Things To Do in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, otherwise known as ‘Jax’, is the largest city in Florida and the Southeastern US. It has an interesting mix of beaches, city life, barrier islands, riverfront access, and historical artifacts.
Here are some of our favorite things to do when visiting Jacksonville, Florida:
Table of Contents
you might also like:
Cummer Museum & Garden
The largest fine arts museum in northeast Florida, you can browse a world class collection of art spanning from 2100 BC to modern times.
The 1.5 acre garden is a beautiful area to explore as well with seasonal plants, gorgeous trees, and lovely landscaping everywhere.
The Upper Garden has views of the St Johns River and is the location of the Tea Garden where Mrs. Cummer used to entertain her friends.
The English Garden has an amazing collection of Azalea flowers that bloom in the springtime.
The Italian Garden, inspired by her visit to Florence, has beautiful landscaping, archways, and reflecting pools.
Make sure to check out the Great Cummer Oak Tree as well.
Florida Theatre
This lovely piece of history is a reminder of a bygone era when grand theaters used to line the streets of Jacksonville.
The Florida Theatre was opened back in 1927 to much fanfare but over time it became abandoned in the 70’s when downtown Jacksonville hit a major economic downturn.
It was saved by a local arts collective who bought it, registered it under the National Register of Historic Places, and raised funds to restore it.
Since then, the non profit group Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center has run the theater with it being the permanent home of the Florida Ballet, Theatreworks, and annual Community Nutcracker.
You can catch all sorts of shows here - make sure to check out the schedule to see what’s playing.
Otherwise, you can just swing by to admire the beautiful exterior!
Jax Surf & Paddle
Chances are you’re in Florida for the warm weather, so if you’re like me and have no idea how to surf, make sure to drop by Jax Surf & Paddle for friendly and knowledgeable instructors who have you riding waves in no time at the nearby beach.
They have everything you need to start surfing including a body suit/rash guard, surf boards of all sizes, and a changing area.
During the lesson, my instructor gave me a lot of great tips on how to stand up on the board, how to time waves, how to identify incoming waves, and how to balance on the board.
By the end of the lesson, I had successfully ridden a couple of waves while standing up, which felt pretty great! My muscles were also so sore the next day - now I understand why surfers are so fit!
One Ocean Spa
After a whole day on the beach surfing or paddle boarding, a great way to wind down is book a session at the wonderful One Ocean Spa.
I booked the Signature One Ocean Massage, which is a mixture of Eastern and Western techniques. I found the pressure and technique of the masseuse to be quite excellent and I’m quite picky since I spent 4 months in Chiang Mai learning Thai Massage.
After the massage, there is a relaxing chill out area facing the ocean where you can sip on warm tea while dozing off for a bit.
Beaches Town Center
Another option for a beach day, is to hit up the Beaches Town Center for lunch or dinner or just general shopping.
In this shopping center that is roughly four blocks in size, you’ll find boutique shops, yoga studios, craft breweries, oceanfront hotels, art galleries, ice cream shops, and restaurants.
If you need a quick tip on where to grab a bite here, we loved Hawkers Asian Street Food for their Asian Fusion inspired Fare. Try out the Hawkers Wings, Korean Twice Fried Wings, and Viet Bun Salad.
Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens
An incredible experience with over 2,000 animals and 1,000 exotic plants, you can spend a whole day here with the wealth of activities including a unique walking safari, Giraffe Overlook, Malaysian and Sumatran tigers, Australian Outback with kangaroos, Range of the Jaguar, and more.
The Jacksonville Zoo has supported wildlife conservation since 1914, so your money will be going to a good cause.
Also, where else can you feed live giraffes and see a manatee up close?
Orlando, just a short bus ride away, has an incredible zoo as well!
Riverside Arts Market
Every Saturday morning, a bustling art market gathers under the Fuller Warren Bridge. You can find a wide selection of local artists, crafts, performers, farmers, and food carts. There is usually live music and free yoga classes as well.
