Spend a week touring Jacksonville: see historical ships and concerts, indulge in chocolates, and play outdoors — without spending a dime.
Most families look to beach resorts, Disney World, Miami’s bustling city, or Key West’s historic charm for a traditional Florida getaway. But for family-fun without the expensive price tag, Jacksonville provides endless free events and attractions to choose from. Looking for beaches, culture, food, art, special kid activities, music and more? There’s something for everyone in this coastal city.
Shouldn’t a priceless family vacation truly be price-less? We certainly think so.
Art, Culture & More
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
829 Riverside Avenue
Jacksonville, Florida 32204
904/356.6857
The museum’s special program, “Art Connections,” offers both low-tech and high-tech learning stations ranging from collage tables to a state-of-the art virtual canvas. These learning areas combine art, music, literature, history, dance and poetry for hands-on learning. There’s even an under five gallery exhibit for children 18-months to 5-years old. Kids get involved in art on a smaller scale where it’s easier for them to see and enjoy. Tuesdays from 4:00pm to 9:00pm.
Art Walk
100 N. Laura on the corner of Forsyth
Jacksonville, FL 32202
904/634-0303
Even if your little ones aren’t all that enthusiastic about art, they’ll still love playing outside, running in the fresh air, listening to live music, and exploring the Art Walk in downtown Jacksonville. The self-guided tour takes visitors through dozens of art galleries, restaurants and local hotspots all featuring work from local artists. Past kid-friendly stops included Firehouse Subs with tasty sandwiches and historical fire-fighting artwork, and Shugar Shack Chocolatier with free samples. First Wednesday of each month, rain or shine, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
Museum of Contemporary Art
333 North Laura Street
Jacksonville, FL 32202
904/366-6911
The museum’s Sunday “ArtFusion” program is designed especially with families in mind. A helpful museum educator assists groups with hands-on activities including painting, playing musical instruments, tree drawing, mask making, ramen noodle sculptures, printmaking, and more. The rotating activities reflect the museum’s current exhibits and themes, where families can explore the galleries together and learn. Sundays 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
Peterbrooke Chocolatier Production Center
1470 San Marco Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32205
800/771-0019
It won’t be hard to talk your entire family into a free tour of this chocolatier center. Learn about the process of creating fine chocolates and taste an array of heavenly samples. Founded in 1983, the center prides itself on blending European chocolate traditions with an American flair, all in a welcoming setting. Use the money you saved from our list of free attractions and spend it on treats from the gift shop. Monday through Friday from 10:00am to 5:00pm, closed major holidays.
Budweiser Brewery
111 Busch Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32218
904/696-8373
Parents looking for their own brand of free fun, or families with grown ‘kids’, can check out the Budweiser Brewery tour. Take a step-by-step look at Budweiser’s all-natural brewing process, bottling and canning operations. Although kids under 21 can attend the tour with their parents, guests of age are treated to popular beer samples in the Hospitality Room. Monday through Saturday 10:00am to 4:00pm, tours based on availability.
The Jacksonville Suns
301 A. Phillip Randolph Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32202
904/358-2846
You’ve probably heard of the Jaguars, Jacksonville’s professional football team, but have you heard of the Suns? If you visit during baseball season, catching a reasonably-priced minor league game might be just the way to get some local Jacksonville flavor. The Suns play in the red brick Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, one of the newest and nicest minor league stadiums in the country. During the game, kids may have a run-in with Southpaw, the team’s canine mascot, and events for children and families (like Reading Day and Southpaw’s Birthday Party) occur at games throughout the season.
Step Back in Time in Jacksonville
Jacksonville Maritime Museum
1015 Museum Circle, Unit 2
Jacksonville, Florida 32207
904/398-9011
Entice your kids with visions from Pirates of the Caribbean before visiting the Jacksonville Maritime Museum. There are currently a dozen models on display ranging from the USS Porter Submarine, Chinese Junk, Mayflower, and a 16-foot model of the Saratoga. The museum also houses local artifacts and manuscripts in an effort to preserve Jacksonville’s history. Weekdays 10:30am to 3:00pm and weekends 1:00pm-4:00pm.
Fort Caroline National Memorial
12713 Fort Caroline Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32225
904/641-7155
This outdoor memorial represents the brief influence of the French in Florida during the 16th century. Visitors learn about the history of survival, religious disputes, territorial battles, and first contact between American Indians and Europeans. It’s also a great place for kids to stretch their legs and spend some time playing outdoors. The memorial and surrounding grounds are open from 9:00am – 5:00pm daily.
