There are so many fun things to do in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Things like water sports and seafood restaurants abound! It’s a great place for families with children of all ages. If you’re looking for something to do on your family vacation this year, then be sure to check out these eleven awesome activities that will keep everyone entertained!
Bike along Jacksonville Beach’s beautiful waterfront, and stop at a few restaurants and bars for some delicious seafood. The wide boardwalk is perfect for bicycling, jogging or rollerblading with the whole family! And don’t forget to bring your beach chairs so you can enjoy an afternoon of sunbathing and relaxing on the sand.
1. Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Jacksonville Beach Florida Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jacksonville Beach, Florida is one of the most popular attractions in Jacksonville. It features gardens, a petting zoo, horseback riding demonstrations, and much more!
– Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Jacksonville Beach Florida has an array of animals that range from iguanas to zebras! The museum also offers special programs for children like “Paws on Patrol” where your child can get up close with some furry friends who are trained to be therapy dogs!
– You’ll have hours of fun exploring all corners of this treasure trove for six or older kids. Shows include elephant rides at 11:00 AM every weekday ($14), as well as lion shows at 12:30 PM weekdays only (also $14)
Source: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
Address: 370 Zoo Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32218, USA
2. The Cumme*r Museum of Art and Gardens
The Cumme*r Museum of Art and Gardens is a must-see attraction in the area. The museum first opened its doors on October 20, 1961, to offer residents an opportunity to experience art in their own backyard. In addition to hosting world class artwork from all eras, the Cumme*r offers many outdoor gardens for visitors to explore that are both educational and visually stunning at the same time.
For those interested in experiencing art through different mediums, there are plenty of opportunities here as well with more than 100 rotating exhibits each year featuring paintings, sculptures, drawings or photographs from renowned artists like Henri Matisse or Edward Hopper. Plus special exhibitions that showcase some of our country’s most treasured.
Source: The Cumme*r Museum of Art and Gardens
Address: 829 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204, USA
3. Catty Shack Ranch
Catty Shack Ranch is a Catawba Island Club which offers its members access to the Catawba Beach and Catawba Point trails along with two private beaches.
Tours & Things to do hand-picked by our insiders
Caty Shacks are located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida off of AIA. The ranch includes multiple accommodations from mobile homes to cottages
Catty Shack Ranch also has an onsite restaurant called the Chasin’ Tails Saloon that can be reserved for special events or booked as just a place to get some food during your stay!
Source: Catty Shack Ranch
Address: 1860 Starratt Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32226, USA
4. Little Talbot Island
Little Talbot Island is a private island in Little Talbot Island, near Jacksonville Beach. The Little Talbot Band of Indians owns the property and tribe members live on it year-round.
The history of Little Talbot begins with the Native Americans who inhabited the area for thousands of years before European settlement.
They found plentiful shellfish and fish to harvest from both saltwater marshes at low tide and freshwater ponds along inland waterways during high tides.
In 1765 Francis Philip Little acquired more than 600 acres of land now known as Little Talbot Island from John Hancock Sr., proprietor of Indian Fields Plantation, including all “shellbanks” within three miles (five kilometres) offshore or deepwater creeks emptying into them.
Source: Little Talbot Island
5. Big Talbot Island
Big Talbot Island is one of the Atlantic Ocean barrier islands on Florida’s First Coast.
Big Talbot Island has a rich history and culture dating back to the Native American Tribes that inhabited this area from 12,000 years ago up until 1824 when it was discovered by Europeans.
The island was once populated with deer, waterfowl as well as alligators, but in 1942 Big Talbot Island became home to one of America’s largest military installations during WWII – Naval Air Station Jacksonville, which had over 20 aircraft carrier plane hangars.
Today Big Talbot Island is a haven for recreation and relaxation including hiking trails through forested areas or along sandy beaches where you can spot dolphins swimming alongside boats out at sea!
Source: Big Talbot Island
6. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is a public park in Jacksonville Beach. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park features two playgrounds, picnic pavilions, and three ballfields with six lighted baseball/softball fields. The Kathryn Abbey Hanna Store offers snacks, drinks, and souvenirs to remember your trip to the beach.
