Florida Tourist Attractions
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Florida tourist attractions are just about everywhere you travel in the state.
Nobody knows for sure how many tourist attractions exist in the State of Florida.
I would guess at least one thousand, maybe more.
The early Florida tourist attractions were located close to the main highways.
These old places survived by snagging vacationing northern tourists on their way around the Sunshine State.
They also had a steady flow of Florida families that carried them through the slow season in the summer months when school was out.
There is no way anyone could see all of these Florida tourist attractions in a lifetime. In my long life in Florida, many tourist attractions have thrived, faded and disappeared.
Many were gone before I could see them even once or twice.
Ever heard of Circus World, Splendid China, Masterpiece Theater, Rainbow Springs, Marco Polo Park and Six Gun Territory?
They were all famous Florida tourist attractions in their heyday, and now they are all gone. They were once one of the Florida things to do when visiting the state.
The coming of the Interstate Highways, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios was just too much for many of these old Florida tourist attractions to survive.
I will focus on some of my favorite Florida attractions. Some of them are educational, some inspirational, and all just plain fun.These attractions include small amusement parks, zoos, museums, state parks and oddities. I've also thrown in a few of the big ones like Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Seaworld for good measure.
I've been to the following tourist attractions and can vouch for them.
I will expand this list in the future, starting with the ones that I have visited.
- Babcock Wilderness Adventures, 8000 State Road 31, Punta Gorda, Florida 33982. Tel:800-500-5583.
- Big Cypress Loop Road & Lucky's Place, Halfway between Naples and Miami on Tamiami Trail (US-41). They are closed to the public during photo shoots. Call first to make sure they are open 239-695-2550.
- Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, Florida 33853. Tel:863-676-1408.
- Brevard Zoo, 8225 N Wickham Rd, Melbourne, Florida 32940. Tel:321-254-3002.
- Coral Castle, 28655 South Dixie Highway, Homestead, Florida 33033. Tel:305-248-6345.
- Crystal River Swim With Manatees, Crystal River, Florida
- Dali Museum, 1000 Third Street South, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. Tel: 727-823-3767.
- Dinosaur World 5145 Harvey Tew Road, Plant City, Florida 33565. Tel: 813-717-9865.
- Edison and Ford Winter Estates, 2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33901. Tel:239-334-7419.
- Florida Aquarium, 701 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602. Tel: 813-273-4000.
- Florida Citrus Tower, 141 North Highway US-27, Clermont, Florida 34711. Tel: 352-394-4061.
- Florida Heritage Sites. These are 1,300 historic and culturally significant sites scattered all over the state. There is something for everyone on this list at Florida Backroads Travel.com.
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Cultural Plaza, SW 34th Street and Hull Road, PO Box 112710, Gainesville, Florida 32611-2710. Tel:352-846-2000.
- Fruit And Spice Park, 24801 SW 187 Avenue, Homestead, Florida 33031. Tel: 305-247-5727.
- Gatorland, 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida 32837. 1-800-393-5297.
- Ginnie Springs Outdoors, 7300 N.E. Ginnie Springs Road, High Springs, FL 32643. Tel:386-454-7188.
- Jungle Island, 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami, Florida 33132. Tel:305-400-7000.
- Jungle Queen Riverboat, 801 Seabreeze Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316. Tel:954-462-5596.
- Key West Aquarium, 1 Whitehead Street (Mallory Square), Key West, Florida 33040. Tel: 305-296-2051.
- Lion Country Safari, 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee, FL 33470. Tel: 561-793-1084.
- Marineland Florida, 9600 Oceanshore Blvd., St. Augustine, Florida 32080. Tel:904-471-1111.
- Miami Marine Stadium, Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key, Miami, Florida.
- Mill Creek Farm Retirement Home For Horses, 20307 NW County Road 235-A, Alachua, Florida 32616. Tel: 386-462-1001.
- Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33446. Tel: 561-495-0233.
- National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd., Suite C, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL 32508. Tel:850-452-3604.
- Orange County Regional History Center. 65 East Central Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32801. Tel: 407-836-8500.
- SeaWorld Orlando, 7007 Sea Harbor Dr, Orlando, FL 32821-8009. Tel: 407-363-2613.
- Theatre Of The Sea, Mile Marker 84.5, Islamorada, Florida. Tel: 305-664-2431.
- The Dolphin Connection, Hawk's Cay Resort,61 Hawk's Cay Boulevard, Duck Key, FL 33050. Tel: 1-888-814-9154.
- Universal Studios Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, 1000 Universal Studios Plaza, Orlando, Florida 32819. Tel: 407-363-8000.
- Walt Disney World, Post Office Box 1000, Lake Buena Vista, Florida 32830. Tel: 407-939-6244.
- Weeki Wachee Springs, 6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee, Florida 34646. Tel:352-592-5656.
The following admission fees for the Florida tourist attractions featured on Florida Backroads Travel are current, to the best of our ability, as of July 12, 2011. They are provided to help you plan your Florida family vacation.
Some attractions have other ticket combinations available for special events and groups. You should call the attraction for current information.
| FLORIDA TOURIST ATTRACTION | SINGLE DAY ADULT | SINGLE DAY CHILD |
| Babcock Wilderness Adventure | $19.95 | $12.95 |
| Big Cypress Loop Rd & Lucky Cole's | Free | Free |
| Bok Tower Gardens | $10.00 | $ 3.00 |
| Brevard Zoo | $13.50 | $10.00 |
| Coral Castle | $12.00 | $ 7.00 |
| Crystal River Manatee Swim | $50.00 | $50.00 |
| Dali Museum | $21.00 | $ 7.00 |
| Dinosaur World | $12.75 | $ 9.75 |
| Edison and Ford Winter Estates | $20.00 | $11.00 |
| Florida Aquarium | $21.95 | $16.95 | Florida Citrus Tower | $ 4.00 | $ 2.00 |
| Florida Heritage Sites | Varies | Varies |
| Florida Museum of Natural History | Free | Free |
| Fruit And Spice Park | $ 8.00 | $ 2.00 |
| Gatorland | $19.99 | $11.99 |
| Ginnie Springs Outdoors | $12.00 | $ 3.00 |
| Jungle Island | $30.95 | $22.95 |
| Jungle Queen Riverboat | $19.45 | $12.70 |
| Key West Aquarium | $15.05 | $ 6.45 |
| Lion Country Safari | $26.50 | $19.50 |
| Marineland Florida | $ 8.50 | $ 4.00 |
| Miami Marine Stadium | None | None |
| Mill Creek Farm | 1 Carrot | 1 Carrot |
| Morikami Museum/Japanese Gardens | $12.00 | $ 7.00 |
| National Naval Aviation Museum | Free | Free |
| Orange County History Center | Free | Free |
| SeaWorld Orlando | $71.99 | $71.99 |
| The Dolphin Connection | $60.00 | $60.00 |
| Universal Studios Orlando | $85.00 | $79.00 |
| Walt Disney World Florida | $90.53 | $84.14 |
| Weeki Wachee Springs | $13.00 | $ 5.00 |
We will continue to add tourist attractions and other Fun Florida Activities to our website.
If you are interested in learning about some of the places that were once popular but no longer exist, check Lost Florida Tourist Attractions.
You may also save money by checking for budget last minute holiday deals.
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What Other Visitors Have Said
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