4s free

Audubon House and Tropical Gardens
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
The restored homestead known as Audubon House contains the works of renowned ornithologist, John James Audubon, who visited the Florida Keys in 1832 and completed drawings of 18 new birds for his folio in the gardens of this house. The house was originally built in the 1840s by Captain John H. Geiger, harbor pilot and wrecker, who lived here with his wife and nine children. The house has been furnished in the typical comfortable style of a prosperous Key West home of its era. Entertaining audio tours are available. Visitors can enjoy wandering through the gorgeous gardens, planted with orchids, bromeliads and other tropical, exotic and native plants.
Address: 205 Whitehead Street, Key West
Phone Number: (305) 294 2116 or 1 877 294 2470 (toll free)
Email Address: audubonhouse@audubonhouse.org
Website: www.audubonhouse.com
Hours: Daily 9.30am to 5pm
Admission: $10 (adults), $5 (children 6-12), under 6s free

Dolphin Research Center
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
One of the most enjoyable activities on a visit to the Florida Keys is to get close to the friendly dolphins, which abound in the area. At the Dolphin Research Center visitors can enjoy half-day education programs, walking tours and a 'dolphin encounter', spending 20 minutes of structured swimming with the Atlantic bottlenose resident dolphins.
Address: 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key
Phone Number: (305) 289 1121
Email Address: drc@dolphins.org
Website: www.dolphins.org
Hours: Daily 9am to 5pm. Last narrated session begins 4.30pm
Admission: $19.50 (adults); $13.50 (children 4-12); other concessions available

National Key Deer Refuge
City/Region: Florida Keys
Resort Name: Key West
The endangered, attractive and unique tiny white-tailed Key deer have found a safe haven in their refuge at Big Pine Key, where they can roam in 14 square miles (36 sq km) of their natural threatened tropical hardwood hammock habitat. There were only 27 or so Key deer surviving in 1957 when the refuge was established; this number has now grown to about 800. The refuge is also home to 22 other federally listed endangered and threatened species of plants and animals, five of which are found nowhere else in the world. More than 90,000 visitors come to the refuge each year.
Address: 179 Key Deer Blvd, Big Pine Key
Phone Number: (305) 872 2239
Email Address: keydeer@fws.gov
Website: nationalkeydeer.fws.gov


Next Page »

Florida City Guides: Florida Keys Guide Miami Guide Orlando Guide Pensacola Guide Tampa Guide
Florida Community:
Florida Journals Search Travel Journals Write a Travel Journals	Florida Photos Search Travel Photos Post your Travel Photos
Join the iExplore Community