Top Things to do in Florida
Top Hotels in Florida
- 1. The Goodtime Hotel
- 2. Mondrian South Beach Hotel
- 3. Havana Cabana at Key West
- 4. Nautilus by Arlo
- 5. Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
- 6. 1 Hotel South Beach
- 7. Postcard Inn
- 8. B Ocean Resort Fort Lauderdale
- 9. Margaritaville Beach House Key West
- 10. Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach
The 10 Best Natural History Museums in Florida, United States
Not just for retirees and theme park enthusiasts, the Sunshine State offers beautiful beaches, pristine diving conditions, and sizzling nightlife. Salsa the night away in a smokin’ hot Miami club, or swing away at one of Kissimmee’s many premium golf courses. An airboat tour of the Everglades is an unforgettable adventure – just look out for alligators! For the risk-averse, a lazy day spent on the soft sands of an Emerald Coast beach is as rejuvenating as a spa treatment.
Restaurants in Florida
1. AIRIE Nest
2. Palm Beach Museum of Natural History
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Snorezsome
We are fairly well traveled and were blown away by the tour. No it is not a large collection. But to have a tour given by someone who has actually dug our fossils is incredible. Worth the trip!!
3. Florida Museum of Natural History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 975 reviews
**The Florida Museum is open to the public. To ensure a safe environment for all visitors, the Museum has limited entry, a mask requirement and follows a one-way path.** Open to the public continuously since January 1998, Powell Hall houses exhibits and public education programs. It is located between the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art and the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in the UF Cultural Plaza at 3215 Hull Road, just east of Southwest 34th Street on the western edge of the University of Florida campus. Visitors to Powell Hall will encounter exciting featured exhibits and signature permanent exhibition halls that explore the state’s unique habitats and rich cultural history, including information about some of Florida's early Native peoples. Visitors may view a Calusa Indian welcoming ceremony and mammoth and mastodon skeletons from the last ice age.
Reviewed By gbowser2044 - Gainesville, United States
The Florida Museum of Natural History has something for everyone. From the Discovery Zone with interactive fun that sneaks some learning in for the little ones to the fossils that tell the story of animals development through the ages to the history and culture of the Native Americans who were the first Floridians there is something that will interest anyone. Add in the permanent Butterfly Rainforest and a traveling exhibit (at this time it’s Amazing Pollinators) and there are enough animals, insects, skeletons, and plants to make spending some time learning about nature in Florida fun.
4. Tallahassee Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 707 reviews
Nestled within 52 acres of flora and fauna, the Tallahassee Museum is an oasis close to the heart of downtown. The Tallahassee Museum features a working 1880s pioneer farmstead, native Florida wildlife habitat (including panthers and red wolves), cypress swamp, Jim Gary's 20th Century Dinosaurs, and the all new Tallahassee Tree to Tree Adventures (an outdoor zip line and adventure course for kids and adults). Come enjoy the great outdoors with us at the Tallahassee Museum- where nature, history, science, and fun come together!
Reviewed By 519EveK
This was the first time I ever tried zip lining. IT WAS AMAZING! You have got to try this! Even if you don't think it sounds like fun, just try it! You won't be disappointed. I wasn't overly enthusiastic when I was told that's what we were going to be doing, but I figured I'd give it a shot and see. I am so glad I did! I have two more trips already lined up, I had so much fun! Even if you aren't a fan of heights( and I'm definitely not. ????) You're concentrating on the canopy obstacle course so hard you barely notice until it's time to go zipping and by then you're ready for the exciting ride with a view. Technical details: The price wasn't at all bad. I was surprised at how cheap it was. Staff was friendly, knowledgeable and patient. You need closed toed shoes and leave all your stuff in your vehicle. You don't need to take anything with you, trust me, you don't wanna be up there trying not to drop your purse. The course itself is broken up into three parts, so there's two water breaks you come down for. It's a great workout. The staff is super patient. They give clear and easy to follow instructions and are with you the entire time. They're thorough in their instructions for equipment use. (No, it isn't as complicated as it seems, provided no one needs to hold a lighter next to your head to get those last two little neurons all warmed up. ????) If you're visiting Tallahassee, I highly recommend you set some time aside for this. You won't regret it.
5. Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,420 reviews
The Eco-Discovery Center features more than 6,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, which interpret the resources and management efforts of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, two national parks, and four national wildlife refuges. Check out the exhibit on Aquarius, the world's only underwater ocean laboratory, the Living Reef exhibit, which includes a 2,500-gallon reef tank with living corals and tropical fish, the live Reef Cam, and other displays that highlight the coral reef environment. The Center is located in NOAA’s Dr. Nancy Foster Florida Keys Environmental Complex on the Truman Annex waterfront in Key West. Admission is always free (and so is parking), so be sure to stop by for a visit!
Reviewed By ameliabedelia523 - Newton, United States
Free, air conditioned, and although it's a little off the beaten path, check it out! There are several interactive exhibits that are appropriate for adults and kids and a ton of information about the Keys ecosystem. The movie has amazing footage of the underwater world. It is a short walk from the USS Ingham and on the way to Fort Zachary Taylor.
6. Museum of the Islands
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 18 reviews
Museum of the Islands is an all-volunteer museum located in Florida on Pine Island. Our mission is the preservation of ancient histories, and the relatively recent histories of the people who were the early pioneers of Pine Island, Florida.
7. Carrabelle History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By lafayette1824
Carabelle has long touted what is supposedly the "world's smallest police station." which is an old roadside pay phone booth. Carabelle should be equally proud of their history museum, a "shoe string operation" that through creativity and grit far exceeds the quality of a number of substantially better heeled facilities I have visited. Tamara, the engaging Director, is a volunteer (you couldn't pay anyone to be that dedicated and knowledgeable), who makes the place come alive with her stories and in-depth knowledge of archaeology, history, and the people who made it. We especially enjoyed the large, still unfinished panoramic mural of Carabelle from 1885-1920 that is filled in as old images and historical facts emerge. Located in the old WPA built city hall and retaining the original heart of pine floors the museum aspires to open an exhibit of the shipwreck of the SS Tarpon, a dramatic story of heroism on the high seas. Should be a real tourist draw. This small museum is a true asset to Carabelle and Florida. If the city is not a Florida Certified Local Government, it should be so non match state funds can be obtained as have numerous small historical facilities in Florida.
8. St. Johns River Center
9. Secret Woods Nature Center
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 142 reviews
Reviewed By sam101983 - Toronto, Canada
This free park was a fantastic hidden jem! I stumbled on it through Trip Advisor and it was super close to our hotel so we decided to try it and we are sooo glad we went! If you start at the info house you’re given a checklist of wildlife to look out for, we saw almost everything! There are a few trails to walk along, my son is very outdoorsy so he really enjoyed it! There were a ton of crabs and lizards! Lots of free parking and overall a great park!
10. Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 56 reviews
Brevard Museum...Where history comes alive!The mission of the Brevard Museum of History & Natural Science is to operate and maintain a museum for the education of the public about regional cultural heritage and to preserve historic artifacts and natural history specimens that support this educational mission.Company OverviewThe Brevard Museum, Inc., also known as the Brevard Museum of History and Natural Science, is conveniently located in Cocoa, Florida bordering the Brevard Community College Cocoa campus and the city's original water supply, Clearlake. A not-for-profit corporation since 1969 existing under the laws of the state of Florida; the museum sits on a 22 acre parcel of land that includes a 19.5 acre nature preserve encompassing three Florida ecosystems.
Reviewed By pdegolier - Merritt Island, United States
Looks very small from the outside but there was much more inside than expected. Very interesting exhibits ranging from dinosaurs to space exploration. Lots of information on Floida's Atlantic coast with shell exhibits and a 22 acre natural wildlife trail that was handicap accessible. Museum was very clean with friendly and helpful staff. There was even a small play area for little ones!
