THIS IS FLORIDA BUCKET LIST
100 things to see and do
From airboats and rocket launches to Key West sunsets, springs, theme parks, jet skis, and the Python Challenge — a statewide list with links into our guides and official pages.
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#1
Magic Kingdom
Cinderella Castle, fireworks and the classic rides: the park that started Walt Disney World in 1971.
Hours and ticket rules change; check Disney before you go.
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#2
Watch a rocket launch
Feel the rumble as a rocket lifts off from the Space Coast.
Launch dates slip often; check the night before.
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#3
Sunset at Mallory Square
Key West's nightly sunset celebration with street performers on the waterfront.
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#4
Airboat ride through the sawgrass
Skim across the River of Grass on the ride Florida made famous.
Choose an authorized operator; airboats are not allowed in most of the national park.
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#5
Everglades National Park
Sawgrass, mangroves and cypress in a vast subtropical wilderness where alligators and crocodiles share the water.
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#6
Universal Orlando Resort
Three theme parks, including Epic Universe, plus CityWalk: a full trip of its own.
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#7
Drive the Overseas Highway
Cross dozens of bridges island-hopping from Key Largo to Key West.
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#8
Swim with manatees in Crystal River
Kings Bay is a federal refuge set aside for manatees, with guided in-water viewing.
Follow FWS rules: passive observation only, never chase or touch. Three Sisters Springs has seasonal closures.
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#9
Weeki Wachee mermaids
Live mermaid shows in an underwater theater, a Florida tradition since 1947.
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#10
St. Augustine and Castillo de San Marcos
Walk the oldest continuously occupied European-founded city in the U.S. and its coquina fort.
Indigenous people lived in Florida for thousands of years before St. Augustine's 1565 founding.
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#11
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
See the giant Saturn V and Space Shuttle Atlantis, and meet the astronauts in the Hall of Fame.
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#12
Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson
A massive 19th-century brick fort on a remote island about 70 miles west of Key West.
Reachable only by ferry, seaplane or private boat; book ahead.
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#13
Tube the Ichetucknee
Float down a gin-clear, spring-fed river through a shady forest.
Check tubing information first: the Midpoint tube launch has been closed for repairs since March 2026.
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#14
Clearwater Beach sunset at Pier 60
Powder-soft sand and postcard sunsets, best watched from Pier 60.
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#15
Florida Python Challenge
Join FWC's yearly contest to remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades.
Required online training and registration; 2026 ran July 10–19.
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#16
Snorkel John Pennekamp
The first undersea park in the U.S., with coral reefs off Key Largo.
Use reef-safe habits: don't stand on or touch coral.
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#17
Siesta Key's quartz sand
Famous quartz-crystal sand so fine and white it squeaks underfoot.
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#18
Daytona 500
The Great American Race opens the NASCAR season every February.
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#19
Key lime pie in the Keys
Florida's official state pie, best eaten where it was born.
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#20
Rent a jet ski
Rip across bays and the Intracoastal on a WaveRunner: wear the vest and know the rules.
Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 needs a Boating Safety Education ID to operate; renters must follow livery rules.
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#21
Ride ATVs and dirt bikes in the forest
Hit marked off-highway vehicle trails in Florida's national and state forests.
Ride only on designated OHV trails with the required pass; some trails closed after recent hurricanes, so check alerts. State-forest riding areas need a separate Florida Forest Service permit.
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#22
EPCOT
Eat and drink your way around World Showcase, then ride Guardians of the Galaxy and Test Track.
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#23
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Big coasters plus an African-themed animal park, a Tampa favorite for generations.
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#24
Silver Springs glass-bottom boats
Look straight down into giant springs from the glass-bottom boats Silver Springs made famous.
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#25
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Pandora's floating mountains, a real savanna safari and the Tree of Life in one park.
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#26
Pensacola Beach and Gulf Islands National Seashore
Sugar-white dunes and emerald water on a barrier island the National Park Service protects.
Roads on the island can close after storms; check NPS alerts.
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#27
Rainbow Springs and the Rainbow River
Kayak or tube a river so clear the bottom looks inches away.
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#28
Anhinga Trail
A short boardwalk where gators, herons and anhingas show up close.
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#29
Southernmost Point buoy
Take the classic photo at the marker that says 90 miles to Cuba.
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#30
Night launch from Jetty Park
Watch a night launch light up the sky from the beach at Port Canaveral.
Parking can fill hours before big launches.
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#31
Learn to surf at Cocoa Beach
Small, friendly East Coast waves make Cocoa Beach a classic place to learn.
