49 Adult Things to Do in Orlando Beyond Theme Parks (2026)

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Orlando is often thought of as a city you visit with kids. But I’ve been visiting Orlando for over a decade, first as a couple in our twenties and now as a family of four, and I know there’s a lot more to experience here than just the theme parks, especially as an adult.

Outdoors & Nature

The natural side of Florida is overshadowed by the theme parks, but the area in and around Orlando has so much to offer.

1. Winter Park

💵 Free to visit; Scenic Boat Tour ~$18 adults
🕒 Town always open; Boat Tour daily 10am-4pm

Winter Park is a historic town about 15 miles or a 20-minute drive from central Orlando. I’d suggest starting with the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour. This tour has been running since 1938 and takes you on a one-hour pontoon loop through the Chain of Lakes, passing Rollins College and historic mansions.

Park Avenue is made for brunch, with plenty of independent cafés and boutique stores to explore afterwards. Although if you’re here on a Saturday morning I’d suggest visiting the Winter Park Farmers Market in the old train depot on New England Avenue for local produce, pastries, and coffee.

2. Lake Eola Park

💵 Free
🕒 Daily 6am-midnight

Lake Eola Park is a 43-acre park in the middle of downtown Orlando. The half-mile path around the lake is the main draw and if you want to get out on the water, swan-shaped pedal boats are available to hire by the hour.

Sundays are the best day to visit Lake Eola Park. The Orlando Farmers Market sets up around the southeast corner of the park from 10am to 4pm, with local produce, baked goods, coffee carts, and street food stalls.

Alternatively, the park is surrounded by restaurants and bars in the Thornton Park neighbourhood if you want to turn the visit into a half-day out.

3. Blue Spring State Park

💵 $6 per vehicle (up to 8 people)
🕒 Daily 8am to sundown

Blue Spring State Park is a natural freshwater spring about 40 minutes north of Orlando in Orange City. The water stays at a constant 72°F year-round and is clear enough to see straight to the bottom.

From 15 November to late March the spring run becomes a manatee refuge. Hundreds of manatees swim up from the St Johns River to shelter in the warmer spring water, and a raised boardwalk lets you watch them from just above the surface. Water activities aren’t allowed during these months, but in our experience it’s still well worth visiting for the manatee viewing.

Swimming, snorkelling, and tubing down the spring run reopen on 1 April and run through 14 November. You can also rent kayaks and paddleboards on site, or take a guided boat tour on the St Johns River.

The park fills up quickly on weekends and in peak manatee season, so I recommend arriving before 9am. Once the car park is full the park closes to new visitors for the day.

4. Kelly Park / Rock Springs Run

💵 $3 per vehicle (1-2 people), $5 (3-8 people)
🕒 Summer 8am-8pm; Winter 8am-6pm

Kelly Park is a 355-acre county park in Apopka, about 35 minutes north-west of Orlando. It’s built around Rock Springs, a natural freshwater spring that flows into a winding run you can float down on a tube. The water sits at 68°F year-round, making it the perfect escape on a hot Florida day.

The tube run is the main draw. It’s just under a mile long and takes about 25 minutes to float end to end, though most people do it two or three times across a visit. Tubes aren’t sold or rented inside the park, so you’ll need to bring your own or pick one up from one of the vendors along Kelly Park Road on your way in.

There’s also a large swimming area at the head of the spring, plus picnic pavilions, a playground, and walking trails through the surrounding forest. The park fills up quickly in summer, often reaching capacity before 10am, so I’d recommend arriving as close to the 8am opening as possible.

5. Harry P. Leu Gardens

💵 $15 adults, $10 children 4-17, under 4s free
🕒 Daily 9am to 5pm, closed Christmas Day

Harry P. Leu Gardens is a 50-acre botanical garden just four miles north-east of downtown Orlando. It’s home to Florida’s largest formal rose garden, one of the biggest camellia collections in the United States, and a historic 19th-century home called the Leu House Museum.

I’ve been here twice and both times have spent about an hour or two wandering the winding pathways through the gardens. The rose garden is my favourite, but the butterfly garden, tropical plant collections, and oak-shaded trails make it just as much worth visiting outside of peak season.

6. Bok Tower Gardens

💵 $20 adults, $10 children 6-17 (Pinewood Estate +$10/$5)
🕒 Daily 8am to 6pm, closed Thanksgiving and Christmas

Bok Tower Gardens is a 250-acre botanical garden in Lake Wales, about an hour south of Orlando. The gardens were designed in the 1920s by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr and sit on top of Iron Mountain, one of the highest points in peninsular Florida.

