Jacksonville is one of the most popular cities in Florida. It is the largest city by area in the United States and is the perfect destination to explore the outdoors and be surrounded by nature. Jacksonville gives an excellent experience to travelers through 22 miles of beaches, varieties of museums, vibrant street art scene, extensive park systems, coastal cuisine, world-class fishing, craft beers, and many more.
Jacksonville is one of the perfect destinations to visit in USA with your family and friends to create wonderful memories.
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Let's look at some of the best places to visit in Jacksonville with smiles, laughter, fun, and sun.
1. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Since 1914, the Jacksonville Zoo has supported wildlife conservation with over 2,400 rare and exotic animals and over 1,000 varieties of plants. Both grown-ups and little ones enjoy the experience of the zoo and gardens on the riverfront landscape. Varieties of animals and birds like giraffes, tigers, lorikeets, jaguars, and many more will give you a fantastic ambiance.
2. Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
The Cummer museum of art & gardens gives you an enchanting experience of fine art and European-inspired gardens along the St. Johns River at Cummer. It is originally the home of Nina Mae Holden Cummer, who was an art collector.
The museum focuses on the beauty of nature and diverse and dynamic art. It is home to 5,000 pieces of art, including arts dating back 3,000 years and recent works from famous artists. The garden is surrounded by 2.5 acres of land, including an English and Italian garden, each more than 100 years old and stunningly beautiful in its own way.
3. Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary
The Catty Shack Ranch of Jacksonville is a tiger-focused ranch with a conservation mission, often rescuing tigers and big cats from the inhumane situation. The uniqueness of this ranch is that none of the animals living here have ever been bought, sold, or traded; they’ve been brought over the ranch by their owners, who couldn’t take proper care of them.
Animals of the sanctuary include Lions, Tigers, Pumas, Leopards, Bobcats, Raccoons, and some more.
4. St. Johns River Taxi
The modern, comfortable, covered boats, which can seat up to a hundred passengers, offer spectacular city and skyline views. The river taxi will take you to three stops at the Southbank and three stops at the north bank.
One of the wonderful facts about these river taxis is that most of the time the passengers take a ride not to reach any destination but to experience the joy of the ride.
5. Atlantic Beach
Atlantic Beach is just a short drive from Jacksonville. The sound of the soothing waves on the beach and the seabirds chirping above the water will surely give you a peaceful environment. Several deep-sea fishing charter companies have their operations on Atlantic Beach, and if you take them, then you have the chance of catching fish and bringing them to restaurants for cooking.
Also, one of the best ways to reach Atlantic Beach is via the St. Johns River Ferry.
6. Riverside Arts Market
Local artists, craft makers, food vendors, and local farmers gather every Saturday morning under the shade of the Fuller Warren Bridge for this outdoor market. It offers unique entertainment, including live music, food trucks, and free yoga with a view along the St. Johns River.
7. The Florida Theatre
The Florida Theatre is one of only four remaining high-style movie theatres built in the state in the 1920s. It is a beautifully crafted, classic performance art theatre with a stunning retro ambiance. At present, it hosts more than 200 annual events, including everything like opera, contemporary pop, jazz, rock, country and blues concerts, ballet, and many more. It is an entertainment and cultural center in the heart of Jacksonville.
A long-time back, Elvis Presley had his first solo show in The Florida Theatre.
8. The Jax Ale Trail
Jacksonville is one of Florida's biggest beer destinations and is home to dozens of local breweries like Intuition Ale Works, Engine15, Aardwolf, Veterans United, and Bold City Brewing.
The Jax Ale Trail is a brewery passport that will serve as a guide to the local breweries. You can visit breweries along the brewery trail on the passport, get the passport stamped after grabbing beers from the breweries, and can grab exciting prizes.
9. Little Talbot Island & Big Talbot Island
Little Talbot Island gives you a five-mile stretch of natural shoreline in the middle of a connected forest. The island is also a home for native wildlife species. For those who have a knack for fishing, this place is perfect for them.
On the contrary, Big Talbot Island takes you to an entirely different scenario. The magic of this island unfolds with wetlands, secret beaches, bike paths, and marshes. Blackrock Beach, Boneyard Beach, and Kayak Tour or hike are the main highlights of Big Talbot Island.
10. St. Johns Town Centre
Visitors can enjoy the experience of open-air shopping at St. Johns Town Centre. With more than 175 retailers and 20 restaurants serving in this 1.2 million square foot area, it becomes the shopping mecca of Jacksonville. From big brands to local shops, you can get everything here. Whether you are a money saver or a luxury lover, St. Johns Town Centre has something for everyone.
Jacksonville is one of the best places to visit in Florida city, located in St. Johns Town Centre. This escape room gives 60 minutes of puzzle-solving adventures in different scenarios like Prison Break, Heist, Gold Rush, and more. The Town Centre escape room in Jacksonville builds the adventure in-house from scratch.
Their dedicated designers, artists, prop experts, and robotics engineers bring the magical world of escape rooms to life. From children to adults, everyone can experience the escape room games with the same excitement.
When you can get so many different experiences and ambiances in a single place, its time to mark your calendar for your next vacation, which will lead you to Jacksonville, keep the workload and stress factors aside, and 'Visit Jacksonville and The Beaches.'
