Visit FloridaWhat’s New
• Salvador Dali Museum: New museum set to open in downtown St. Petersburg in January 2011. Double the size of the former Museum to showcase even more of the largest Salvador Dali’s collection outside of Spain.
• Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.): Opened the Healing Winds Visitor Education Center providing visitors the opportunity to learn how the hospital rescues and cares for injured wildlife. Visitors also get to follow the cases of four animals from admission to release. Sanibel Island.
• Sesame Street Safari of Fun: Filled with kid-size rides, water activities, shows and adventures that celebrate the spirit of Africa. Also, Air Grover, the junior coaster for parents and kids to ride together; Bert & Ernie’s Water Hole, a wet adventure filled with bubblers, geysers, jets and dumping buckets. Busch Gardens, Tampa.
• Naples Botanical Garden: Re-opened as a world-class tropical garden paradise called “Gardens With Latitude”, featuring plants and cultures found along 26-degrees latitude North and South. Includes the cultivated gardens of Brazil, the Caribbean, an interactive Children’s Garden and 36-hectares of natural Florida habitats. Naples.
© 2010 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved.• Wizarding World Of Harry Potter: A one-of-a-kind, fully immersive theme park experience and the only place in the world that brings the magic of Harry Potter to life. Guests can explore some of the most significant and familiar locations from the books and films and find themselves in the heart of the excitement. Universal Orlando Resort, Orland.Attractions
• Walt Disney World Resort: Four theme parks, two water adventure parks, 20 themed resort hotels, 99 holes of golf, Disney’s Wedding Pavilion, Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex and Downtown Disney.
• Universal Orlando Resort: A working movie studio with more than 40 rides, shows and attractions; five themed areas at Universal Studios Islands of Adventure; CityWalk, a 12-hectare entertainment complex; and three Loews Hotels.
• Discovery Cove: A reservations-only tropical paradise where guests can swim with dolphins, rays and thousands of fascinating sea animals. Adjacent to, and managed by, SeaWorld Orlando.
• Aquatica: Features up-close animal experiences, high-speed thrills, 36 water slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 7,432 square metres of beach area. Orlando.
Kennedy Space Center• Kennedy Space Center: Visitors explore America’s space program with exhibits of spacecraft, IMAX films, the Shuttle Launch Experience and the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Coming soon: Science On a Sphere, Hubble 3D and Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted. You can even meet an astronaut. Titusville.• Everglades National Park: Encompassing 600,000 hectares, this is the only ecosystem of its kind in the world. A freshwater river, only inches deep in most places, creeps seaward through the Everglades on a gently sloping riverbed.
• St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park: Founded in 1893 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this attraction has hosted millions of visitors who come to view and learn about alligators, endangered monkeys, and tropical birds.
• Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art: The largest modern and contemporary art museum in the Southeast. The permanent collection consists of works in a wide range of media, representing prominent national and international artists of the 20th and 21st century.
Events
• Art Deco Weekend Festival (January), Miami Beach.
• Big Cypress Shootout (February), Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.
• Florida State Fair (February), Tampa.
• Bike Week (March), Daytona.
• Florida Strawberry Festival (March), Plant City.
• Spring Time Festival (March), Tallahassee.
• Sunfest (May), West Palm Beach.
• Pensacola Beach Air Show (July), Pensacola.
• Hemingway Days Festival (July), Key West.
• Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (September), WDW Orlando.
• Jacksonville Film Festival (October), Jacksonville.
• Winterfest Boat Parade (December), Fort Lauderdale.
Places
• Castillo de San Marcos National Monument: The oldest standing European fort in the country. Guided tours and cannon fire demonstrations. St. Augustine.
• Fort Matanzas National Monument: Activities include a guided ferry tour around the perimeter of the fort and guided nature walk. South of St. Augustine.
• Fort De Soto Park: Remnants and weaponry remain on the grounds of this century-old fort situated along a breathtaking waterfront. Central Florida’s Gulf Coast.
• Greater Miami and the Beaches: Florida’s largest city is home to the world’s largest collection of Art Deco architecture, and fashionable restaurants, clubs, shopping and accommodations.
• St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area: Twenty-six unique communities comprise this region on Florida’s west coast. Home to several top-ranked beaches, the Salvador Dali Museum, the Florida International Museum, the Sunken Gardens, the BayWalk shopping district and the Pier, a shopping and entertainment complex.
• St. Augustine: America’s oldest continually settled European city dates to the Spanish conquistadores of the 16th century. Travellers can step back in time in the Colonial Spanish Quarter, a living history museum that brings to life the world of the early Spanish colonists in a military town; and Old St. Augustine Village, where on one city block nine historic houses are original to the site.
• Daytona Beach: From Ormond-by-the-Sea to Ponce Inlet, the area boasts 37 kilometres of white-sand beaches perfect for watersports and relaxation. Home of the world-renowned Daytona International Speedway, the city famous for auto racing is also a great destination for shopping dining and nightlife.
Visit Florida• Vizcaya Museum & Gardens: 34 decorated rooms containing antique furnishings and art objects from the 15th to 19th centuries. The museum features expansive gardens that combine elements of Renaissance Italian and French Design. Miami.Hidden Gems
• Tallahassee Museum: Featuring a world of flora, fauna and people as they existed in decades gone by. The museum was founded more than 50 years ago to encourage people to care for their natural world and value the role of history in their lives. Tallahassee.
• Amelia Island: Historic district blends past, present and future. Bricked walkways lined with gas lantern replicas light the way from downtown to the Marina, giving visitors the feeling they’re back in a simpler time.
Did You Know?
State Motto: In God We Trust
State Flower: Orange Blossom
State Bird: Mockingbird
Fast Facts
Region: THE SOUTH
America’s Byways: A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway, Indian River Lagoon Scenic Highway, Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway, The Overseas Highway.
Direct Flights: Air Canada, American Airlines, Continental, United Airlines, WestJet.
Cruise Lines: American Cruise Lines, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Discovery Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Imperial Majesty Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Raddisson Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn Cruise Line.
Sales Tools: Agent specialist program for the state’s tourism industry at www.universityofvisitflorida.com, The Official Florida Vacation Guide, Florida Magazine, International Tourist Guide in French and Florida Transportation Map.
Info: VISIT FLORIDA
1-877-817-8789
www.visitflorida.com