The main draw of Bok Tower Gardens is the Singing Tower, a 205-foot neo-Gothic and Art Deco carillon tower with 60 bells which were cast in England. Half-hour concerts play daily at 1pm and 3pm and can be heard throughout the gardens, so I’d suggest planning your visit around either of those times if you can.

7. Little Big Econ State Forest

💵 $2 at Barr Street trailhead (cash)
🕒 Daily, sunrise to sunset

Little Big Econ State Forest is a 10,000-acre forest about 30 minutes north-east of Orlando, near Oviedo and Geneva. It runs along the floodplain of the Econlockhatchee River and has over 20 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.

The most popular route is the 4.7-mile Florida Trail loop from the Barr Street trailhead, which the American Hiking Society once named one of the most family-friendly hikes in the US. You’ll cross the Econ River on an old railway trestle and walk along bluffs above the water, which is unusual for this part of Florida.

It’s also good for kayaking, with launch points along the river, and there are 12 miles of single-track for mountain bikers. Wildlife you might spot includes alligators, gopher tortoises, bald eagles, and sandhill cranes.

8. Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

💵 Free
🕒 Friday-Sunday and federal holidays, 7am to 3pm

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is an 11-mile drive through restored wetlands about 30 minutes north-west of Orlando. It’s one of the top three birding destinations in Florida, with 377 species recorded on the property.

The drive takes between one and three hours depending on how often you stop. The speed limit is 10mph and there are pull-off points every so often where you can get out, stretch, and use the binoculars. You can also follow an audio tour via QR codes along the route which talks you through the history and ecology of the lake.

9. Gatorland

💵 Around $35 adults (Zip Line combo ~$80)
🕒 Daily, hours vary by season

Gatorland is a 110-acre wildlife park, about 25 minutes south of downtown Orlando on the way towards Kissimmee. It’s been running since 1949 and is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles.

Standard admission into Gatorland includes entry into the free-flight aviary, the Cypress Swamp Walk plus daily live shows. However, if you want to upgrade the experience consider the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line.

This 1,200-foot zip line takes you over seven stories above the alligator breeding marsh, with around 130 gators looking up at you from below. The zip line course has five separate runs and you’ll hit speeds of around 30mph at the fastest points.

10. Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures

💵 Tours from around $35 per person
🕒 Daily 9am to 5:30pm

Boggy Creek Airboat Adventures is in Kissimmee, about 30 minutes south of Orlando, and is the closest place to the city where you can take a proper airboat ride into the Florida wetlands. The boats are U.S. Coast Guard inspected and reach speeds of up to 45mph through the tall grass.

There are four tours available:

1. 30-minute tour
2. 1-hour tour
3. Sunset tour
4. Night tour

The 30-minute tour is the best option if you just want the thrill of being on an airboat, but for a better chance of spotting alligators, eagles, herons, and wild hogs, the one-hour tour goes deeper into the wetlands.

11. Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park

💵 From around $35 per person
🕒 Daily 8am, last entry early afternoon

Orlando Tree Trek is a 15-acre aerial adventure course in Kissimmee, about 25 minutes south-west of Orlando, and is the largest course of its kind in the area with 97 obstacles spread across multiple courses set between 10 and 50 feet up in a pine forest.

There are several courses available varying in difficulty each made up of Tarzan swings, suspended bridges, nets, ropes, trapezes, and zip lines. You’re harnessed to a safety cable the entire time and given a full briefing before you start. Closed-toe shoes are required, the maximum weight is 275 pounds, and there are height requirements for children under 12.

12. Clear Kayak Tour

💵 From around $105 per person
🕒 Daily, tour times vary by season

Get Up and Go Kayaking run guided tours through some of Florida’s prettiest waterways in 100% see-through kayaks. There are two locations close to Orlando:

1. Rock Springs at Kings Landing in Apopka
2. The Winter Park Chain of Lakes

The Rock Springs tour is a two-hour paddle through Emerald Cut, a stretch of crystal-clear spring water surrounded by tree canopy. You paddle upstream first then drift back, with stops along the way to swim in the 68°F water. Wildlife you might spot includes turtles, otters, deer, birds, and the occasional small alligator.

Meanwhile, the Winter Park tour is a more relaxed two-hour paddle through the Venetian-style canals connecting the Chain of Lakes, with views of historic mansions and tree-lined waterways.

