At Dudley Farm, a one-of-a-kind authentic 325-acre working “Cracker” farm, you will see the evolution of North Florida farming through the eyes of three generations of the Dudley family; from the pioneer days circa 1850 through the introduction of gasoline-powered equipment circa 1945.
Dudley Farm Historic State Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some highlights include a visitor center, park staff in period clothing performing chores, production and harvest of heritage crop varieties and sugar cane, raising of heritage livestock varieties including Cracker cows and Barred Rock chickens, family farmhouse with original furnishings, general store and post office, 1880s kitchen outbuilding, cane syrup complex with autumn cane grinding, boiling, bottling, seasonal corn shucking, nature trail and picnic area. https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/dudley-farm-historic-state-park/
The Gainesville Community Playhouse is one of the oldest community theatre in the state of Florida. Its first play, The Pied Piper of Hamlin, was produced in 1927 and have been producing quality plays and musicals ever since. In 2006, Gainesville Community Playhouse moved into our present facility, the magnificent Vam York Theater, a 210-seat house with facilities to stage the most demanding musicals and plays. http://www.visitgainesville.com/attractions/gainesville-community-playhouse/
Ask people about the one place to visit when coming to Gainesville, and many will say the Butterfly Rainforest.
At the Florida Museum of Natural History’s Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, you’ll come face-to-face with exotic free-flying butterflies within a large screened enclosure. Visitors can stroll through tropical foliage and flowers to the sound of waterfalls. More than 50 species from all over the world reside here at any given time.
The Wall of Wings exhibit inside the museum showcases thousands of preserved and photographed butterfly and moth specimens. Visitors can get a close-up view of scientists working in the world’s largest butterfly research facility. The butterflies in the exhibit become active when temperatures are 60 degrees or higher. https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/butterfly-rainforest/
Florida Museum visitors can enjoy hundreds of live butterflies from around the world in the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit, and explore the state’s unique habitats, as well as its natural and cultural history, in other permanent exhibits. Changing temporary exhibits cover a wide range of topics.
Florida’s official natural history museum is located on the University of Florida campus. The Florida Museum of Natural History houses more than 40 million specimens and cultural artefacts, including one of the world’s largest collections of butterflies and moths. The Museum’s mission combines research, preservation and interpretation of both biological diversity and cultural heritage. The main attractions are the permanent exhibitions that explore Florida’s unique habitats and cultural history and the exciting temporary exhibits. https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/florida-museum-of-natural-history/
Black C Art is a gallery and performance space featuring the work of dancer, photographer, and visual artist Ani Collier. Ani grew up in Bulgaria and studied ballet behind the Iron Curtain. She arrived in the United States a few months after the Wall came down, and performed on stage for many years. Photography and the visual arts came to capture Ani’s interest after many years of dancing professionally. While ballet remains her first love, Ani also likes to dance with her pictures. As ballet offers ethereal moments in time, so does Ani’s photography and digital collages. https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/black-c-art-gallery/
The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention, located at 811 South Main Street, is a museum of ideas. The question is not what you will see but what will you imagine and create.
Dr. James Robert Cade, a kidney specialist at the University of Florida, was best known as the leader of the research team that invented Gatorade in 1965. In 2004, Dr. Cade and his family established The Cade Museum Foundation in an effort to design and build a 26,000 square foot museum in Gainesville, Florida.
The mission of the museum is to transform communities by inspiring and equipping future inventors, entrepreneurs, and visionaries.
The Cade Museum for Creativity & Invention offers interactive activities in the Creativity and Fab Labs, hands-on learning in the rotunda, Studebaker Sundays, outdoor educational activities, travelling exhibits, and much, much, more. Cade programming and events are designed to engage guests in “purposeful creativity,” the kind that leads to great inventions, new businesses, and ideas that change the world https://www.visitgainesville.com/explore/attraction/cade-museum-for-creativity-invention/
Bivens Arm Nature Park is 57 acres of marsh and oak hammock with a wildlife sanctuary, shaded family picnic grounds, an observation pavilion and a mile-long nature trail with a 1,200 foot boardwalk.
The wetlands and creeks bordered by beautiful upland mixed forests is a true natural treasure. The Park connects the southernmost Gainesville creeks to the wetlands of Paynes Prairie State Preserve. The park’s trail meanders through uplands past numerous large live oaks, while the boardwalk and main pavilion border a small marsh.