Kathryn Abby Hannah Playground: Features swings, slides, climbing tower structures and jungle gym equipment for all levels of play enjoyment!
Source: Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park
Address: 500 Wonderwood Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32233, USA
7. Kingsley Plantation
Kingsley Plantation is a beautiful and historic plantation that offers tours of the grounds as well as some great activities for kids.
Kingsley Plantation has been around since 1787 when it was first established by James Kingsley to grow indigo plants, which they continue to do today!
Their location on the Intercoastal Waterway allows them easy access to trade routes with other plantations in Florida and abroad.
They produce their own sugar cane syrup, molasses, vinegar, gin rum (or glycerin), and cottonseed oil from cottonseeds that are processed into peanut butter or soybean hulls used for fertilizer. The birds at Kingsley Plantations include scarlet ibis and roseate spoonbills.
Kingsley Plantation
Address: 11676 Palmetto Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32226, USA
8. St. Johns Town Center
St. Johns Town Center is a regional mall in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, that sits on the St. Johns River and has all of your shopping needs to be met with its 170+ stores and restaurants.
It’s not an exaggeration to say St. John’s Town Center is one of the most popular attractions in Jax Beach, FL for locals and visitors alike. This outdoor lifestyle centre offers something for everyone – from casual dining at The Porch restaurant on Main Street to high-end retail therapy over near Dillard’s or Macy’s department store (or both!). You name it – they’ve got it!
Source: St. Johns Town Center
Address: 4663 River City Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32246, USA
9. Beaches Town Center
Beaches Town Center is a shopping mall in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Beaches Town Center has over 60 stores and restaurants to choose from like the Belden Jewelers, The Children’s Place, Pier One Imports and more. Beaches Town Center also features an outside area for kids with different age groups, including infants up through 12 years old called “Kidz Street”.
Source: Beaches Town Center
Address: 0 Atlantic Blvd, Neptune Beach, FL 32266, USA
10. MOSH (Museum of Science and History)
Museum of Science and History Jacksonville Beach Florida Museum of science, history, and art Museum is located at the corner of Museum Road and Central Avenue in historic downtown Jacksonville.
The Museum was founded in 1951 as a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing educational experiences through exhibits that explore natural science, culture, art, industry and technology.
Hours: Saturday – noon to close; Sunday – 11am to close; Monday – closed (closed on Mondays for general admission) Tuesday – Friday – 11am to close. Admission is $12 for adults ($14 on Saturdays); children under 12 are admitted free with an adult paying regular admission price). Annual memberships are available from $20 per person to $150 per family or group.
Source: MOSH (Museum of Science and History)
Address: 1025 Museum Cir, Jacksonville, FL 32207, USA
11. Fort Caroline National Memorial
Fort Caroline National Memorial is a Fort Caroline and Fort George Historic Site in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. The fort was constructed to protect the mouth of the St Johns River at what was then known as Fort Point.
It also served as a trading post between Native Americans from interior villages along the river and French colonists who predominated on the gulf coast. A replica of Fort Carolina has been reconstructed here by archeology students under the supervision of archaeologists studying this period for two decades.
Source: Fort Caroline National Memorial
Address: 12713 Fort Caroline Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32225.
12. Riverside Arts Market
Riverside Arts Market is one of the best places to find some unforgettable artwork in Jacksonville Beach. Riverside Arts Market hosts a wide variety of artists and craftsmen from across North Florida. The market boasts over 150 booths with something different to offer locals and visitors alike.
A Proud Artist in Riverside Arts Market
– Riverside Park
Riverside Park might be small but it has a lot going for it as well! Whether you’re looking for an outdoor lunch date or just want to go on a walk through this park while enjoying your surroundings, Riverside Park is the perfect location to do so. This section of the beach also offers free parking which makes getting there that much easier!
