Special churches
Knowles Memorial Chapel in Winter Park
This church in the city of Winter Park in Central Florida was built in 1932 by architect Ralph A. Cram. The church is built in the Renaissance style. The church is located on the Rolins College campus and still serves as the college church today. Musical events, such as the annual Bach Festival, also take place here.
Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Tampa
The Sacred Heart Church in the city of Tampa was founded in 1905, making it the oldest surviving church in the city. The current church was built on a church building from 1860. The church impresses with its size and the Romanesque style in which it was built.
| Contact | 509 North Florida Ave Tampa, Florida 33602 |
Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine
The historic cathedral in the city of St. Augustine is the episcopal seat of the Bishop of St. Augustine and was built between 1793 and 1797 by the Spaniards. The cathedral, built in the style of classicism, still impresses visitors with its interior and bell tower, which reminds the viewer of a Spanish mission.
| Contact | 38 Cathedral Place St. Augustine, FL 32084 |
Cathedral of Saint Mary in Miami
The Cathedral of Saint Mary in the city of Miami was built between 1955 and 1957. The extremely colorful church is the seat of the Archbishop of Miami. Also worth seeing are the entrance portal, the bell tower in the style of a mission and the blue and white dome.
- Countryaah: Lists all towns and cities of Florida in alphabetical order. Also includes top 10 cities by population in Florida. Check medicinelearners for medical schools in Florida.
| Contact | 7525 Northwest 2nd Avenue Miami, Florida 33150 |
Zoos, parks and amusement parks
Miami
Zoo The Miami City Zoo opened in 1948 as the Cradon Park Zoo, making it the oldest zoo in Florida.
Today, the zoo covers an area of approximately 3 km², making it the largest zoo in Florida. The zoo is home to over 2,000 animals from over 500 species and is one of the 10 best zoos in the United States.
The zoo has 4 main enclosures:
- Asia
Here visitors will find tigers, orangutans, lions, elephants, rhinos and many more. The largest bird house in the world is also located here. - Africa
Here visitors will find gorillas, chimpanzees, hippos, ostriches and giraffes. - Amazon and Beyond
Here visitors can find jaguars, anteaters and anacondas. - Australia
Koalas, kangaroos, crocodiles, warthogs and more live here.
| Contact | 12400 SW 152 Street Miami, Florida 33177 www.miamimetrozoo.com |
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
The Jacksonville City Zoo was founded in 1914 and now covers approximately 400,000 square meters. It is the second largest zoo in the state. The main attraction is certainly the jaguars. It also offers visitors, for example, elephants, lions and many more. In addition to the zoo, visitors will also find a botanical garden which is divided into different areas such as savannah landscapes or bamboo gardens.
| Contact | 370 Zoo Parkway Jacksonville, Florida 32218 Web: www.jacksonvillezoo.org |
Miami Seaquarium
The Miami Seaquriam was founded in 1955 and shows a wide variety of marine animals (dolphins, sea lions, manatees, turtles, etc.) that are native to the 150.00 m² large Ozeaneum. Here visitors can admire 8 different shows in which the animals can prove their skills. The most popular is the female Orcawal Lolita. The Miami Seaquarium attracts over 600,000 visitors annually.
| Contact | 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway Miami, Florida 33149 www.miamiseaquarium.com |
SeaWorld near Orlando
The Seaworld near the city of Orlando was opened in 1973 and covers an area of 810,000 m².
In SeaWorld you will not only find all kinds of marine life, but also numerous other attractions such as roller coasters. In several stadiums, SeaWorld also offers shows with orca whales, dolphins and sea lions.
SeaWorld attracts up to 6 million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in the entire United States.
| Contact | 7007 Sea Harbor Drive Orlando, Florida 32821 www.seaworld.com/orlando/ |
Walt Disney World Resort
The famous Walt Disney World Resort in the city of Kissimmee, near Orlando, not only makes children’s hearts beat faster, but all ages can find fun and excitement here. The amusement park was opened in 1971 and has since been considered the largest amusement park in the world. The park actually consists of 4 different theme parks.