Both locations also offer sunset tours and glow-in-the-dark night tours where the kayaks are lit up with LED lights underneath. Tours are led by local guides, kayaks are tandem so you’ll share with one other person, and the maximum group size is ten.

13. Paddleboarding

💵 From around $60 per person
🕒 Tours run year-round, manatee tours November to March

Paddleboarding is one of the best ways to see Florida wildlife from the water, and Orlando has plenty of options within easy reach. The most popular tours run from Blue Spring State Park and Silver Springs which are both about an hour north of Orlando.

Manatee season runs from November to March when hundreds of manatees migrate to the warmer spring waters. During these months, tours launch on the St Johns River just outside Blue Spring. Outside of manatee season, you can still spot turtles, alligators, otters, birds, and the wild rhesus monkeys that live around Silver Springs.

Operators include AWA Kayak Tours, Three Brothers Adventure Tours, and Get Up and Go Kayaking. I’ve not used all of these operators personally but they all come with good reviews and recommendations.

14. Cocoa Beach

💵 Free (parking varies by location)
🕒 Daily, sunrise to sunset; pier and shops have their own hours

Cocoa Beach is the closest beach to Orlando, about 60 miles or one hour east of Orlando, and is a popular day trip for anyone looking to swap the theme parks for the ocean.

The Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier is the main draw. It stretches 800 feet out over the Atlantic and is home to five restaurants, four bars, and a few gift shops. The Rikki Tiki Tavern at the very end of the pier is my personal favourite spot for a drink with a sea view.

Just back from the beach you’ll find the world’s largest surf shop, the 52,000 square foot Ron Jon Surf Shop, which is open 24/7. Meanwhile a short drive inland takes you to Cocoa Village, a riverside community with around 50 boutique shops, art galleries, and restaurants spread across a few tree-lined streets.

15. Showcase of Citrus

💵 Free entry; U-Pick from $10 a bag (Grove Experience $5 adults)
🕒 Daily 9am to 7pm

Showcase of Citrus is a 2,500-acre working citrus and cattle ranch in Clermont, about 35 minutes south-west of Orlando. It’s been family-owned and run since 1961 and grows over 40 varieties of citrus across the estate.

The main draw is the U-Pick experience, where you wander the groves and pick your own oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit straight from the tree. The season runs from November to May. You buy a bag for a flat fee and fill it with whatever you can pick, with bags sized from $10 for around 5lbs up to $30 for around 25lbs.

There’s plenty more on the estate beyond the citrus to make this a great day out. You can ride a monster truck through the groves on a 45-minute eco-tour, sift for gemstones, feed exotic animals like capybaras and lemurs, or grab a cold orange juice slushy at the open-air bar.

Eat & Drink

Orlando’s food scene has come a long way over the past decade, with neighbourhoods like Mills 50 and Audubon Park offering some of the city’s best independent restaurants.

16. Mills 50 Dining District

💵 Free to wander; restaurant prices vary
🕒 Always open; restaurant and bar hours vary

Mills 50 is one of Orlando’s oldest neighbourhoods, about a mile north-east of downtown at the intersection of Mills Avenue and Colonial Drive. It was built in the 1970s by Vietnamese refugees and has grown into the city’s best food and street art district, with more Michelin Guide restaurants than any other part of Orlando.

The Bib Gourmand honourees here include:

• Z Asian
• Bánh Mì Boy
• The Strand
• UniGirl
• Zaru

Meanwhile, the Michelin Guide Recommended spots include:

• EdoBoy
• Tori Tori
• Kaya
• Shin Jung
• Sticky Rice

If you’re on a budget don’t let Bib Gourmand and Michelin Guide put you off as Mills 50 has a number of the cheapest places to eat in Orlando. The neighbourhood also has a strong street art scene here and plenty of independent shops, bars, and live music venues mixed in among the restaurants.

17. Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company

💵 Free entry; pints from around $8
🕒 Mon-Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri 2pm-12am; Sat noon-12am; Sun noon-8pm

Ivanhoe Park Brewing is an independent craft brewery and tasting room named after the historic amusement park that once sat on the shores of Lake Ivanhoe, and the beers reference Orlando’s past with names like Joyland IPA.