Mandarin Museum
11964 Mandarin Road
Jacksonville, FL 32241
904/268-0784
In the 1800’s, Mandarin was a small farming village that shipped fresh grapefruit, lemons, oranges, and other fruits and vegetables. In 1864, the Union steamship, the Maple Leaf, hit a Confederate mine and sank just off Mandarin Point. It was also the winter home of Harriet Beecher Stowe from 1867 to 1884. Visitors can spend the day exploring the Walter Jones Historical Park, the first of Jacksonville’s historical parks. The park’s riverfront represents a typical 1800s Mandarin homestead and features a restored 1875 farmhouse, an 1876 barn and sawmill, and historical museum. Other sites of interest include the Mandarin Store, Post Office, and Webb Farmhouse. The Store and Post Office is open on the 1st and 3rd Sundays from 1:00pm to 3 pm and for tours by request.
Kingsley Plantation
11676 Palmetto Avenue
Jacksonville, FL 32226
904/251-3537
A trip down South isn’t complete without a visit to an authentic plantation and a lesson in African American history. From 1814 to 1837, Zephaniah Kingsley owned slaves on Fort George Island and grew Sea Island cotton and Indigo cash crops on his plantation. Although the house at Kingsley Plantation is currently closed to the public for structural work, you can still explore the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, and interpretive garden. Weekly from 9:00am to 5:00pm except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.
Outdoor Fun
Tree Hill Nature Center
7152 Lone Star Rd
Jacksonville, FL 32211
904/724-4646
The Center’s focus on families introduces a new topic relating to nature and the environment in the “outdoor classroom.” Its free “Family Saturdays” hopes to foster families looking for a creative way to spend time together in a natural setting, increase their knowledge of Florida’s native flora and fauna, and learn of ways to help our environment. Past events included learning about butterflies, bird themes, guided tours, and more. Saturdays at 10:00am.
Kids Kampus
1410 Gator Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL
904/630-5437
Kids Kampus isn’t just a playground, but a place to stir the imagination with solar power activities, playscapes, water jets and slides. Kids can also skip down the Yellowbrick Road and explore their very own mini-downtown Jacksonville, complete with landmarks. Special events include the Kids Kampus Winter Festival with games, crafts, candy cane hunts and appearances by Santa and Mrs. Clause. Monday through Saturday 8:00am to 8:00pm, Sundays 10:00am to 8:00pm.
Trolley Rides
904/630-3100
Ride downtown in style with a free trolley from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority. It’s an ideal way to see the city and make stops to all your favorite attractions including Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, City Hall, Ritz Theater, Amsterdam Cafe and more. The Magnolia and Sunflower lines run from 5:43am. to 7:23pm on weekdays and 8am to 6pm on Saturdays. The Sunflower Trolley runs from 6:20am to 7pm. There is no trolley service on Sundays.
Jacksonville Beach
Jacksonville, FL 32250
904/247-6221
A trip to Florida isn’t complete without a day at the beach. Dip your feet, go swimming in the surf, build sand castles, and play beach games along 22-miles of sand. You can also window shop at the many boutiques for free, browse the galleries, and take in a free concert or festival. Past beach events included the Great Atlantic Seafood Festival and a competitive sandcastle contest.
The Ribault Club
11241 Fort George Road
Fort George Island, Florida 32226
904/251-1050
Pack a picnic lunch and dine on the grounds of the Ribault Club on Fort George Island. This refurbished clubhouse, built in 1928, was once a playground for the elite and affluent. There’s also a 4-mile long nature trail along the island for plenty of opportunities for insect chasing, bird watching, and playing. The island has a rich history of Native American and colonial influence, so parents can also sneak in an educational lesson in this free activity.
Jacksonville Landing
904/353-1188
Every Friday and Saturday, enjoy live music and dancing along the St. Johns River at Jacksonville Landing. It’s a lively place for the kids to let off some energy and catch the energy of the city. There’s also a bustling calendar of events ranging from gumbo cook-offs, ecology fairs, Baby Does Disco, automobile shows, and more. Event hours vary, see schedule of events at www.jacksonvillelanding.com.
For more information Jacksonville’s free activities, or to learn more about this family-friendly city, call 800/ 733-2668 or visit www.visitjacksonville.com.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
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I agree 100% with everything in this article! I have had some experience with planning trips to Europe with my own family and compiled a website full of helpful advice. I particularily love your point #6 about packing lightly – each trip we do to Europe (generally about 3 weeks long) is done only with carry-on luggage. (You only need to try and lug giant suitcases full of things your don't need onto trains once!) It's amazing how little you actually need, and your last point is true too – don't expect to do too much. Sitting in an Italian park with gelato is pretty nice…
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Around the beginning of August of 2011 my parents decided to take a cruise to Mexico. At first I didn't want to go because my classes that I had at high school were College level classes and I didn't want to fall behind in them. It was my senior year, and I wanted to be on top of things. I would think that I would want to go and miss days of school, but this time around I was more focused on my education than anything. I fought really hard to stay in Florida, where I originally lived, so that I could focus on my studies, sadly, I had no choice but to go with them.