These are:
Magic Kingdom,
Epcot,
Disney’s Hollywood Studios,
Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Overall, the Disney World Resort covers an enormous area of 150 km² and is also the largest amusement park in the world. Every year over 40 million people visit the park. The park’s biggest attractions are certainly the Cinderella Castle, the daily Disney Dreams Come True Parade, Splash Mountain and many other roller coasters.
Those who visit the park for the first time should not despair based on the size, but allow themselves some time for orientation.
| Contact | www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/ |
National parks
Biscayne National Park
Biscayne National Park is located in southern Florida and stretches across Biscayne Bay, a popular area for diving and snorkeling.
The park protects the offshore coral reef, which is part of the Florida reef system (third largest reef in the world). The area was declared a national park in 1980 and covers an area of approximately 700 km², of which approximately 95% is water.
The mangrove forests on the coast of the park are also very interesting.
Visitors can marvel at the reef by kayak or on a boat with a glass bottom.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm |
Dry-Tortugas National Park
Dry-Tortugas National Park is located in the Gulf of Mexico at the end of the Florida Keys. The park covers an area of approximately 262 km².
The park is grouped around seven tiny sand and coral islands, the Dry Tortugas. More than 99 percent of the national park is under water. The park is home to countless species of fish, terns, frigate birds and sea turtles. The island with Fort Jefferson, a 19th century fortress that served as a prison, is also very interesting. Numerous old ships can also be found on the sea floor because in the past the Florida Street was a heavily used shipping route.
| Contact | www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm |
Other natural beauties
In Florida there are 160 state parks, of course not all of which can be mentioned here. The state parks are very popular and are among the best in the entire USA because they are partly financed with tax money.
Caladesi Island State Park
Caladesi Island State Park is located on the west coast of Florida. The park can be visited by ferry from the neighboring island and attracts with its beautiful beaches. The island’s beach is regularly voted the best in the whole country. Furthermore, hiking in the park is excellent and more than 250 bird species delight not only the ornitologist.
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park is located in southern Florida on the Atlantic coast in Miami-Dade County, known for its extraordinarily beautiful beaches. Here visitors will find miles of white sandy beaches, islands, coral rocks and mangrove swamps. Also in the park is the Cape Florida Light, the oldest surviving Florida lighthouse.
Big Cypress National Preserve
The Big Cypress National Preserve is located in the south of the state of Florida and was established in 1974. The protected area covers an area of approximately 2,916 km². A major peculiarity of the conservation area is that the habitat of the endangered Florida Panther is located here. In the protected area there are also alligators, Florida black bears, otters, bobcats and various snake species such as the water moccasin.
Gulf Islands National Seashore
The Gulf Islands coastline was declared a national coastline in 1971 and spans the states of Florida and Mississippi. Part of the area is also the Gulf Islands Wilderness, which ensures even greater protection for the flora and fauna.
Ten Thousand Islands
The Ten Thousand Islands are located in southern Florida off the west coast. The exact number of islands is unknown, but the name Ten Thousand Islands is a little exaggerated. Many of the islands are without human influence and therefore there is an extremely beautiful flora and fauna. Sea turtles and Caribbean manatees are particularly interesting.
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are probably the famous chain of islands in Florida. The Keys – as they are often called – comprise approx.4,500 larger and smaller islands that are connected by a highway with numerous bridges.
Here the clocks go differently and everything seems somehow more relaxed. Due to the excellent water quality, diving and snorkeling are highly recommended.
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) had lived in the 25,000-resident town of Key West for several years from 1928. The Hemingway Museum is now located in his former home at 907 Whitehead Street and is also the southernmost point of the continental United States.
Worth mentioning is Hurricane Irma, which hit the Keys and other parts of the state in early September 2017. Before the storm arrived, the Keys and Miami, among others, had been evacuated.
There were severe floods and considerable damage, which were not as serious as previously feared.