The taproom has a rotating selection of their own beers on tap, with a mix of IPAs, lagers, sours, and seasonal specials. They don’t serve food but you’re welcome to bring your own or order from the food trucks that often park outside. It’s a relaxed, locals-leaning place rather than a tourist spot, with outdoor seating, board games, and live music a few nights a week.

18. Hanson’s Shoe Repair

💵 Cocktails from around $14
🕒 Daily 8pm-2am (last seating 1:30am)

Hanson’s Shoe Repair is a speakeasy set inside what’s said to be the oldest building still standing in downtown. The bar opened in 2013 and has built a reputation as one of the best craft cocktail spots in Florida.

Getting in is part of the experience. You need a daily-changing password to enter, which you can get by calling or messaging the bar via their social media on the day of your visit. Once you’re in, you’ll find a small, intimate space with a rooftop terrace and a deliberately old-fashioned atmosphere, including no phones, no photos, and a strict house etiquette.

The drinks menu rotates but leans heavily into classic cocktails, rare whiskeys, and bourbons, with the bartenders happy to make a custom drink based on your preferences. The capacity is around 30 to 40 people, so I’d recommend arriving close to the 8pm opening if you don’t want to queue.

19. Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards

💵 Free tours and tastings
🕒 Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-5pm

Lakeridge Winery is the largest winery in Florida about 25 miles west of Orlando. It sits on a 127-acre estate with 80 acres of vineyards growing mostly muscadine grapes, which are native to the south-east United States and produce sweet, fruit-forward wines.

Free guided tours run every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the day, starting with a short video about the wine-making process and then walking you through the production area and out to the balcony for views across the vineyards. After the tour you’ll get a complimentary tasting of around eight wines, ranging from dry to sweet.

20. ICEBAR Orlando

💵 From around $25 entry
🕒 Mon-Wed 5pm-12am; Thu 5pm-1am; Fri-Sat 5pm-2am; Sun 5pm-1am

ICEBAR Orlando is a permanent ice bar on International Drive that’s kept at a constant 22°F. The interior is built from over 70 tons of carved ice, including the bar, the seats, the sculptures around the room, and the glasses your drinks are served in.

You’ll get a parka and gloves on arrival to keep you warm, and the ICEBAR section is paired with a warmer Fire Lounge next door if you want a break from the cold. The ICEBAR is more of a novelty stop than a regular drinking spot, so I’d suggest making it part of a longer visit to International Drive rather than a destination on its own.

21. My Beer Spa

💵 From $129 per person
🕒 Mon, Wed-Sun 11:30am-7:30pm; closed Tuesdays

My Beer Spa is a European-style wellness spa on International Drive where you soak in a wooden tub filled with warm water infused with hops, malt, and brewer’s yeast. The experience is based on a traditional Czech wellness practice and is genuinely relaxing rather than gimmicky.

Each session lasts up to an hour and includes time in the beer bath, a private infrared sauna, and a hay bed for cooling down at the end. You’ll have access to five taps of self-pour beer (supplied by Ivanhoe Park Brewing) as well as wine or non-alcoholic drinks.

22. World of Chocolate Museum & Café

💵 Around $19 adults; under 4s free
🕒 Daily 12pm-6pm (tours hourly 12pm-5pm)

The World of Chocolate Museum & Café is a small museum on International Drive dedicated to the history and production of chocolate. The exhibits include 25 life-sized chocolate sculptures of world landmarks, displays on cacao production, and a collection of historical artefacts.

Admission includes a guided tour, a chocolate tasting where you sample chocolates from around the world, and an optional wine pairing for an extra fee. The whole thing takes about an hour, with tours running hourly between noon and 5pm.

23. Orlando Food Tour

💵 From around $70 per person
🕒 Tour times vary by operator

A guided food tour is one of the best ways to explore Orlando’s food scene beyond the theme parks. Tours run through the most interesting eating neighbourhoods with stops at local restaurants for tasting plates as you go. The two main operators I’d suggest for a food tour of Orlando include:

1. Wandering Palm Adventures
2. Secret Food Tours

Both companies offer tours that last about three hours, include enough food to count as lunch or dinner, and come with a guide who’ll talk you through the history of the neighbourhood as you walk.

24. East End Market

💵 Free entry; food prices vary
🕒 Mon-Thu 8am-7pm; Fri-Sat 8am-9pm; Sun 8am-6pm

East End Market is a two-storey food hall and community space in the Audubon Park Garden District, about 10 minutes east of downtown Orlando. It opened in 2013 and is home to around a dozen independent food vendors, a wine bar, a coffee shop, a florist, and a small bookshop.

