Tomm Jeff
Best Place To Visit In Orlando Florida – Home > Trips > East Coast > Florida > Orlando Guide > Downtown Orlando Attractions: Top Attractions and Places to Visit
Downtown Orlando Attractions: Top Attractions and Places to Visit September 29, 2022 / Bernardo Pacini
Best Place To Visit In Orlando Florida
It’s undeniable! Orlando’s staggering rise is due in large part (if not solely) to Disney World, Universal Studios and other theme parks, making it the most visited city in all of Florida in just a few decades, with over 50 million visitors. visitors per year: more than Miami. , more than Key West and any other resort city in the state.
Unusual Cool And Different Things To Do In Orlando
This has made the hotel industry a fortune: International Drive and all of Orlando’s suburbs are filled with hotels, resorts and accommodations, with an impressive variety that you can read about in my Orlando hotels article.
Such development failed to preserve the original spirit of pre-Disney Orlando, which presented itself as a simple rural town in central Florida filled with swamps and farms lost in the middle of nowhere. It is said that when it was announced that the Disney parks would be built south of the small downtown area, someone reacted sourly, calling Disney World “a little swampy town called Orlando.”
In this article, I want to give you some tips on what to see in Orlando outside of the parks (if you’re interested in parks, read our guide to the best parks in Orlando): the compact and modern downtown is home to museums, skyscrapers and buildings of contemporary architecture, but also retro neighborhoods and beautiful green areas, parks and lakes that are worth walking.
Orlando has a large number of interesting theaters and different types of museums. Here are the best:
Ultimate Guide To Universal Orlando
Of Orlando’s various cultural attractions, this is the most suitable museum for families with children intrigued by nature: in addition to science exhibits on prehistory, the human body, astronomy, biology, and general physics, you can learn about the flora and fauna of the central Florida ecosystem.
Children will find special areas with interactive games, see baby alligators and pick oranges from the Orange Grove (Orlando is famous for these fruits!); older kids are drawn to the CineDome, an impressive megascreen that shows popular documentaries. Strange but true, weddings are often held here.
The Orlando Museum of Art houses 5 collections of works that are inspired by the artistic traditions of different cultures throughout the centuries. You’ll find artifacts and artwork from the Americas and Africa; Native American jewelry, stones and gems; and paintings, photographs, and prints by contemporary artists from America and abroad. The installations and temporary exhibitions that take place in the museum also attract attention.
In the heart of downtown, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art theater with sophisticated and eye-catching glass architecture that is at its best at night when it hosts classical, rock and pop, ballets, dance shows and, for those who haven’t seen them yet – from New York – one of the most successful shows on Broadway: The Lion King. The advantage is definitely the opportunity to see a great show at a lower price than in the official New York concert hall!
Things To Do In Downtown Orlando: Best Attractions And Places To Visit
Do you want to learn more about the history of Orlando? Want to travel back in time and see how humans were connected to wild Florida, from prehistoric times to the amusement park era? Go to E Central Blvd. and enter the historic building that houses the Orange County Regional History Center, an interesting and informative museum featuring numerous themed exhibits and carefully selected reconstructions of historic buildings, including the 19th-century “Pioneer Cottage.” .
Don’t know what to do in Orlando? Well, downtown Orlando has beautiful green spaces where you can spend a relaxing afternoon before heading out to explore downtown Orlando’s most exciting neighborhoods, like Thornton Park.
On the shores of Rowena Lake, north of downtown, is the fascinating botanical garden of Harry P. Leu, a local businessman who in the 1930s transformed the land around his farm into a lush tropical forest with plants and flowers from all over the world. the corners of the world. . . Wander aimlessly through the garden’s shady paths, searching here and there for the most unusual plant species and finally visit the Leu House, which retains the style of an old Florida farmhouse from the late 19th century.
Between the two theme parks, there is also room for a romantic walk on Lake Eola, recognizable by the elegant fountain that gushes in the middle, which harmoniously contrasts with the downtown skyscrapers: this is one of the interesting places in Orlando that is the tourists favourite. who love to navigate the waters of the lake in swan-shaped boats, photographing the landscape and the swans (really).
The 10 Best Places To Visit In Orlando
If you’re in town on a Saturday, you’ll find stalls at the Orlando Farmers Market, which has been adjacent to the park since the 1990s.
A brief stop (preferably a stop for lunch) in the Thornton Park neighborhood is a must to complete the peaceful and enjoyable walking experience of neighboring Lake Eola Park. Along Summerlin Avenue and Washington Street are a variety of high-quality restaurants and local eateries where you can enjoy Central Florida dishes and specialties.
On either side of the neighborhood’s quaint cobblestone streets, you’ll also see several half-timbered houses with porches, a good way to get an idea of what residential Florida was like at the turn of the century.
Orlando’s largest urban park borders three lakes and is home to several museums and theaters, including the aforementioned Orlando Science Center and the Orlando Museum of Art. Opposite the small but curious Mennello Museum of American Art, The Mayor, a 200-year-old oak building giant, one of the largest in the area, resting its huge and tired branches. Lock Haven Park is also home to the Orlando Shakespeare Theater for those who prefer Hamlet to Mickey Mouse.
Things To Do In Orlando (fl): Downtown & Theme Parks
North of Orlando is Winter Park, known as a thriving and upscale neighborhood. You can feel the call of Winter Park by strolling down Park Avenue: this Central Park-adorned street is ideal for those looking for high-end restaurants, boutiques, designer shops and art galleries.
Nearby Lake Osceola can be explored on the Scenic Boat Tour, which explores the local flora and fauna, but mostly gives you an idea of the affluent standard of living for the families who have their mansions on the lake.
To find out which places to stay in Orlando are the best, based on which parks you visit and other factors, read our in-depth article, which also includes specific recommendations for hotels in the center of Orlando’s traditional neighborhoods.
Orlando’s central location comes in handy: from here you can reach both Florida coasts or arrange a multi-day trip to Miami, Key West, and Everglades National Park. Let’s see what are the most popular tours leaving Orlando.
Best Orlando Activities For First Timers
The Space Center is only an hour’s drive from here. Kennedy, the flagship of the Space Coast, a must for astronomy enthusiasts who want to see NASA rockets with their own eyes and, why not, meet and talk to an astronaut.
Miami and Everglades Park are practically on the opposite side of Florida: the former is 4 hours from Orlando, while the latter takes an hour longer to travel south. For this reason, a self-guided day trip is not recommended given the amount of things to see.
For those who don’t have enough time to visit Miami and the Everglades from Orlando, I suggest you consider an organized tour like the one below. In addition to organizing a tour that would be different
North of Orlando, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, St. Augustine is a unique Florida city, but unfairly neglected by classic tours. The distance between Orlando and St. Augustine (1.45 hours) is definitely less of a stretch than the trip above, which can also be done on a day trip back to base.
Best Things To Do In Orlando In 2023 (by A Local)
Through the link above you can read which places are worth visiting in this ancient city with such a rich history, but below I would also like to highlight the organized tour with transportation from Orlando, which also includes additional optional services, such as a cruise on the channel. and a guided trolleybus tour.
Orlando has everything or almost everything to give you a lasting memory of Florida. What is missing, however, is the sea, the star of this piece of paradise in the United States. Fortunately, Clearwater Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida, is less than two hours away.
If you decide to stay away from the parks
Best place to stay in orlando florida, orlando place to visit, place to visit in florida, the best place to visit in orlando, place to visit in orlando, best place to visit, best place to live in orlando florida, best place to eat in orlando florida, place to visit in orlando florida, best place to visit in orlando, best place to visit in florida, orlando best place to visit