Eureka Springs Park includes what remains of a tropical botanical garden established in 1938 around springs that fed a lush floodplain forest along Six Mile Creek.
Natural Attractions in Florida
Private attractions based in natural settings, often showcasing wildlife or native habitats along trails. Admission fees apply to these attractions.
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Established in 1938 as one of the world’s largest collections of tropical plants, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an integral part of the history of Florida botany and of Coral Gables.
Flamingo Gardens
From its roots in a citrus grove, a nonprofit botanical garden sprouted through the efforts of Floyd and Lula Wray. In 1927, they purchased 320 acres to grow citrus and a year later, Floyd hired Frank Stirling to create a botanical garden for test planting of tropical fruit and flowering trees.
Florida Caverns State Park
A dip into Florida’s only show cave at Florida Caverns State Park brings on an instant sense of cool. Opened in Marianna in the 1930s by the hardworking Civilian Conservation Corps, the tour route wraps through more than a dozen rooms with their own distinct and colorful landscapes.
Florida’s labyrinths
Florida has an estimated 132 permanent, mostly outdoor labyrinths scattered around the state waiting to be walked – from a neighborhood park in Pensacola in the Panhandle to a labyrinth on church grounds on Plantation Key in the Florida Keys. Our friend Lucy Tobias shares her research on the subject.
Gatorama
Started in 1957 as a roadside attraction to show tourists one of the two Florida experiences they wanted – alligators! – Gatorama still has that funky Old Florida feel.
Gatorland
Gatorland is not just a historic Florida attraction but an immersion into what this part of Central Florida used to be, a cypress swamp full of critters.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Looking for manatees? You’ll see them up close at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where families can get up close to Florida wildlife in a natural setting.
Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden
With boardwalks and natural footpaths winding amid curated collections against a backdrop of natural Florida Keys habitats, the Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden is a delightful natural destination.
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
Most notable for its collection of more than 6,000 orchids, Marie Selby Gardens are a must-see for those who love tropical plants, especially epiphtyes. The many specialized gardens range from a children’s garden play area to succulents and cycads to a banyan grove, mangrove walkway, and tropical fruit and medicinal gardens.