Address: 715 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32204, USA
13. TIAA Bank Field
TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jaguars and TIAA’s headquarters in Jacksonville Beach Florida. TIAA stands for Teachers Insurance Anne Arundel Corporation, which was founded in 1918 as a way to ensure retired teachers with pensions from public schools.
The stadium is an open air stadium that seats 72,000 people with 325 sections including club seating and luxury suites at field level.
TIAA bank has been involved since 1999 when they purchased the naming rights to what then became TIAAField until 2005 when they changed it back because customers liked TiaaField better than TiiAAfield (Jaguars).
Source: TIAA Bank Field
Address: 1 TIAA Bank Field Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202, USA
14. Huguenot Memorial Park
Huguenot Memorial Park is a public park in the Huguenot Historic District of Jacksonville Beach. The city’s oldest cemetery was founded by descendants of French Protestant Huguenots who first settled this area after fleeing religious persecution in Europe.
Huguenot Memorial Park is one of the most visited parks in Jacksonville Beach Florida.
Huguenot has an open lawn and three memorials to honor those buried there as well as two smaller cemeteries off-site that have been closed for many years now due to dwindling burial plots.
There are approximately 900 gravesites at Huguehenot but only about 300 remain active today.
Source: Huguenot Memorial Park
Address: 10980 Heckscher Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32226, USA
15. Riverside Avondale
The Riverside Avondale Historic District is the pioneer settlement of Riverside. Riverside was incorporated in 1887 and became a city in 1907, but it had been settled many years before that by people attracted to the area’s cool breezes off of the nearby Trout River.
Today Riverside Avondale has some great restaurants which reflect its diverse population with offerings such as Vietnamese cuisine at Pho 83 which also provides banh mi sandwiches or more traditional American fare like burgers at Johnny Boyz Burger Joint.
The district also features historic buildings from various periods, including an 1897 oyster packing house on Riverside Avenue south of Market Street and the Janss Furniture Building, built in 1928.
Source: Riverside Avondale
Address: 2623 Herschel St, Jacksonville, FL 32204, USA
16. Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens
Jacksonville Beach Florida Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens is one of Jacksonville’s finest parks. You will enjoy the beautiful flowers, plants, trees, walking trails, and gardens this park offers.
There are two lakes on the grounds which can be enjoyed by taking a leisurely walk around them or you may take your dog for an afternoon swim in either Lake Olympia or Lake Adele.
The Jacksonville Arboretum offers educational programs like “Frogs!” which provides students with hands-on activities about amphibians during their life cycle through interactive experiments and games related to frogs; “Alligators! All Around!” focusing on endangered North American alligators both past and present as well as current conservation measures being taken to protect.
Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens
Address: 1445 Millcoe Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32225, USA
17. Friendship Fountain
Friendship Fountain is a six-story art deco-styled fountain that shoots water 360 degrees. It was originally built in 1951 and has been renovated to its current state in 1996 by the City of Jacksonville Beach, with an estimated cost of 400 thousand dollars.
The fountain is lighted at night from dusk until midnight for your viewing pleasure. You can enjoy this piece of history anytime you are around the Jacksonville Beaches area! 18. Screening Room
This cinema theater offers moviegoers different types of films such as those made by local filmmakers, foreign movies without subtitles, older classics, and more recently released Hollywood blockbusters on their two screens – one equipped with surround sound for the optimal audio experience.
Source: Friendship Fountain
Address: 1015 Museum Cir, Jacksonville, FL 32207, United States
18. The Florida Theatre
The Florida Theatre opened on October 19, 1924, and was the first movie theater to be built in Jacksonville Beach. The theatre has been renovated a number of times and is still going strong today!
– The City of Jacksonville Beach with an estimated cost of 400 thousand dollars.
– The fountain is lighted at night from dusk until midnight for your viewing pleasure.
– You can enjoy this piece of history anytime you are around the Jacksonville Beaches area!
– Screening Room offers moviegoers different types of films such as those made by local filmmakers, foreign movies without subtitles, older classics, and more recently released Hollywood blockbusters on their two screens – one equipped with surround sound for the optimal audio experience.
