ORLANDO
12 Experiences That Prove Orlando is Way More Than Just Theme Parks
By Eric Barton | Sept. 1, 2025
AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.
There was a time when, for most people, Orlando meant simply roller coasters and FastPass queues. These days, the city is building a reputation for being so much more: a place where gardens bloom, springs sparkle, culture thrives, and the outdoors beckon—without the all-day lines.
These days when I’m in Orlando, my days don’t involve a single ride queue. Out of countless options, these are my 12 distinctly Orlando things to do, adventures that proves this city can be a destination long after the fireworks fade.
Canaveral National Seashore
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About an hour’s drive from Orlando, Canaveral National Seashore stretches 24 miles of undeveloped coastline—the longest such stretch left on Florida’s Atlantic coast. It’s where you go when you want to trade in roller coasters for sand dunes, sea turtle nests, and waves that crash without a soundtrack. On some days you can even catch a rocket lifting off from nearby Cape Canaveral, a reminder that wild Florida and space-age Florida coexist side by side.
Best for: Beachgoers who prefer sea oats and turtles to souvenir shops
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
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The Morse is a jewel box of stained glass, home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works. You’ll find dazzling lamps, windows, and even an entire chapel interior salvaged from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. It’s a small museum, but one that rewards lingering.
Best for: Art lovers who prefer glasswork to mouse ears
Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
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A gleaming venue downtown that looks like it was dropped here from a more cosmopolitan city, the Dr. Phillips Center brings in Broadway tours, the Orlando Ballet, symphony performances, and more. It’s the kind of place that makes Orlando feel like it’s finally growing into its cultural ambitions.
Best for: Theatergoers and anyone who needs a break from neon
East End Market
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In the Audubon Park neighborhood, East End Market gathers some of Orlando’s most ambitious food minds under one roof. Stalls hawk everything from farm-fresh produce to artisanal bread, ramen, and craft coffee, and it often feels like the incubator of the city’s next great restaurant.
Best for: Food-obsessed travelers who like to graze
Harry P. Leu Gardens
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Just beyond downtown, 50 acres of subtropical flora unspool into quiet walking paths shaded by camellias, bromeliads, and palms. The gardens also include a historic home where the Leu family once lived, grounding all that lush beauty in Orlando’s past.
Best for: Anyone who’d rather stroll through camellias than crowds
Kennedy Space Center
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An hour to the east of Orlando, Kennedy is still the place where rockets roar skyward. You can stand under the Space Shuttle Atlantis, wander through a Saturn V hangar, or, if your timing is lucky, watch a launch that rattles the bones.
Best for: Dreamers, science nerds, and anyone who ever owned a telescope
Lake Eola Park
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Downtown Orlando’s most recognizable landmark has a fountain at its center, swan-shaped paddleboats gliding around it, and an amphitheater that hosts concerts and film nights. On Sundays, a farmers’ market turns the park into a local gathering spot.
Best for: Travelers who like their sightseeing with a side of the outdoors
Orlando Fringe Festival
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Every May, Orlando throws open its stages—both conventional and improvised—for one of the country’s biggest unjuried theater festivals. It’s chaotic, unapologetically weird, and the most fun you’ll have sitting in a folding chair.
Best for: Culture vultures who appreciate experimental, offbeat theater
Orlando Science Center
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This is science by way of hands-on experiments: dig into dinosaur bones, build robots, or watch storms spin up in real time. The place hums with families, but adults just might find themselves as hooked as the kids.
Best for: Families and curious grown-ups alike
Wekiwa Springs State Park
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Just north of the city, Wekiwa’s emerald-green springs bubble up into swimming holes that stay cold even in the Florida summer. You can paddle through Shingle Creek, hike shaded trails, or simply sink into the water and let the theme-park heat dissolve.
Best for: Outdoorsy types looking for natural Florida
Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour
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For more than 80 years, boats have cruised the chain of lakes and canals that lace through Winter Park. You’ll drift under tree-canopied bridges, past Gilded Age estates, and alongside herons who eye you like you’re the entertainment.
Best for: Slow travelers who want a glimpse of Old Florida elegance
Winter Park’s Park Avenue
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This brick-lined street is Orlando’s closest thing to a European promenade: boutiques spilling onto sidewalks, cafés setting out tables under the oaks, wine bars that beg you to linger. It’s polished, yes, but also the rare stretch of Central Florida that feels timeless.
Best for: Shoppers, strollers, and anyone looking for a glass of wine before noon
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