Upon arrival on the cruise things were ok. Actually it was more than ok. It was something I never experienced before. It was a mixture of different emotions. When I arrived, we had to go through a metal detector for obvious reasons. I thought I was in the clear, but every time I walked through, it would beep and I would be told to go back. I was sent back at least 10 times until the people behind me started to get mad. After about the 12th time, I finally realized what prevented me from going through. It was my belt. I had to take it off, and I thought it would be no big deal, but the minute I took it off, my pants began to drop. I quickly grabbed it, but then the officers gave me back all of my items that were metal, and without thinking I let go my pants and grabbed for the items, and the expected happened. My pants dropped. Luckily I had on long boxer shorts, but what was on the boxer shorts were even more embarrassing. My boxers had Sponge bob on it. What made it worse was that the little girl behind me saw it and shouted in excitement "Sponge Bob" and ran up to me and hugged my boxers. An outburst of laughter changed the angry crowds mood. Boy, was that embarrassing. After the embarrassing moment, it relieved some tension that I had about not going on the cruise. Even I had to admit that it was pretty funny. Eventually we settled in, got comfortable and cruised right along to Mexico.
Now since I live in Florida, I thought Florida was Hot, I was wrong. The instant I stepped off the boat into the sun, I felt as if the sun it self was cooking my face. The only way to describe or even come close to explain how hot it was is to tell you how I felt. The sun was so bright that my eyes squinted so hard that eventually after the trip I got wrinkles on my forehead from squinting so hard. I never felt a heat wave so strong as to where it made me regret ever stepping off the boat. Try standing a hot sun all day with your head hurting, eyes, and forehead. Any shade that I found was heaven for me; cause walking around in the sun was hell. The sun seriously cooked my face in to look a certain way. When I came back to Florida, everyone said that I looked older and angry. I laughed because I knew exactly why it looked the way it did.
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Nice piece of information! May I reference part of this on my blog if I post a back link to this web page? Thanks.
Glad you found Bethany's story on traveling in Rome helpful. You are welcome to quote from it on your blog, but we ask that you please give your readers the link back to the full story so they can get all the details. Then, please email us through the Contact Us form below so we can see your blog!
thanks Kyle
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You're absolutely right, but for most families, these special occasion restaurants are a once in a lifetime occasion.
And foodie NY families also take advantage of the city's 2 annual Restaurant Weeks. They're usually for a month (I know it's called Week!) in Feb-Mar and in summer of 2011, it's from July 11-24. All lunches charge $24.07 and all dinners cost $35, and in the past, these 2 amazing restaurants and many others of their calibre have participated in Restaurant Week.
So, that's certainly a good time to get the kids dressed up and show them an amazing foodie night on the town. Check out : http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek for details. And bon appetit!
Per se and La Bernadin are two of the best restaurants in NYC, possibly the world. But dinner for 2 will cost several hundred dollars at each one. They're not within reach of most families.
Please note this 2011 update to hours and admission prices from The Eric Carle Museum:
Hours
10 am–4 pm Tuesday through Friday
10 am–5 pm Saturday
12 –5 pm Sundays
Closed on Mondays * and Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas, and New Year's Day
* Open Mondays during July and August and MA school vacation weeks.
Admission Prices
Adult admission $9
Youth (under 18), Student, Teacher and Senior Admission $6
Family Admission (2 adults and 2 youth) $22.50
You are too funny! I actually wrote 6 guidebooks about Greece for the Frommer series, so yes, I know it pretty well. Changing fast though! Thanks for your comments. Kyle
Are there any East African cruises which combine with a Tanzania safari – http://www.ziarasafaris.com — or is the horn of Africa deemed to dangerous to pass through en-route for cruise ships?
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How does this impact the amount of national parks slated to be shut down?
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Americans are in love with Yellowstone this year! Available space at in-the-park lodges is at a premium and hard to find. A great alternative is Far and Away's 2 nite basecamp (you won't believe the luxury) on a remote shore of Yellowstone Lake. If you want a park experience unlike any other (without the crowds) and one that still has good space availability – it's the ticket.
Thanks for all the great budget friendly tips. My wife and I love taking a bike ride or our dogs for a walk on the Monon Trail. Stop in at BRICS (Broad Ripple Ice Cream Shop) for a tasty treat! Also, we lived here for quite some time before we discovered Holiday Park – they have a great playground for kids.
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