Source: The Florida Theatre
Address: 128 E Forsyth St #300, Jacksonville, FL 32202, USA
19. North & Southbank Riverwalk
The North and Southbank Riverwalks are fun, scenic walking trails right on the water in Jacksonville Beach. The paths run along both sides of the New River for about three miles – one mile north, another south – ending at an intersection where you can turn around if you want to do a loop or continue your walk down either way.
There’s plenty of restaurants and shops as well as historical monuments so it’s not just fun but informative too! You’ll also see dolphins swimming up close while taking in views like never before.
Source: North & Southbank Riverwalk
Address: 1001 Museum Cir, Jacksonville, FL 32207, USA
20. Castaway Island Preserve
Castaway Island Preserve is a popular attraction near Jacksonville Beach Florida. The preserve offers visitors an opportunity to explore the natural beauty and habitats of coastal animals such as osprey, eagles, dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles.
Visitors will also find miles of nature trails through pristine maritime hammock forests that provide nesting habitat for bald eagles when they are not flying overhead.
Castaway Island Preserve is a popular attraction near Jacksonville Beach Florida. The preserve offers visitors an opportunity to explore the natural beauty and habitats of coastal animals such as osprey, eagles, dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles.
Source: Castaway Island Preserve
Address: 2885 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville, FL 32225, USA
21. Jacksonville Beach Pier
Jacksonville Beach Pier is the longest pier in Florida and offers fishing, restaurants, shops. The pier has a great view of the Intracoastal Waterway – where dolphins can be seen at sunset. Visitors have access to various boat tours right from this attraction!
The Jacksonville Beach Pier also features two large enclosed pavilions that are available for private parties and events year-round. These facilities host weddings, anniversaries, or other special occasions with amenities such as catering services, restrooms, and fully equipped bar service on hand to enhance your event experience.
Bookings are handled by their exclusive caterer Coastal Cravings Catering located on the property next door inside Jubilee Hall & Party Store (see map).
Source: Jacksonville Beach Pier
Address: 503 1st St N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, United States
22. Beaches Museum and History Park
Beaches Museum and History Park are one of the best museums Jacksonville Beach has to offer. Beaches Museum showcases Florida’s history, including artefacts from Native Americans up until the present day. The Beaches Historical Society also documents early settlers’ stories in this area too!
This museum offers an overview of art and cultural development in Northeast Florida, focusing on the surrounding beaches region through permanent exhibitions and temporary displays that are rotated frequently.
They have exhibited such as “Jacksonville’s African American Community during World War II” which includes a variety of personal items such as letters, diaries, and photographs belonging to people who lived or were stationed here at different times between 1942-1945.
Source: Beaches Museum and History Park
Address: 381 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250, USA
23. Ponte Vedra Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach is located on the Ponte Vedra end of AIA. The Ponte Vedra Beach offers surf fishing, shelling, and picnicking in addition to a lovely beachfront park for sunbathing and just hanging out.
There’s also a restaurant that overlooks the water here called Driftwood Grille where you can get breakfast or lunch specials as well as other tasty dishes like fried shrimp baskets. If you’re looking for even more peace, Ponte Vedra has it all – including an eco-friendly RV campground with gorgeous views of both land and sea!
Source: Ponte Vedra Beach
Address: Florida 32082, USA
24. Black Hammock Island
Black Hammock Island is a hidden attraction in Jacksonville Beach Florida. It’s easy to miss if you are not looking for it, but the island offers some of the most beautiful views and great fishing spots! This attraction has six miles of coastline with tons of natural serenity as well as many fish that live there year-round.
Black Hammock Island sits on St. John River and Fort Caroline National Memorial Park at the mouth. The park itself is very scenic, providing visitors with history, nature, recreation activities, and various other features all in one location!
The area around Black Hammock Island provides an abundance of bird-watching opportunities along salt marshes which can be seen from shorelines or boat excursions.
Source: Black Hammock Marina
Address: 2348 Black Hammock Fish Camp Rd, Oviedo, FL 32765, USA
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