Jacksonville Attractions
Jacksonville Headlines
Sat, May 18 2013
Alabama softball shuts out Jacksonville State 4-0 to open NCAA Regional - The Birmingham News - al.com
Alabama softball shuts out Jacksonville State 4-0 to open NCAA Regional - The Birmingham News - al.com
Sat, May 18 2013
Law & Disorder: Man sought in airport shooting, chase surrenders - Florida Times-Union
Law & Disorder: Man sought in airport shooting, chase surrenders - Florida Times-Union
Adventure Landing
1944 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville Beach, FL
904.246.4386
Located just east of the Intracoastal Waterway, this family entertainment center features go-karts, laser tag, bumper boats, mini-golf, batting cages, video arcade and multiple snack bars. Waterpark features a new 18,000 sq. ft. wavepool, eleven waterslides, 65-foot pirates play village and lazy river.
Alexander Brest Museum
Located on the campus of Jacksonville University, this fine arts museum specializes in Steuben glass, B & G porcelains and 18th through 20th century cloisonné. It also includes a fabulous collection of ivory.
American Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
An intimate museum offering the history of lighthouses. It includes paintings, authentic scale models of lighthouses, rare photos, architectural drawing, lighthouse artifacts and navigational aids.
Annabelle Lee River Boat
Take you and your friends on a one of a kind tour of the Florida First Coast waterways. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a real, old-time paddle boat ride down the beautiful St. Johns River.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour
111 Busch Drive
Jacksonville, FL
Come see the Budweiser brewing process in the open-air gallery overlooking the floor of our new Brew Hall. You'll enjoy an excellent look at the brewing process and marvel at our high-speed packaging operations. Guests 21 and over can enjoy complimentary tasting of Anheuser-Busch beers. Hourly guided and self-guided tours are available.
Contemporary Art Gallery In Riverside.
1827 N. Pearl Street
Jacksonville, FL
Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens
829 Riverside Drive
Jacksonville, FL
904.356.6857 ext 241
A fine art museum with an interactive teaching gallery situated on the St. Johns River. Collection covers western art from 2,000 BC to the present. The 12 galleries are arranged in chronological order, featuring great European and American works. The Wark Collection of Early Meissen porcelain is unique. The Italian garden is modeled after the gardens of Villa Gamberaia in Florence, Italy. English gardens on the St. Johns River are also a favorite place for a stroll.
The Museum and its award-winning education center, Art Connections occupy adjacent buildings overlooking the three acres of the Cummer Gardens. The museum campus is situated on the banks of the St. Johns River.
Fort Caroline National Memorial
13 miles east of Jacksonville
904-641-7155
Daily 9-5. Donation.
The Fort Caroline National Memorial was created to memorialize the Sixteenth Century French effort to establish a permanent colony in Florida. A one-mile trail helps explain the site’s history.
Friendship Park and Fountain
Situated at the west end of the South bank Riverwalk and adjacent to the Museum of Science and History is Friendship Fountain. Dedicated in 1965, it is one of the largest self-contained fountains built, pumping 3,500 - 6,500 gallons of water per minute to a height of 100 feet, with 265 lights molding the water into a sparkling mist.
The Jacksonville Landing
2 Independent Drive
Jacksonville, FL
Riverfront marketplace featuring retail shops, restaurants and regularly scheduled live entertainment in the courtyard. CVB Visitor Center is located at the main entrance.
Jacksonville Maritime Museum
1015 Museum Circle
904-398-9011.
Mon.-Fri. 10:30-3:00. Sat., Sun. 1-5. Free Admission.
Scale model ships, paintings, and photographs emphasize the importance of the St. Johns River and the Port of Jacksonville.
Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art
701 Fisk Street
Jacksonville, FL
Contemporary museum with a permanent collection presenting modern and contemporary exhibitions, special events and educational programs for adults and children. Permanent collection includes art by Louise Nevelson, a sculpture garden and pre-Columbian art.
Jacksonville Princess
accommodates up to 149 passengers.
Jacksonville Zoo
Travel to the Jacksonville Zoo for the only walking safari in Northeast Florida. Open a whole world of opportunities, encounter wildlife wonders and interactive experiences.