Birders especially enjoy the Bivens Arm Nature Park, where wading birds, including great blue herons, little blue herons, cattle egrets, great egrets and snowy egrets can be seen. You will also see purple gallinules, common moorhens, and a variety of native turtles. You may hear barred owls or great horned owls, and in April and October you may see migratory songbirds such as hermit thrushes and American redstarts. http://www.visitgainesville.com/attractions/bivens-arm-nature-park/
A short drive from Tampa, beautiful Honeymoon Island offers visitors an escape from the bustle of city life.
One of Florida’s best-loved state parks, Honeymoon Island has more than four miles of beach to explore along with a three-mile trail through one of the last remaining virgin slash pine forests. Looking skyward, eagles, osprey and great horned owls can be seen, while ground animals include gopher tortoises, raccoons and armadillos. A trip to the Rotary Centennial Nature Center helps educate visitors about the park’s history and natural resources. Find out how Honeymoon Island received its name!
Swimming, fishing, shelling, hiking and bicycling are all popular activities that make Honeymoon Island State Park an ideal getaway. The park is also the ferry terminal for access to another unspoiled state park, Caladesi Island. https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Honeymoon-Island
Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a nonprofit working marine rescue center dedicated to inspiring the human spirit through leadership in education, research, rescue, rehabilitation and release. CMA is home to rescued dolphins, sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, nurse sharks and more. One of our world-famous residents is Winter the Dolphin. Winter’s story has inspired millions around the world in the major motion picture, Dolphin Tale, and the sequel, Dolphin Tale 2. https://www.seewinter.com/#
With hundreds of things to do on Clearwater Beach, the main attraction is still its perfect beach!
Wonder what it takes to be named the #1 Beach in the U.S.? Beautiful white sands and clear, shallow water make this beach an ideal playground for families. But really, everyone loves a beach this gorgeous. From the activity along the palm-lined Beach Walk Promenade to the serene shores of Sand Key Park, you're sure to find your perfect spot in the sand on Clearwater Beach. Rent a cabana or beach chair and beach umbrella from a local vendor (simply choose which one you want, settle down and wait for an attendant to come by for payment), or walk toward the more residential north side of the beach for a little serenity away from the bustling scene of Pier 60 and Clearwater Marina. Getting here is a breeze, too. Take advantage of free parking in downtown Clearwater, then hop on the Clearwater Ferry for a traffic-free, sunshine-filled ride to the beach. https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/communities/clearwater-beach
Hand-feed giraffes when you embark on a Serengeti Safari. Get priority access to our most popular rides with a Quick Queue. Or eat all day without ever taking out your wallet with an All‐Day Dining Deal. https://buschgardens.com/tampa/
The Straz Center for the Performing Arts provides world-class entertainment, ranging from lavish Broadway shows to classical music and rock concerts. It is the largest facility of its kind in the Southeastern United States. http://www.strazcenter.org/
The Henry B. Plant Museum is housed in the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel, the Victorian railroad resort that defined the elegant frontier, now a National Historic Landmark. Unlike most museums dedicated to lifestyles of the past, it contains the actual furnishings enjoyed by the first guests to visit here. The Museum accurately reflects the opulence of turn-of-the-century America and the vision of American transportation pioneer, Henry B. Plant.
The Museum seeks to transport the visitor through educational exhibits and events to the late Victorian period, the beginning of Florida’s tourist industry, and the early years of the city of Tampa. http://www.plantmuseum.com/
The Florida Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to entertain, educate and inspire stewardship of the natural environment. https://www.flaquarium.org/who-we-are
Believe in make-believe! Come experience Disney storytelling like never before as you enjoy the exciting rides, attractions and characters throughout all six lands of the Magic Kingdom.
Zoom through the galaxy, brave a ghostly mansion and embark on high-seas adventures during the Golden Age of Piracy! Or party at animated parades, catch spectacular fireworks extravaganzas and snap photos with Disney Characters! Don't forget to celebrate seasonal holidays, join a dastardly pirate crew, tour the park’s steam trains and vanquish Disney Villains! https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/magic-kingdom/
At the world's premier movie and TV based theme park you'll experience the magic and excitement of the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley, join the battle on TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D, be transformed into a minion on the 3D ride Despicable Me Minion Mayhem, and crash through Krustyland on The Simpsons Ride.
