Have any of you been to the Florida Everglades for a visit with friends and would you recommend going there?

Question

I want to organize a trip down there because we live in Orlando and would only have to drive for a few hours. I want to know what kinds of things that you can do there.

Answer 1

Southeast FL:

Lion Country Safari - As America’s first drive-through "cageless" zoo, Lion Country Safari has been a leader in conservation since 1967. Lion Country provides a habitat in which many endangered or threatened species live and reproduce.

Parrot Jungle - Parrot Jungle and Gardens, is a world famous bird sanctuary, wildlife habitat and botanical garden. Today, Parrot Jungle is a lush botanical wonderland and home to over 1,100 birds and other animals.

Museum of Discovery and Science - The museum features 85,000 square feet of interactive hands-on exhibits. You can also see the world's largest living captive Atlantic coral reef on public display. The museum is also home to the Blockbuster IMAX Theater.

Coral Castle - Coral Castle is considered a National Historic Site which has been featured numerous times on TV. Created by Latvian Ed Leedskalnin in 1923, it features a nine-ton gate and one-of-a-kind sundial.

Everglades Alligator Farm - South Florida's oldest alligator farm, at the entrance of Everglades National Park, contains more than 3,000 alligators. Airboat tours offered.

Broward Center for the Performing Arts - Broward County's Center for the Performing Arts is a comprehensive regional arts & entertainment facility which presents a complete range of entertainment including Broadway musicals, plays, dance, drama, symphony and opera, blues, jazz, film, lecture, pop concerts, comedy, children's theater, and more.

Audubon House and Gardens - The Audubon House & Tropical Gardens offer a relaxing, educational environment for families and visitors of all ages. A visit to the Audubon House & Tropical Gardens is an exploration into local history and folklore, while the gardens offer a lush one-acre view of tropical foliage.

Harry S. Truman Little White House Museum - The Harry S Truman Little White House in Key West was built in 1890 as the first officer's quarters on the naval station. Visitors can enjoy daily guided tours and a botanical garden. The house also offers a gift shop.

Florida Stage - Florida Stage is a professional live theatre company producing the best new work in American theatre by our finest contemporary playwrights.

Fairchild Tropical Garden - Fairchild Tropical Garden iss one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens, with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees and vines.

Historical Museum of Southern Florida - Ten thousand years ago, humans first wandered into South Florida. Since then, the region has become a fascinating place, attracting visitors and residents from near and far. Discover why here.

Miami Museum of Science - Experience special exhibits, including "Smithsonian Expeditions: Exploring Latin American & the Caribbean." Slide, swing and tumble in our "Gravity Playground" for tots. Challenge your senses with interactive demos. Visit rare birds and reptiles in the Wildlife Center. Climb the rock wall. Play virtual basketball. Or sit back and relax under the Planetarium Dome for transport to the stars.

Flagler Museum - Upon completion in 1902, Whitehall, Henry Flagler's Gilded Age estate in Palm Beach, was hailed as "more magnificent than any other private dwelling in the world." Today Whitehall, recently named a National Historic Landmark, is open as the Flagler Museum.

Norton Museum of Art - The Norton Museum of Art is a major cultural attraction in Florida. The Museum is internationally distinguished for its permanent collection featuring European, American, Chinese and Contemporary art, photography, Renaissance through Baroque and works on paper.

International Museum of Cartoon Art - The museum is the only museum of its kind with cartoonists represented from over 50 countries. The museum includes a collection of over 160,000 original drawings including every genre of the art: animation, comic books, comic strips, gag cartoons, illustration, editorial cartoons, greeting cards, caricature, graphic novels, sports cartoons, and computer generated art.

Butterfly World - Amidst thousands of flowers, tropical plants, waterfalls, gardens, and classical music, Butterfly World is a unique, breath-taking site that is one of Florida's leading tourist attractions. It is also a popular "field trip" for tens of thousands of school children yearly.

Lowe Art Museum - The Lowe Art Museum is located on the University of Miami campus in Coral Gables, Florida. The Museum features 13 exhibits annually with a collection spanning 5,000 years of art.

IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum - The IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame's Museum captures the thrill, beauty and universal appeal of recreational fishing. This new 60,000-sq.ft. building houses 7 galleries, a 4-acre wetland, a virtual reality fishing experience, marina, and a 12,000-book Library of Fishes. Plus the remarkable film "Journeys."

Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens - With its tranquil pine forests, 200 acre Morikami Park is a well-loved landmark in Delray Beach, Florida. The park includes the only museum in the United States dedicated exclusively to the living culture of Japan. It also offers Japanese style gardens, nature trails, sparkling lakes and ponds teeming with colorful carp and turtles, cascading waterfalls, shaded picnic pavilions and a rare bonsai collection of miniature trees.

Old School Square Cultural Arts Center - Restored from its historic roots as Delray Elementary (c. 1913) and Delray High School (c. 1925), the facilities house the Cornell Museum of Art and History, the Crest Theatre and Vintage Gymnasium.

Ernest Hemingway Home - Hemingway owned the home from 1931 until his passing in 1961. The Spanish Colonial style home was constructed of native rock hewn from the grounds and boasts the first pool built in Key West.

Key West Aquarium - The Aquarium, built in 1934, features sea turtles, sharks, games and tropical fish that are native to the waters of Key West.

Deering Estate at Cutler - The 420-acre Deering Estate at Cutler is a center for education and recreation. The Estate offers informative tours of lush natural areas where fossil bones have been found from as far back as 50,000 years, and of some of South Florida's earliest buildings dating from 1896.

Gatorpark - Narrated tours with professional guides let you experience the unique natural beauty of the Everglades. See alligator nests, an Indian fish camp and observe wildlife in their natural habitat.

Miami Seaquarium - Home of Lolita the Killer Whale and TV Superstar Flipper. See 100 species of sea life, endangered Florida manatees and sea turtles.

Monkey Jungle - Escape on a jungle safari. Explore the wilds of South America and Asia. Witness crab-eating monkeys diving for treats. Delve into the lush, tropical Amazonian Rainforest filled with hundreds of exotic monkeys. Enjoy the antics at the Orangutans' Asiatic Ape Exhibit.

Mounts Botanical Garden - Palm Beach County's oldest and largest public garden. Mounts' gardens and programs provide the best horticultural and botanical information available related to South Florida's unique plants and environment. Tropical and subtropical plants from six continents grace Mounts' 14 acres, from arid-land plants to aquatics to edible landscapes.

If you go to the link below they have links to each attraction's website and there's also some more attractions for the everglades area in the southwest region at the web site...it won't let me list them here =(

Answer 2

I would definitely recommend going to the Everglades. I was there in April and its a great place. Head to the actual national park to see the most wildlife. Air boats are offered outside of the park. Its fun seeing all the gators.

Answer 3

The Everglades should definitely be visited, but don't expect to find the world's tallest roller coaster or anything else exceptionally touristy. The most touristy thing that was there when I visited was airboat rides. But it should be seen because development is ruining it. It is a beautiful natural swamp, and the greed and arrogance of humans is ruining it, much like everything else.