Things to Do in Florida

1. Dry Tortugas National Park

Dry Tortugas National Park is 100 square miles of open water which includes seven small islands. It is one of the more remote parks managed by the National Park Service and lies 70 miles west of Key West. There is no fresh water on the islands, which is why they are called the “Dry” Tortugas.

The islands are home to the impressive Fort Jefferson (Video), which is one of the largest 19th century American forts. You can choose to spend the night either in the island’s campgrounds or aboard a chartered yacht. Dry Tortugas are a prime destination for snorkeling and diving due to the crystal clear water. It is one of the top Florida attractions.

2. Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory is a butterfly park that is home to more than 50 different species of butterfly. The butterflies live in a climate-controlled habitat that includes butterfly-friendly flowers, plants, waterfalls, and trees. There are several birds that live in the conservatory as well.

There is a learning center which allows visitors to see several live caterpillars at different stages of their lives. The center teaches visitors about butterfly life cycles, different types of butterflies, and butterfly anatomy and physiology. The center has a gift shop which sells many items related to nature and butterflies.

1316 Duval Street, Key West, FL 33040, Phone: 305-296-2988

3. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens are beautiful botanical gardens located on the grounds of Marie and William Selby’s former home in gorgeous Sarasota Bay. Strolling through the expertly designed gardens is the perfect way to escape from the hustle and bustle outside the park. The Marie Selby Gardens is the only of its type in the world as it is dedicated to the study and display of epiphytes, especially orchids, attracting scholars from all over the world.

Several options for dining are located in the park, including a cafe and a tea room. The gardens host many events throughout the year and it is a very popular wedding venue.

1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236, Phone: 941-366-5731

4. Busch Gardens Tampa, Florida

Busch Gardens Tampa is an African-themed amusement park in Tampa. The park has several themed areas which are each named after a different part of Africa. A replica steam engine, the Serengeti Express, makes stops at several of the areas and the Skyride, an aerial tram, makes stops at three others. Busch Gardens Tampa is famous for its rollercoasters, which are located throughout the different park areas along with food and beverage options and shopping.

Additionally, Busch Gardens also has many animal exhibits where visitors can view exciting animals up-close, such as Asian elephants, alligators, cheetahs, and more.

10165 N McKinley Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, Phone: 888-800-5447

5. Lion Country Safari

Lion Country Safari is Florida’s only drive-through safari park, where about 1,000 animals live in a cageless environment, free to roam and enjoy 600 acres of open space. Located in Loxahatchee near West Palm Beach, this unique park was established in 1967 and is said to be the first “cageless zoo” in the US. At Lion Country Safari, humans visit the park in enclosed vehicles and observe animals from six continents, including giraffes, lions, zebras, rhinos, and ostriches.

After visiting the 4-mile-long drive-through safari park, the guests can explore Safari World Amusement Park, with five rides, animal feeding, the Safari Splash water sprayground, food concessions, shopping, and more.

2003 Lion Country Safari Rd, Loxahatchee, FL 33470, 561-793-1084

6. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is the visitor center for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The center has a museum with exhibits, including historic space vehicles and various artifacts from the history of space travel.

The complex features an IMAX movie theater and a launch simulator. There are also several options for bus tours of the Kennedy spaceport. The space center has a special memorial called the Space Mirror, which honors astronauts who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The Apollo/Saturn V Center can be visited by bus from the visitors’ center and includes exhibits related to the Apollo program, including a piece of moon rock and the replica of a lunar rover.

SR 405, Titusville, FL 32899, Phone: 321-452-2121

7. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Florida

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Florida is the former estate of farm machinery tycoon James Deering from the Deering McCormick-International Harvester company. It is located on Biscayne Bay in Miami. The architecture of the home is influenced by the Mediterranean Revival and Renaissance styles with some Baroque elements.

The home has more than 70 rooms and is furnished with many European antiques, art, and furnishings from the 15th to the 19th century.

Several tour options are available for visitors to see the home and grounds.

The gardens surrounding the home have an area comprising Italian Renaissance formal gardens and the several acres of native forest can be explored by guests.

3251 S. Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, Phone: 305-250-9133

8. The Ringling, Florida

The Ringling Museum of Art is an art museum located and includes the former mansion home of John and Mable Ringling, the namesakes and founding members of the Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey Circus. The museum includes 21 art galleries housing more than 10,000 pieces and is the state museum of Florida. The museum can be combined with tours of Ca d’Zan, the Ringling’s mansion, as well as the world’s first circus museum, which includes a small-scale circus.

The grounds also feature a library, education center, and gardens and can be used for weddings and private events.

5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota, FL 34243, Phone: 941-359-5700

9. Sarasota Opera

Sarasota Opera is Sarasota, Florida's premiere opera organization and venue, originally founded in 1960 as the Asolo Opera Guild in order to present performances by the Turnau Opera at Sarasota's Asolo Theater.

Since 1973, the company has mounted its own annual performances, which have been held at the National Register of Historic Places-listed A.B. Edwards Theater building since 1984.

The theater, which was fully restored to its historic glory in 2008, showcases a full season lineup of opera performances, along with classical ballet and symphony performances, popular music concerts, film festivals, and stand-up comedy performances.

Opera performances blend familiar favorites from renowned composers such as Verdi with modern and lesser-known works, with English translations offered at all performances. Some lesser-known performances also offer pre-performance lectures on works.

61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236, Phone: 941-328-1300

10. Universal Studios Florida

Universal Studios Florida is an amusement park located in Orlando and one part of Universal Orlando Resort. The park features rides and attractions based on the movie and television industry.

The center of the park is a large lagoon which is surrounded by six themed areas. Visitors to the park can experience elements from a variety of films in each of the areas.

The rides use special effects to really bring the films to life while costumed characters roam the grounds for visitors to interact with.

Additionally, Universal Studios is also a fully-functioning production studio that has been used to film many movies, television shows, music videos, and events.

Address: Universal Studios Florida, 6000 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, Phone: 407-363-8000