Plus, don't miss Universal's Superstar Parade, featuring characters from Nickelodeon, the hit comedy Hop, and Despicable Me. In the evening, head to the lagoon for the new nighttime show, Universal's Cinematic Spectacular-100 Years of Movie Memories, narrated by actor Morgan Freeman. https://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/theme-parks/Universal-Studios-Florida/31411/
Explore comic books, timeless tales and blockbuster movies as they come to life right before your eyes! Face the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park® and enter a land where magic is real at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™- Hogsmeade™. Soar high above the city streets on The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man®, now in high-def 3-D. https://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/theme-parks/Universals-Islands-of-Adventure/31409/
Central Florida Community Arts (CFCarts) is a "one stop shop" for your entertainment needs in the Central Florida area. A non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, CFCArts includes: A top-notch pro-level vocal ensemble called Legacy http://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-history/Central-Florida-Community-Arts/37620/
Founded in 1924, the Orlando Museum of Art is a a 501(c)(3) institution and leading cultural institution in the region. Their mission is to inspire creativity, passion and intellectual curiosity by connecting people with art and new ideas. http://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-history/Orlando-Museum-of-Art/31259/
Owned and operated by the City of Orlando, The Mennello Museum of American Art was established in 1998 to preserve, exhibit, and interpret our outstanding permanent collection of paintings by Earl Cunningham. The Mennello Museum of American Art strives to enrich the public through renowned temporary exhibitions, exciting programs, educational initiatives, and publications that celebrate outstanding traditional and contemporary American art and artists across a broad range of disciplines. https://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-history/The-Mennello-Museum-of-American-Art/31389/
If you love art The Cornell Fine Arts Museum, located on the campus of Rollins College in Winter Park, is a must-see during your Orlando visit. An ancient sarcophagus, Renaissance and Baroque paintings, American abstraction, modern sculpture and 21st century art all are part of our collection. Temporary exhibitions exploring timely and thought-provoking topics rotate seasonally. In addition to works at the Museum, you can explore art from the Museum's collection nearby at the College's philanthropic boutique hotel, The Alfond Inn. The Inn is a one-of-its-kind in the nation, serving as a satellite location for an art museum. https://www.visitorlando.com/EN-GL/things-to-do/arts-culture-and-history/Cornell-Fine-Arts-Museum/30993/
SeaWorld Parks & Resorts Orlando is the perfect setting for your vacation. Our world-class, theme parks provide days of family fun, and a variety of partner hotels offer convenience, quality accommodations, outstanding value and exclusive guest benefits at the parks. Plus, it’s centrally located for convenient access to all of Orlando’s world-renowned attractions.
Guests are immersed in wonder at SeaWorld Orlando, where the aquatic world comes alive like no place else. Experience the predator power of MAKO, Orlando’s tallest, fastest and longest coaster. Climb aboard and ride the mighty Manta. Discover what it takes to care for an injured animal at SeaWorld Rescue Manatee Rehabilitation. Witness the power and grace of killer whales in the awe-inspiring show One Ocean and experience one-of-a-kind attractions, thrilling coasters and up-close animal interactions. https://seaworld.com/orlando/
The Delta Flight Museum offers a one-of-a-kind experience. Features include interactive exhibits and rare artifacts, cutting-edge technology, unique event spaces and an innovative focus on the future of aviation. At the Museum guests can get an up-close look at historic aircraft dating back to the 1920s, fly the only Boeing 737 flight simulator open to the public, host events in a distinctive setting that offers historic glamour with modern appeal and shop for unique aviation souvenirs. http://www.deltamuseum.org/
Six historic city blocks in the heart of Atlanta transformed into an urban market with unique shopping, dining, entertainment and nightlife! https://www.atlanta.net/partner/underground-atlanta/350/
Centennial Olympic Park was created as a 21-acre gathering spot for visitors and residents to enjoy during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. It's estimated $75 million in development costs came entirely from private-sector donations - contributions in the form of commemorative bricks, funds raised by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, and local philanthropic foundation grants. Following the Olympic Games, a large portion of the park was closed and redesigned for daily public use. Today the park performs a dual mission: it serves as Georgia's lasting legacy of the Centennial Olympic Games, and it anchors efforts to revitalize residential and commercial development in Georgia's capital city of Atlanta. The Park sponsors community-wide free events, including the Fourth of July Celebration and Fourth Saturday. The Park also hosts festivals, fundraisers, and private events. These events, in addition to the normal day-to-day traffic, bring an estimated three million visitors to this urban oasis each year. https://www.atlanta.net/partner/centennial-olympic-park/51/