There’s a calendar of evening events available at East End including live music, supper clubs, and pop-ups, so it’s worth checking what’s on before you visit. The surrounding Audubon Park is a walkable neighbourhood with independent shops, breweries, and bars nearby if you want to make a longer evening of it.

25. Tiki Boat Bar Crawl

💵 Private boats from around $400 (up to 6 people)
🕒 Cruises run daily, weather permitting

Tiki boat bar crawls run on the Butler Chain of Lakes near Windermere, about 25 minutes south-west of Orlando. Each tiki-style boat fits up to six people, comes with its own captain, and stops at waterfront bars and restaurants along the route.

You don’t have to drive between stops, and the captain handles the navigation while you sit under a thatched roof on the boat. Operators like Cruisin’ Tikis and Florida Lake Tours run regular trips on the chain, with itineraries that take in around three different waterfront stops.

It’s an adults-only setup and one of the more unusual ways to spend an afternoon in Orlando. Booking is by the boat rather than per person, so it works best as a group activity for couples or friends.

Thrills & Adventure

Most of Orlando’s thrill and adventure attractions are situated along International Drive, making it easy to do two or three different things in one evening.

26. Topgolf Orlando

💵 From around $27 per hour per bay (off-peak)
🕒 Daily 9am-1am

Topgolf is a three-story driving range on Universal Boulevard where you hit microchipped golf balls at giant outfield targets. You don’t need to be any good at golf for it to work. The targets are designed to reward casual swings as well as accurate ones, and the format makes it as much about hanging out with food and drink as it is about playing.

Pricing is by the bay rather than per person, charged by the hour, with rates higher in the evenings and at weekends. The food menu covers everything from sliders to pizza to full mains, and there’s a full bar serving cocktails, beer, and wine.

27. Helicopter Ride

💵 From around $30 per person (3-mile loop)
🕒 Daily, weather permitting

There are several helicopter operators on International Drive offering scenic flights of Orlando from above. Short routes cover just a 3-mile loop around the I-Drive area and last around 5 to 10 minutes. Longer 30-mile trips last up to half an hour and take you over Disney property, Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, and the surrounding lakes.

Most operators take walk-ups rather than reservations, with departures every few minutes during the day. Prices scale with the route.

28. Hot Air Balloon Ride with Bob’s Balloons

💵 From around $225 per person
🕒 Sunrise flights, weather permitting

Bob’s Balloons run sunrise hot air balloon rides over Central Florida, with launches from Davenport about 35 minutes south-west of Orlando. The flight itself lasts around an hour, with the balloon climbing to between 500 and 2,000 feet depending on the wind.

You’ll get views across the lakes, ranchland, and forest of Central Florida, and on a clear day you can sometimes see the theme parks in the distance. The whole experience runs around three to four hours from arrival to landing, including the post-flight champagne toast that’s traditional with most balloon companies.

You’ll need to be at the launch site before sunrise for safety briefings and the inflation, so plan for an early morning.

29. iFLY Orlando Indoor Skydiving

💵 First-flight package from around $70
🕒 Mon-Thu 11am-8pm; Fri 10am-6:30pm; Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 11am-7pm

iFLY is an indoor skydiving venue on International Drive where you fly inside a vertical wind tunnel that simulates freefall conditions. The first-flight package includes a brief training session, two one-minute flights with an instructor, and full safety equipment, with the whole experience taking around 90 minutes.

Each one-minute flight is roughly equivalent to two real freefall jumps in terms of airtime. It’s open to anyone aged three and up with a maximum weight of 300 pounds, which makes it a good option for groups with mixed comfort levels around heights.

30. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games

💵 Adult races from around $30; arcade and other attractions extra
🕒 Daily, hours vary

Andretti is a 150,000-square-foot multi-level entertainment venue on Universal Boulevard built around an indoor karting track. The karts are electric Superkarts on a road-course style track with banked turns, elevation changes, and a bridge that crosses over itself, with adult races lasting seven minutes per heat. Beyond the karting, you’ll also find:

• Arcade with over 120 games
• Two-level laser tag in a 4,000 square foot arena
• Racing simulators
• Virtual reality experiences
• Bowling
• Ropes course with zip line
• 7D motion theatre

It’s the kind of place that works as a long evening rather than a quick visit, especially with a group. Adults must be at least 54″ tall, 18 or over (or 15+ with a permit), and under 275 pounds for the main race. Booking ahead for races is a good idea at weekends.

