Attractions
Gold Coast - Norton Museum of Art
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 cafe serving refreshments. Guided tours are available.
Address: 1451 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach +1 (561) 832 5196
Website:www.norton.org
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Closed on Mondays between May and October $8 (£4) (adults), $3 (£1.50) (13-21 years)
Gold Coast - Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex
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
Telephone: +1 (561) 338 1473
Website:www.gumbolimbo.org
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm; closed New Year's Day, 4 July, Thanksgiving and Christmas $3 donation suggested
Gold Coast - Seminole Reservation
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.
Telephone: Big Cypress Seminole Reservations +1 (863) 902 1113
Email: museum@semtribe.com
Website:www.seminoletribe.com/museum
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm $6 (£3) (adults), $4 (£2) (children 4-12 and seniors)
Miami - Miami Museum of Science and Space Transit
Nothing is staid or boring in Miami, least of all its museums. The Museum of Science 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 Centre 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
Telephone: +1 (305) 646 4200
Website:www.miamisci.org
Opening time: Daily from 10am to 6pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas $10 (£5) (adults), $6 (children), free for under threes. Other concessions available
Miami - Miami Seaquarium
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 favourite star is the sea lion Salty and his colleagues, who amuse and amaze with their antics.
Address: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway
Telephone: +1 (305) 361 5705
Website:www.miamiseaquarium.com
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 6pm $27.95 (£14) (adults), $21.95 (£11) (children 3-9)
Miami - Miami-Dade Cultural Centre
The outwardly unattractive complex of the Miami-Dade Cultural Centre, in the rather unsavoury area of West Flagler Street, is worth a visit because it houses a plethora of interesting artistic and historic exhibits. The Centre contains the Miami Art Museum, 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, organised to highlight a particular exhibit. The Cultural Centre also contains the Historical Museum of Southern Florida with exhibits that relate to the fascinating history of the area and the culture, folklore and archeology of South Florida and the Caribbean.
Address: 101 West Flagler Street Art Museum
Telephone: +1 (305) 375 3000; Historical Museum: +1 (305) 375 1492
Email:info@hmsf.org (Historical Museum)
Transport: Government Center metrorail station
Opening time: Art Museum: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 12pm. Historical Museum: Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 12pm
Admission: $5 (adults) to each museum. Children under 12 are free at the Art Museum and $2 at the Historical Museum
Miami - Vizcaya Villa
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 decor in a variety of Renaissance, Baroque, Rococco and Neoclassical styles.
Address: 3251 South Miami Avenue
Telephone: +1 (305) 250 9133
Website:www.vizcayamuseum.com
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 4.30pm; closed 25 December
Admission: $12 (adults), $5 (children)
Miami - Spanish Monastery
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
Telephone: +1 (305) 945 1461
Website:www.spanishmonastery.com
Opening time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm; Sunday 1.30pm to 5pm
Admission: $5 (adults), $2 (children), other concessions available
Miami - Coral Castle
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 neighbours testifying to the fact that the builder had no assistance with his mammoth task.
Address: 28655 South Dixie Highway
Telephone: +1 (305) 248 6345
Website:www.coralcastle.com
Opening time: Monday to Thursday 9am to 8pm, Friday to Sunday 9am to 9pm $9.75 (£4.90) (adults), $5 (£2.50) (children); other concessions available
Miami - Everglades National Park
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 honours including its designation as a World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve and a Wetland of International Importance. A few sections of the park still remain closed due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina and Wilma; visitors are advised to check on the latest situation before visiting.
Address: Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. 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
Telephone: +1 (305) 242 7700
Website:www.nps.gov/ever
Opening time: 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
Tampa - Ybor City
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.
Tampa - Busch Gardens
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
Website:www.buschgardens.com
Opening time: 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 $57.95 (£29) (adults), $47.95 (£24) (children 3-9). Multi-day, and combination park tickets are also available
Tampa - Museum of Science and Industry
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
Telephone: +1 (813) 987 6100
Website:www.mosi.org
Opening time: Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm, $15.95 (£8) (adults), $11.95 (£6) includes one IMAX film. Other concessions also available.