8605 Zoo Parkway - Jacksonville, FL
Jacksonville Zoological Gardens
8605 Zoo Parkway
Jacksonville, FL
Birds of the Rift Valley exhibit, dozens of exotic animals in the Plains of East Africa. a new Reptile House, Elephant swimming pool and the Great Apes of the World. Ride the expanded train route. Enjoy lunch at the Zambezi River Restaurant or a cool drink at Kikuyu Kooler and finish the day with a shopping stop at Mombasa Import-Export, Co.
Karpeles Manuscript Library
101 W. First Street
(904) 356-2992
Tues.-Sat. 10-1. Children’s area: Wed. and Sat. 10-1.
Museum Admission free. Small charge for children’s area.
Displays rotate and include letters written by figures of history, documents such as constitutions and treaties, and other significant historic documents.
Mayport Lighthouse
The existing lighthouse was completed and opened on January 1, 1859. It was preceded by two other lighthouses that were damaged by tides and weather. During the Civil War, the lighthouse saw enemy action but remained on duty. Union gunboats used the beacon light as a navigational aid as they attempted to lay siege upon Jacksonville. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1929, when a bigger and better lightship took its place. In 1976, the lighthouse was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Music Manuscript Exhibit
Jacksonville, FL 32206
904-356-2992
Travel through time via music, from the Age of Enlightenment to the Romantic and Neoclassical periods, up until the Industrial Age and beyond at the Karpeles Music Manuscript Exhibit. Admire original manuscripts penned by master composers. Among the works on display are: Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ written in the hand of his protégé Ludwig Van Beethoven; ‘The Marriage of Figaro,’ penned by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; ‘The Rite of Spring’ by Igor Stravinski; Puccini’s ‘Madame Butterfly’ and Bach’s ‘St. Matthew Passion,’ written in the hand of Felix Mendelssohn, who not only edited the work, but conducted it in 1929.
Museum of Science and History
1025 Museum Circle
Jacksonville, FL
904.396.7062
Mon.-Fri. 10-5 Sat. 10-6. Sun. 1-6
Admission charged.
Galleries offer a variety of exhibits, including "Atlantic Tales: Whales, Dolphins and Manatees of Northeast Florida," the story of the majestic but threatened marine mammals that inhabit the waters of Florida's First Coast. The newest exhibit, "Currents of Time: A History of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida," explores the rich human drama of the region through unique artifacts, period furnishings and costumes, architectural facades, and rare photographs and documents.
Museum of Southern History
4304 Herschel St.
Jacksonville, FL
A locally operated museum dedicated to preserving the lifestyle and culture of the Ante-bellum south through a variety of displays and artifacts.
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is the third largest naval station in the continental U.S. Mayport was commissioned in 1942, and was first used by patrol craft, rescue boats and Jeep carriers. Private tours of the base, its cruisers, destroyers, carriers and frigates can be arranged. Mayport is home to more that 13,000 active duty military and the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.
Pablo Historical Park
Enjoy guided tours of historic buildings and the Beaches' railway beginnings in San Pablo (which became Jacksonville Beach in 1925). The museum features a collection of artifacts and photographs. On the grounds, see two Henry Flagler structures, Florida East Coast Railway track and a marker honoring aviation pioneer Jimmy Doolittle's record-setting flight from then San Pablo Beach to San Diego.
Riverwalks: Southbank and Northbank
The northbank is anchored by the Jacksonville Landing and the riverfront and features historic street lamps, benches, docking facilities and two Victorian style gazebos. The southbank contains Friendship Fountain, restaurants and a marina. The boardwalk is also an ideal place to take photographs of Jacksonville's downtown skyline and bridges or catch a water taxi ride.
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
Visitor Center at Junction of Monument and Fort Caroline Roads
(904) 641-7155.
9-5 Daily. Donations accepted.
The Visitor Center has displays describing the area’s marine environment, the Timucuan Indian era, early attempts at colonization, and a satellite image of present day northeast Florida.
Tree Hill Nature Center
7152 Lone Star Road
Mon.-Sat. 8:30-5.
(904) 724-4646.
Minimal Admission charge.
A 50 acre nature preserve located in the midst of a Jacksonville suburb. It showcases Florida’s native plants and animals. The preserve offers four nature trails, wildflowers, butterfly and hummingbird gardens, and a small natural history museum in the shape of a pyramid. The museum contains a collection of snakes, animal skulls, and fossils. Turtle Town provides protection for the endangered gopher tortoise. Another exhibit describes the Florida black bear.