World of Coca-Cola at Pemberton Place® celebrated its Grand Opening on May 24, 2007. It’s the only place where you can explore the fascinating story of Coca‑Cola® – the world’s best-known beverage brand. Learn a little more about us before your visit. http://www.worldofcoca-cola.com/about-us/
Georgia Aquarium is a nonprofit committed to inspiring awareness and preservation of our ocean and aquatic animals worldwide. http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/about-us
The Center for Civil and Human Rights is an engaging cultural attraction that connects the American Civil Rights Movement to today’s global human rights movements. The Center uses interactive exhibits and cutting-edge technology that enables visitors to find inspiration in each story. The Civil Rights gallery presents the brave fight for equality during the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Sit at a lunch counter and experience the intensity of a replicated sit-in. The Human Rights gallery aims to help visitors achieve a deeper understanding of human rights issues and how they affect the lives of every person. https://www.civilandhumanrights.org/
The Museum of the Jimmy Carter Library provides a unique experience for the visitor. Through immersive exhibitions of objects, documents, and photographs, videos, and beautiful gifts from world leaders, visitors can get a close-up view of the modern American Presidency.
Highlights include a life-size replica of the Oval Office, a dramatic “Day in the Life of the President” presentation on 13 ft. screens, a walk-through cabin setting for the crucial Camp David Meetings exhibition, and an Interactive Map Table that takes you with the Carters to monitor elections and fight diseases. The Presidential Library is nestled between two lakes on 30 acres of parkland and provides a tranquil setting with a view of the Atlanta skyline.
Changing exhibits are drawn from the library and museum collection or are based on themes relating to the presidency and American history. https://www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov/museum/
Known to locals as "The Fox", this exotic styled downtown landmark brings Atlanta the best in performance entertainment including Broadway shows, the Atlanta Ballet, Billboard's top music concert tours, and its original purpose: classic feature films. Travel back in time to 1929 as you ascend stone staircases, down steel freight elevators, and gaze up as "clouds" drift across an Arabian night sky to see why The Fox is #2 on the list of Things To Do in Atlanta. An interior design aficionado? A fan of globally inspired architecture? Or interested in historical buildings that almost became a concrete parking lot? Take a guided tour through this immaculate theatre's story of rising from the ashes (literally), and see the world's second-largest theatre organ Mighty Mo as well as men's and women's lounge areas straight out of the Jazz Era. https://www.atlanta.net/partner/fox-theatre/190/
xperience a world of adventure filled with dinosaurs, live animals, cultural artifacts, hands-on science explorations and films in a state-of-the art 4K Giant Screen Theater Take a walk on the wild side as you explore 75 acres of new outdoor nature adventures featuring elevated tree pods, boardwalks, interactive exhibits and giant old-growth trees. http://fernbankmuseum.org/
Since 1968, the Alliance Theatre has served as Atlanta’s foremost theatre, working within the local, national and international communities to become one of the leading regional theatres in America. The mission of the Alliance is straightforward and ambitious. As the premier theatre of the Southeast, the Alliance Theatre sets the highest artistic standards, creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people. From its inaugural presentation of King Arthur, to its Broadway-bound premiere production of The Color Purple, the Alliance has consistently advanced the art of theatre. Over the years, the Alliance has produced more than 50 World Premieres bringing the world’s best resources to Atlanta in one of the nation’s finest venues. But a great theatre is more than a place to view plays. It also serves the community as an entry into the world of art for children and adults. https://www.atlanta.net/partner/alliance-theatre/184/
From a stately home on Peachtree Street to its current award-winning buildings in a spectacular setting, the High Museum of Art in Midtown Atlanta has become the leading art museum in the Southeastern United States. The High boasts a celebrated collection of classic to contemporary art, as well as renowned architecture by Richard Meier and Renzo Piano. With a dynamic schedule of special exhibitions, an extensive collection, innovative educational and family programs, meeting and event facilities, the Museum Shop, and several dining options, there is something for everyone at the High. https://www.atlanta.net/partner/high-museum-of-art/185/