Tampa - Tampa Museum of Art
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 N. Ashley Drive
Telephone: +1 (813) 274 8130
Email:lanicz@tampagov.net
Website:www.tampamuseum.com
Opening time: Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm; every third Thursday 10am to 9pm; Sunday 11am to 5pm $8 (adults), $3 (scholars). Other concessions available. Free on Saturdays 10am to 12pm, and every third Thursday 5pm to 8pm
Orlando - Walt Disney World
Orlando's most familiar landmark is undoubtedly the turreted Cinderella Castle that stands in the centre 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.
Telephone: +1 (407) 824 4321
Website:www.disneyworld.com
Opening time: 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 (£31) plus tax (adults), $52 (£26) plus tax (children 3-9). Park Hopper tickets can be added to the price for $40 (£20) for access to all parks. Various other packages and combination tickets are also available.
Orlando - Sea World
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 Anheuser-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 among the coral. See www.discoverycove.com for details.
Telephone: +1 (407) 351 3600
Website:www.seaworld.com
Opening time: Daily from 9am, but closing hours vary according to the month, closing earlier in winter
Admission: $61.95 + tax (adults), $49.95 + tax (children 3-9)
Orlando - Universal Studios
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.
Telephone: +1 (407) 363 8000
Website:www.universalorlando.com
Opening time: 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
Orlando - Wet ‘n Wild
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
Telephone: +1 (407) 351 1800; or (800) 992 9453 (toll-free, US only)
Email:info@wetnwildorf.com
Website:www.wetnwildorlando.com
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 $34.95 plus tax (adults), $28.95 plus tax (children 3-9); other concessions apply and passes are available. Afternoon discounts are available year round
Gulf Coast - Lee County Manatee Park
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
Telephone: +1 (941) 432 2004
Email:Macpheen@leegov.com
Website:www.captiva.com/stateparks/leecountymanatee.htm
Opening time: Daily 8am to 8pm (April to September), 8am to 5pm (October to March)
Admission: Parking: $5 per day; kayak rentals $10 per hour
Orlando - Orlando Odditorium
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
Telephone: +1 (407) 363 4418
Website:www.ripleysorlando.com
Opening time: Daily 9am to 1am $16.95 plus tax (adults), $11.95 plus tax (children 4-12)
Orlando - Orlando Museum of Art
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
Telephone: +1 (407) 896 4231
Email:info@omart.org
Website:www.omart.org
Opening time: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 4pm
Admission: $8 (adults), $5 (scholars), other concessions available
Orlando - Kennedy Space Centre
The John F. Kennedy Space Centre 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 Centre, which houses all the artifacts from the historic moon landing. The Space Centre 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.
Website:www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5.30pm, with shuttle-bus tours departing regularly between 10am and 2.15pm
Admission: Standard admission: $31 (adults), $21 (children 3-11); Maximum Access admission: $38 (adults), $28 (children 3-11). Other options are available
Orlando - Fantasy of Flight
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 Centre.
Address: 1400 Broadway Boulevard S.E, Polk City
Telephone: +1 (863) 984 3500
Website:www.fantasyofflight.com
Opening time: Daily 10am to 5pm; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Admission: $24.95 (adults), $13.95 (children 5-12). Other concessions available
Florida Keys - Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
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
Telephone: +1 (305) 294 1136
Email:hemingwy@bellsouth.net
Website:www.hemingwayhome.com
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm
Florida Keys - Key West Lighthouse Museum
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
Telephone: +1 (305) 295 6616 Ext. 16 for information
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 5pm $10 (adults), $5 (children); under sixes free
Florida Keys - Crane Point
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,
Telephone: +1 (305) 743 9100
Florida Keys - Butterfly Conservatory
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
Telephone: +1 (305) 296 2988
Email:info@keywestbutterfly.com
Website:www.keywestbutterfly.com
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm $10 (adults), $7.50 (children 4-12), under fours free
Florida Keys - Audubon House and Tropical Gardens
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
Telephone: +1 877 294 2470 (toll free)
Email:audubonhouse@audubonhouse.org
Website:www.audubonhouse.org
Opening time: Daily 9.30am to 5pm $10 (adults), $5 (children 6-12), under sixes free
Florida Keys - Dolphin Research Center
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
Telephone: +1 (305) 289 1121
Email:drc@dolphins.org
Website:www.dolphins.org
Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm. Last narrated session begins 4.30pm
Admission: $19.50 (adults); $13.50 (children 4-12); other concessions available