31. Epic Axe Throwing

💵 From around $30 per person per hour
🕒 Daily, hours vary

Epic Axe Throwing is an axe-throwing bar on International Drive where you get a private lane, a coach to walk you through technique, and unlimited throws for the duration of your booking. The setup is competitive but social, with scoring boards built into the lanes and food and drink served while you play.

Sessions usually run for an hour to 90 minutes, which is plenty of time once you’ve got the hang of it. The coaches make sure you can hit the target reliably before they leave you to it, and most people are landing axes within 10 minutes.

32. The Escape Game Orlando

💵 From around $35 per person
🕒 Daily 10am-10pm

The Escape Game is on International Drive and runs themed escape rooms where you and your group have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and find your way out. There are usually six or seven different rooms running, with themes ranging from a prison break to a heist to a haunted hotel.

Each room is designed for groups of two to eight, with mixed difficulty levels. The puzzles use a combination of physical objects, hidden compartments, and unlockable chambers, so the experience feels properly immersive rather than just a series of riddles.

Museums & Landmarks

Orlando has a fantastic range of mainstream and more specialised museums to choose from.

33. Kennedy Space Center

💵 Around $77 single-day adult admission; 2-day passes available
🕒 Daily 9am-5pm

Kennedy Space Center is NASA’s launch site on Cape Canaveral, about an hour east of Orlando. It’s both an active space port and one of the best museums in Florida.

I am no space-buff and so prior to first visiting Kennedy Space Center I only expected to spend half a day here. I was very wrong. This place is absolutely mesmerising. We arrived just after opening, stayed until the end of the day and still didn’t manage to see everything.

The main draw is the Atlantis Exhibit, where the actual Space Shuttle Atlantis is suspended at a 43-degree angle as if in flight. Around it are interactive exhibits covering the shuttle programme, including the Shuttle Launch Experience simulator that puts you through a recreated Atlantis liftoff.

Beyond Atlantis, the bus tour through the launch complex, the Saturn V rocket on display in the Apollo/Saturn V Center, and the Heroes & Legends exhibit on the early astronauts are some of my favourites.

34. Charles Hosmer Morse Museum

💵 $8 adults, $1 students; free Fridays 4-8pm Nov-April
🕒 Tuesday-Saturday 9:30am-4pm; Sunday 1pm-4pm

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum in Winter Park houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of work by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The headline exhibit is the chapel interior Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, which has been fully reconstructed inside one of the galleries.

I’m not someone who makes museums a large part of my travels. However, I spent just over an hour here as part of a day trip to Winter Park recently and found it both peaceful and insightful.

35. Orlando Museum of Art

💵 $25 adults, $20 students/seniors, under 18 free
🕒 Tuesday-Sunday, hours vary

The Orlando Museum of Art is in Loch Haven Park, about 10 minutes north of downtown Orlando. This is the largest fine art museum in the city and holds permanent collections of African, ancient American and 20th-century art.

The permanent collections are strong, but it’s the temporary exhibitions that make the museum worth a return visit. They’ve hosted touring shows of work by Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, and Norman Rockwell in recent years.

36. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition

💵 Around $25 adults
🕒 Daily 11am-7pm

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition is on International Drive and walks you through the story of the ship from its design and construction in Belfast to its sinking in 1912. You’re given a boarding pass with the name of an actual Titanic passenger when you enter and find out at the end whether they survived.

The exhibition includes around 300 authentic artefacts recovered from the wreck, full-scale recreations of the Grand Staircase and a first-class cabin, and an iceberg you can touch to feel the temperature of the water on the night of the sinking.

Allow at least 90 minutes to two hours. It’s surprisingly affecting and the boarding pass mechanic gives the whole thing a personal angle.

37. Mennello Museum of American Art

💵 $5 adults, $4 seniors, $1 students; free Sundays
🕒 Tuesday-Saturday 10:30am-4:30pm; Sunday noon-4:30pm

The Mennello Museum is a small folk art museum in Loch Haven Park, just down from the Orlando Museum of Art. It’s centred on the work of Earl Cunningham, a self-taught Florida painter whose colourful folk landscapes form the bulk of the permanent collection.

The museum is small enough that you can see the whole thing in around an hour, and the temporary exhibitions cover American folk and contemporary art alongside the Cunningham works. There’s a sculpture garden behind the museum that runs along Lake Formosa.

