All Play

Sprawled across 469 acres in Ruskin, Florida, E.G. Simmons Conservation Park is a natural gem on Tampa Bay, featuring the E.G. Simmons Kayak Launch as a prime entry to its waterways since the park’s opening in the 1960s. Named for a local commissioner, it evolved from mangrove swamps into a recreational haven with 200 acres as a wildlife sanctuary. The launch offers easy access for paddling through serene channels lined with mangroves, spotting manatees, dolphins, Read more…

Perched along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers, Florida, the Edison & Ford Winter Estates span 20 acres of historic homes, gardens, and labs, preserving the legacies of inventors Thomas Edison and Henry Ford since opening as a museum in 1947. Edison built his Seminole Lodge in 1885 as a winter retreat, later joined by Ford’s The Mangoes in 1916, fostering innovations like electric lighting and automobiles. Unique features include self-guided audio tours ($25 adults) Read more…

Nestled in Stuart, Florida, the Elliott Museum is a cultural treasure founded in 1961 by Harmon Elliott to honor his father, inventor Sterling Elliott, evolving into a dynamic showcase of innovation and local history. Located at 825 Northeast Ocean Boulevard, it sits near Stuart’s pristine beaches, offering a captivating blend of exhibits on vintage vehicles, Americana, maritime history, and local art. Unique features include over 50 classic cars, like a 1909 Stanley Steamer, displayed in Read more…

Located in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, the Emerald Coast Science Center is a hands-on museum igniting curiosity since 1989, dedicated to STEM education through interactive exhibits. At 31 Memorial Parkway Southwest, it’s minutes from Okaloosa Island’s white-sand beaches, offering over 45 exhibits like robotics labs, dino digs, and a hurricane simulator. Unique features include the SciPad for young explorers with sensory play, live animal encounters with creatures like snakes, and outdoor nature trails spotting local Read more…

Situated in Key West, Florida, the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is a historic gem preserving the legacy of the Nobel Prize-winning author, who lived there from 1931 to 1939. Located at 907 Whitehead Street, this Spanish Colonial home, built in 1851, features original furnishings, Hemingway’s writing studio, and a lush garden with descendants of his famous six-toed cats—about 60 polydactyl felines roam freely. Guided tours, offered daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., share Read more…

In Bonita Springs, Florida, the Everglades Wonder Gardens is a historic 3.5-acre botanical jungle and wildlife sanctuary, established in 1936 by the Piper family as one of Southwest Florida’s first attractions. Located at 27180 Old 41 Road, it blends lush gardens with rescued animals, showcasing alligators, flamingos, otters, and parrots amid tropical flora like orchids and banyan trees. Unique features include guided tours, animal encounters, and a boardwalk through a cypress swamp, plus exhibits on Read more…

Located in Homosassa, Florida, the Flamingo Island Flea Market is a vibrant outdoor marketplace operating since the 1990s, offering a treasure trove of goods across 600 vendor spaces. At 6499 South Suncoast Boulevard, it’s open Friday-Sunday 8 a.m.-4 p.m., with free entry and parking. Unique features include diverse stalls selling antiques, beachwear, fresh produce, and handmade crafts, plus food vendors offering local seafood and tropical smoothies. Events like live music and seasonal festivals create a Read more…

Tucked in Largo, Florida, the Florida Botanical Gardens is a 100-acre oasis showcasing tropical beauty since its creation in 2000 as a free public park. Located at 12520 Ulmerton Road, it features 30 themed gardens, including rose, herb, and wetland displays, plus trails through pine flatwoods teeming with birds and butterflies. Unique elements include the Moccasin Lake Nature Park with raptor exhibits, a butterfly house, and seasonal events like Holiday Lights in the Gardens, drawing Read more…

In Fernandina Beach, Florida, the Florida Classics Library is a unique bookstore and cultural hub dedicated to rare and regional literature, housed in a charming historic building at 108 South 2nd Street. Operating since the 1980s, it specializes in out-of-print Florida titles, maritime history, and signed first editions, with shelves brimming with books on Amelia Island’s pirate past and coastal lore. Unique features include author readings, book signings, and a cozy reading nook evoking old Read more…

Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, Florida CraftArt is a nonprofit gallery and cultural hub championing fine crafts since 1951, showcasing works by over 150 artists. At 501 Central Avenue, it features exhibits of ceramics, jewelry, glass, and fiber art, often inspired by Gulf Coast aesthetics like seascapes and tropical motifs. Unique offerings include artist talks, workshops like pottery throwing ($50-$100), and the annual CraftArt Festival, a juried outdoor event drawing thousands. Open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5:30 Read more…