Things to Do in Jacksonville

Fort Caroline National Memorial commemorates the first European colony. It is a not to scale replica of the ill-fated short-lived French fort built on the banks of the St. Johns river. The museum holds history about the Timucuan Indians and the French colonists. Trails and guided walks are available in the 600 acre preserve.

The Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art and the Jacksonville Zooilogical Gardens

The Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art is one of the oldest museums in the city. The Jacksonville Museum of Science and History has a planetarium where you Jacksonville's Sloppy Joe's Bar

can view the starry nights. This spectacular place is also home to a 25 pound alligator snapping turtle. Kidspace includes face painting, a puppet theater and a water play table. The Jacksonville Zooilogical Gardens is lushly landscaped and exhibits over 700 mammals, birds and reptiles. Many of the exhibits simulate natural native habitats. The Gardens is one of 120 zoos in the country accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

Historic Jacksonville

After educational and historical visits have drained you of energy try Kids playing on Jacksonville Beach

a visit to a chocolate plant. Watch the candy making process from beginning to end. The plant is several blocks away from Peterbrook's original shop, at 1470 San Marco Boulevard. Tours are available by appointment and free samples come with the tour.

The Kingsley Plantation chronicles slavery and cotton production, with displays of plantation artifacts and documents. Visitors can tour the two story residence and the remains of the slave cabins.

Jacksonville Watersports

Head for the beach to fish, swim or go horseback riding. Sawgrass Stables Strolling on Jacksonville Beach

has trail rides and supervised riding. Fishing charters are also available through local marinas. The Outdoor and Balloon Adventures offers wilderness tours, canoeing, kayaking, ballooning, bicycle trips and other interesting adventures. They can also arrange camping trips. Tree Hill is a 40 acre urban wilderness with self-guided trails, a natural history museum, gardens and a picnic area.

Jacksonville Sports

For the sports enthusiast they have football games at the Municipal Stadium, hockey at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and baseball at Wolfson Park. And don't forget the Gator Bowl every New Year's Eve.

Guided tours are available at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery where you can watch the brewing process and taste the final product. The Jacksonville Landing is a two story building dominated the north bank of the St. Johns River. Bookstores, antiques and eclectic boutiques are in abundance throughout the downtown area.

Crawdaddy's is an unusual place with an assortment of music. Club Carousel boasts 4000 square feet of dance floor with an intergalactic laser light system. The Bombay Club is a restaurant/lounge that plays top 40 tunes into the early morning hours. The disc jockey at Bukkets Baha plays alternative and rock music. Go over to Einsteen-A-GoGo for live music. Or listen to southern music at 57 Heaven and dance to tunes from the 50's to the 80's. This bustling city is surrounded by water, nature, history and technology.