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#32
Tarpon in Boca Grande Pass
Fight the silver king in one of the world's best-known tarpon spots.
Tarpon fishing is catch-and-release; a tag is needed to keep one for a record.
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#33
Stone crab claws
Cracked and cold with mustard sauce: a Florida delicacy in season.
Claws only; the crab goes back alive.
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#34
Spring training baseball
Watch big-league teams up close in small ballparks during Grapefruit League season.
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#35
Climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse
Climb to the top for a view over the oldest city and its inlet.
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#36
Scenic Highway 30A
Beach towns, dune lakes and bike paths along the Panhandle's emerald coast.
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#37
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Fly the Millennium Falcon in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and drop down the Tower of Terror.
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#38
Drive on Daytona Beach
One of the few places you can still drive and park right on the sand.
Beach driving has fees, posted speed limits, tide closures and car-free zones; check Volusia County first.
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#39
Wakulla Springs
One of the world's largest and deepest freshwater springs, with river boat tours past gators and birds.
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#40
Shark Valley tram or bike loop
A 15-mile loop through the sawgrass to an observation tower over the River of Grass.
Parking fills early in winter.
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#41
Bahia Honda State Park
Clear turquoise water and the old railroad bridge, often ranked among the Keys' best beaches.
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#42
National Naval Aviation Museum
Historic Navy and Marine Corps aircraft at the home of naval aviation in Pensacola.
Located on NAS Pensacola; check base-access rules before you go.
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#43
Dive Blue Heron Bridge
A shallow shore dive famed for seahorses, octopus and frogfish.
Dive at high tide; use a dive flag.
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#44
Snook and redfish on the flats
Sight-fish shallow grass flats from a skiff with a local guide.
Snook and redfish have seasons, slot limits and regional rules.
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#45
Cuban coffee on Calle Ocho
Order a cafecito at a walk-up ventanita on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.
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#46
College football Saturday
Gators, Seminoles, Hurricanes, Knights: pick a stadium and feel a Florida Saturday.
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#47
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
An Italian Renaissance-style villa and formal gardens on Biscayne Bay.
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#48
A1A Scenic and Historic Coastal Byway
Ocean views, old forts and beach towns along the Atlantic coast.
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#49
Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Walk Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, then ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks.
The Hogwarts Express needs a ticket valid for both parks.
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#50
Canaveral National Seashore
Miles of undeveloped Atlantic beach and dunes right next to the launch pads.
Parts of the seashore close for NASA operations and when parking fills.
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#51
Manatees at Blue Spring
Hundreds of manatees gather in the warm spring run on cold winter days.
Swimming season runs April 1 to Nov. 14; the park often reaches capacity and may close temporarily.
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#52
Big Cypress National Preserve
Cypress swamp, panther country and scenic drives along the Tamiami Trail.
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#53
Old Seven Mile Bridge and Pigeon Key
Walk or bike the historic bridge to tiny Pigeon Key, the camp where Flagler's railroad workers lived.
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#54
Blue Angels practice in Pensacola
Watch the Navy's flight demonstration squadron practice over its home base.
Practice schedules change; check the museum or Blue Angels site.
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#55
Hike the Florida Trail
Walk a section of a National Scenic Trail that runs about 1,500 miles from the Keys to Pensacola.
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#56
Bass fishing on Lake Okeechobee
Florida's biggest lake is a trophy largemouth bass legend.
A freshwater license is required.
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#57
Cuban sandwich in Ybor City
Eat a Cuban in the Tampa neighborhood that claims it, home to the Columbia since 1905.
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#58
Play the 17th at TPC Sawgrass
Take your shot at the famous island green, home of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Tee times are limited and booked in advance.
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#59
The Ringling
A circus museum, art museum and the Ca' d'Zan mansion in Sarasota.
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#60
Tallahassee canopy roads
Drive under arching live oaks and Spanish moss on protected canopy roads.
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#61
SeaWorld Orlando
Coasters like Mako and Manta beside marine animal rescue stories.
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#62
Fort De Soto Park
Five islands of beaches, a historic fort and kayak trails at the mouth of Tampa Bay.
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#63
Homosassa Springs wildlife park
Watch manatees from an underwater observatory, with native Florida wildlife all around.
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#64
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
A boardwalk through what Audubon calls the largest remaining old-growth bald cypress forest in the world.
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#65
Fort Zachary Taylor
A Civil War-era fort with Key West's best swimming beach next door.
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#66
Bike the West Orange Trail
A paved rail-trail through lakeside towns west of Orlando.