Little Talbot Island
With five miles of untouched beaches, you can find the solitude you need in this collection of state parks and wildlife preserves. In addition to the beaches, there are excellent opportunities for hiking, biking, horse riding, kayaking, surfing, and swimming.
We’d recommend renting some horses for an iconic sunset horseback ride on the beach.
If you have a four wheel drive vehicle, you can drive on the white sand beaches until you find a remote spot all for yourself.
Amelia Island
One of the highlights of the barrier islands in northern Florida, this popular destination is full of adorable houses, pristine beaches, and a laid back atmosphere.
Make sure to hunt for seashells & shark teeth on the beach and catch a sunset sailing where you’re likely to spot dolphins, sea turtles, and manatees in the water.
Treaty Oak
This gargantuan tree spreads out like a giant octopus and is called a ‘Treaty Oak’ since there have been so many compromises made to not tear it down. It’s about 250 years old and has been the target of urbanization many times with the most recent being in the 1930’s by developers. A local reporter convinced the public that there had been a famous treaty done by native Americans and there was an outcry to save the tree.
Location: Treaty Oak Park
Ritz Theatre
Known as the ‘Harlem of the South’, the original 1929 Ritz was a bustling and vibrant hub for African American culture. The current building was built on top and opened as both a working theater and a museum to honor the origins of the building. The events here are specially focused on African American acts and culture - make sure to check out their website for the latest information on upcoming performances.
MOCA Jacksonville
This modern art museum, affiliated with the University of North Florida, has around 1,000 art works in photography, paintings, sculptures, new media, and more. The highlight is usually located in the atrium which a floor to ceiling art installation dazzles viewers.
You’ll want to keep watch for special events listed on the website, which can be quite spectacular and interesting.
The first Wednesday of every month, the museum hosts an art walk from 5 to 9 pm which allows visitors to see temporary exhibitions after hours for free.
Jax Ale Trail
Jacksonville has a large concentration of breweries and they’ve banded together to form something called the Jax Ale Trail. It’s a self guided tour of all the breweries and includes prizes for getting stamps on the Jax Ale Trail Passport. You can pick up the passport at any of the nineteen participating breweries or at a Visit Jacksonville Visitor Center
Some of the breweries on the list include Engine 15, Intuition Ale Works, Aardwolf Brewing Co, and Pinglehead Brewing Co - all of which have won medals at the Best Florida Beer Championships.
Catty Shack Ranch
A haven and sanctuary for wildlife - Catty Shack’s main focus is to provide a safe place for rescued cats. They do not breed, sell, or trade any of the rescued animals, so you can be sure that the animals are well taken care of here. They even have a 501© non profit designation.
There are tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, bobcats, foxes, and other cats here.
There are daytime guided tours every Thursday afternoon and night feeding events Friday and Saturday night.
Kingsley Plantation
If you like interesting history that makes you pause and think, the Kingsley Plantation is worth a visit. It’s a unique property that housed the Kingsley family and all its slaves back in the 1800’s. The twist to the story is that Zephaniah Kingsley married one of his slaves and had children. During the early 1800’s, Florida was still under Spanish control and under their law she had full rights as Zephaniah’s wife, including the owning and selling of slaves.
They ended up moving to Haiti when Florida was turned over to America as a result of the different American laws at the time towards slavery.
You can hear more of the twists and turns of this interesting piece of history on your visit.
Sunset Cruise
Florida sunsets are a sight to behold and even better on a boat!
There are several companies in Jacksonville that offer lovely sunset cruises. They range from value oriented to luxury minded experiences.
For a great value sunset cruise - St Johns River Taxi is a good choice at $22 per person for a 1.5 hour cruise.
For a more luxurious and intimate sunset cruise, check out Now and Zen Sailing Charters. They offer private rental of a high end yacht for a group up to 4 ppl at $449 up to four hours total.