Things to Do in Florida

Catch your favorite bands live in concert, enjoy a performance of Blue Man Group or play a game of miniature golf -- the choice is yours! There is also a 20-screen movie theater and a variety of shops and boutiques. You can even sing karaoke with a live band and backup singers. The Universal CityWalk dining and entertainment complex is open nightly until 2 am. There’s no admission fee, although some venues with live entertainment do have cover charges*.

Miami boasts an excellent zoo, thanks in part to a subtropical climate that allows for large swathes of natural habitat. Inside Zoo Miami (formerly Miami Metrozoo), more than 200 species roam the cageless surrounds; don’t worry, the animals are kept at bay by cleverly designed moats.

Residents at Zoo Miami include elephants, koalas, colobus monkeys, and black rhinoceroses. You’ll also see a pair of Komodo dragons and Bengal tigers, including a gorgeous white tiger. Over at the Tropical America exhibit, you can see anacondas, giant river otters, jaguars, and sting ray touch tanks. You can even feed giraffes at The Samburu Giraffe Feeding Station. Younger kids, especially, will find much to enjoy at Zoo Miami. There’s a first-class petting zoo and play area, and the zoo offers several programs designed to entertain and educate. For an overview of the park, hop on the Zoofari Monorail.

A firm departure from the everyday, WonderWorks Orlando offers what most attractions cannot – a spin on this thing we call reality. Built to resemble an upside-down laboratory, this science museum offers over 100 hands-on exhibits built to test your belief of what is real and what is illusion. Filled with “oh, wow” moments that include rope obstacle courses, zip lines and laser tag, WonderWorks Orlando is an engaging step into science and discovery – one that will leave the whole family full of wonder.

Known for over a century as Tampa's Latin Quarter, Ybor City is a sumptuous feast for the senses. Founded in the 1880s by Vincente Martinez-Ybor as a cigar-manufacturing center, the neighborhood welcomed thousands of immigrants, mainly from Spain, Cuba, and Italy, over the next 50 years.

Today, the neighborhood is one of Florida's most distinct cultural landmarks. While strolling down its narrow brick streets, allow your senses to take in the sights, sounds, and smells that give the area its unique flavor. Enjoy the various ethnic foods, relax with a cup of cafe con leche as you people watch, and allow the Latin music that wafts down the streets at night to sweep over you. With such a vibrant culture, Ybor City is both perfect for a daytime stroll and known as one of Florida's hottest night spots. Its red brick buildings and wrought iron balconies offer an escape into old warm charm, away from Florida's strip malls and beaches. It is one of only two National Historic Landmark Districts in Florida.

For those wondering where to go in Miami, head to Washington Avenue. One of the main avenues of South Beach, it’s lined with shops, parks, nightclubs, restaurants, bars,  designer labels, hotels and interesting architecture.

Start your exploration of Washington Avenue at the Temple Emanu-El, a synagogue noted for its marble design and Byzantine and Moorish architecture. Continue taking in beauty at South Pointe Park, one of Miami Beach’s most scenic stretches. The park features 17 acres (6.9 hectares) of waterfront green space, a paved jogging path, and views of Downtown Miami, Fisher Island, Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.

No stroll down Washington Avenue would be complete without some retail therapy, especially as it’s here as well as the parallel Collins Avenue where you’ll find designer brands like Armani, Barneys New York, True Religion, Diesel and Dash. Washington Avenue is also home to Lincoln Road Mall, a pedestrian-only promenade with attractions and stores. Some other noteworthy shops to check out along Washington Avenue in Miami include Belinda's Designs Courture, which sells whimsical dresses reminiscent of classic bygone eras; Boutique 12, known for its high-fashion clothing; and Luna Designs, selling globally-inspired attire.

For those who like to party, Washington Avenue is where you’ll find Miami’s hottest nightclubs, some of which include Cameo, Mansion and Love Hate. These venues are where people go to see and be seen, with DJs spinning energetic beats all night. If you want a fun night out void of pretension, Automatic Slims offers cheap drinks, dance music and a more relaxed vibe than most of South Beach’s trendy establishments. Don’t leave Washington Avenue without grabbing a bite to eat, as it’s lined with restaurants serving all types of cuisine, like French at Otentic; Peruvian at Chalan On the Beach; Mexican at Oh! Mexico; and Italian at Escopazzo.

Pressed in our collective memory, the Titanic means more to us than a giant ship that simply sank—its sinking was the defining moment for an era, the end to runaway idealism while signaling a return to pragmatism for the American people. With 10 full-scale room recreations, over 100 artifacts recovered from the real Titanic (including 21 that have never been seen by the public until now), character actors and tour guides, a dinner show and intense interactive exhibits, Titanic the Experience in Orlando offers what other museums cannot—a gripping, immersive and real-world connection to this defining moment in history.

Miami is often called the Magic City, and if it truly is, this opulent Italian Renaissance-style villa, the housing equivalent to a Fabergé egg, is its most fairy-tale residence. Built for industrialist James Deering in 1916, Vizcaya Palace brims with 15th to 19th century furniture, tapestries, paintings and decorative arts.

The poetic seaside grounds, which front Biscayne Bay, are full of splendid gardens (including a secret garden), beautiful fountains, sculptures, elegant pools, a charming Florentine gazebo, canals running everywhere and lots of trails. The landscape and architecture were influenced by Veneto and Tuscan Italian Renaissance models and designed in the Mediterranean Revival architecture style.

Nearly 200,000 people visit Vizcaya each year including some of the world's leading dignitaries such as President Reagan, Pope John Paul II, Queen Elizabeth of England and King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain. In 1994, the historic Summit of the Americas was held at Vizcaya with President Clinton and the 34 leaders of the Western Hemisphere.