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#67
Deep-sea charter out of Destin
Head offshore from the "World's Luckiest Fishing Village" for snapper and grouper.
Red snapper and grouper have short federal and state seasons.
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#68
Fresh-squeezed orange juice
Florida's official state beverage, best from a roadside stand or u-pick grove.
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#69
Gasparilla Pirate Fest
Tampa's pirate ship invasion and parade, a city tradition for more than a century.
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#70
The Dalí Museum
Melting clocks and giant surrealist canvases on the St. Petersburg waterfront.
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#71
Tamiami Trail across the Everglades
Drive US 41 across the Everglades with gators by the canals and the tiny Ochopee post office.
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#72
LEGOLAND Florida
A park built for kids under 12, on the old Cypress Gardens grounds in Winter Haven.
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#73
Caladesi Island
A barrier island you reach only by ferry or boat, with no high-rises in sight.
Ferry runs from Honeymoon Island; check the schedule.
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#74
Wekiwa Springs
A cool swimming spring and paddling trail less than an hour from downtown Orlando.
Parking fills early on weekends.
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#75
J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Refuge
Drive or bike Wildlife Drive for roseate spoonbills and wading birds on Sanibel.
Wildlife Drive is closed Fridays.
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#76
Key deer on Big Pine Key
Spot endangered Key deer at the refuge set up to protect them on Big Pine Key.
Feeding Key deer is illegal; drive slowly.
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#77
Walk into Devil's Millhopper
Stairs lead down into a 120-foot-deep sinkhole full of ferns and tiny waterfalls.
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#78
Spiny lobster mini-season
Two days each July when divers get the first shot at Florida lobster.
Measuring gauge required; Keys have extra rules.
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#79
Florida Strawberry Festival
Plant City's giant strawberry shortcakes and headline concerts.
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#80
Florida State Fair
Midway rides, fair food, livestock shows and Cracker Country in Tampa.
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#81
Bok Tower Gardens
A carillon "singing tower" on one of the highest points of the peninsula.
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#82
Gatorland
Old-school Florida fun: thousands of gators, wrestling shows and a zip line over the pond.
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#83
St. George Island
Quiet Forgotten Coast beaches and dark skies at the state park's east end.
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#84
Canoe Juniper Run
Paddle a narrow, twisting spring run through the Ocala National Forest.
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#85
Black Point Wildlife Drive
A one-way wildlife drive at Merritt Island refuge, which overlays Kennedy Space Center.
A refuge pass is required; areas close before some launches.
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#86
Biscayne National Park
A national park that is 95 percent water: reefs, keys and shipwrecks off Miami.
Most of the park is reachable only by boat.
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#87
Tour Florida Caverns
Take a guided tour through a limestone cave system in the Panhandle hills.
Tours pause on scheduled cave maintenance days; check the park page.
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#88
Fish the Skyway Fishing Pier
Cast from the old Sunshine Skyway spans, billed as the world's longest fishing pier.
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#89
Cedar Key clams
Eat steamed clams in the island town UF calls Florida's clam capital.
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#90
Miami Beach Art Deco District
Pastel 1930s hotels along Ocean Drive, best on a guided walking tour.
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#91
Grayton Beach and the coastal dune lakes
Walk from white sand to a rare coastal dune lake on Scenic 30A.
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#92
Myakka River State Park
A canopy walkway in the treetops and airboat tours on Upper Myakka Lake.
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#93
Sandbar day at Crab Island
Anchor a pontoon on Destin's famous shallow sandbar with clear green water.
Watch the tide and boating rules; no glass.
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#94
Statewide alligator hunt
Florida's regulated gator hunt runs each late summer by permit.
Permits are by limited drawing; follow all FWC rules.
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#95
Hemingway Home and Museum
Hemingway's Key West house, where descendants of his six-toed cat still roam.
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#96
Shelling on Sanibel
Do the "Sanibel stoop" for shells that wash up by the thousands.
Sanibel is still rebuilding after Hurricane Ian (2022); taking live shells is illegal in Lee County.
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#97
Paynes Prairie wild bison and horses
Watch wild bison and horses roam a vast prairie just south of Gainesville.
Keep your distance; bison are wild.
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#98
Fort Clinch
Guided tours of a well-preserved 19th-century brick fort on Amelia Island.
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#99
Shark-tooth hunting in Venice
Sift the shoreline for fossil shark teeth in a town that calls itself the Shark Tooth Capital of the World.
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#100
Ride horseback on the beach at Amelia Island
Ride a horse along the surf at Amelia Island State Park.
Rides are through the park's authorized outfitter.
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