38. Museum of Illusions

💵 Around $30 adults
🕒 Daily, hours vary

Museum of Illusions is an interactive museum at ICON Park on International Drive built around optical illusions, holograms, and spatial trickery.

There are around 60 exhibits across the venue offering photo opportunities, and staff are around to help you get the angles right. You’ll need around 60 to 90 minutes to get through everything.

We visited the Museum of Illusions as a family on a rainy day in Orlando and absolutely loved it. It’s something a little different and makes for a fun date night.

Entertainment & Shopping

Orlando has an extensive range of entertainment attractions and shopping malls to choose from.

39. Disney Springs

💵 Free entry; restaurant and shop prices vary
🕒 Daily, most venues 10am-11pm

Disney Springs is a 120-acre entertainment district situated inside the Walt Disney World Resort. However, unlike the theme parks you do not need a park ticket to visit.

Here you’ll find a broad range of restaurants, shops, bars and live entertainment covering all interests and budgets. We visit Disney Springs on every trip to Orlando whether we’re going to the theme parks or not.

After getting married at the nearby Paradise Cove we had lunch at The Boathouse, a fantastic restaurant on the water that we try to revisit on every trip back to Orlando.

Even if you’re not a huge Disney fan, Disney Springs is still well worth a visit. It’s not particularly Disney-focused and instead works more as an outdoor shopping mall and entertainment venue.

40. Universal CityWalk

💵 Free entry; restaurant and venue prices vary
🕒 Daily, most venues 11am-2am

CityWalk is the entertainment district at Universal Orlando Resort. Like Disney Springs you don’t need a theme park ticket to visit, and parking is free after 6pm. The vibe here is more mature than at Disney Springs, but the space is significantly smaller with fewer shops, restaurants and bars to choose from.

Much like Disney Springs, we visit CityWalk on every trip to Orlando whether we’re going to the Universal theme parks or not. Some of my favourite places to eat here include the NBC Sports Grill & Brew and The Cowfish, a burger-and-sushi fusion spot.

For entertainment, Rising Star is a fantastic choice. This karaoke bar has a live band Tuesday to Saturday and a great atmosphere if you fancy a night of singing.

41. ICON Park

💵 Free entry; ride and attraction prices vary
🕒 Daily, hours vary

ICON Park is a free to visit entertainment complex on International Drive built around The Wheel, a 400-foot observation wheel that gives you 360-degree views over the city. Other popular attractions include:

• SEA LIFE Aquarium
• Madame Tussauds
• Museum of Illusions
• Orlando StarFlyer, the world’s tallest swing ride at 450 feet

Beyond the rides, ICON Park has around 40 restaurants and bars to choose from including:

• Yard House
• Sugar Factory
• Tin Roof

We’ve been to ICON Park multiple times on trips to Orlando and visited both SEA LIFE and Madame Tussauds though I’ve somehow never made it onto The Wheel.

42. Downtown Orlando

💵 Free to wander; venues and bars vary
🕒 Always open; venue hours vary

Downtown Orlando is the small urban centre of the city. Most of the bars and restaurants are within a 15 minute walk of each other.

Church Street is the main entertainment strip, with bars like Wall Street Plaza (which hosts seven separate bars on one block), Cowboys Orlando, and The Beacham concert venue. Thornton Park, just east of Lake Eola, is the more upmarket neighbourhood with cocktail bars, brunch spots, and boutique shops.

43. College Park

💵 Free to wander; venues and bars vary
🕒 Always open; venue hours vary

College Park is a quiet, residential neighbourhood about 10 minutes north of downtown Orlando, where the streets are all named after American universities. It’s also home to Mister Rogers’ childhood home, and the mix of older bungalows, mid-century homes, and newer builds gives it a distinct character.

Edgewater Drive is the main street and has a strong cluster of independent restaurants, wine bars, and brunch spots. Two of the most popular are Christo’s Café for breakfast and Sette Bello for Italian.

44. Orlando Magic at Kia Center

💵 Tickets from around $30
🕒 Game schedule October-April

The Orlando Magic are the city’s NBA team and play at the Kia Center in downtown Orlando. The regular season runs from October to April, with around 41 home games, plus pre-season and play-off games depending on how the team is doing.

Tickets range from around $30 for upper-level seats up to several hundred for courtside or premium boxes, and weekday games tend to be cheaper than weekends. The Kia Center has plenty of food, drink, and merchandise stands across the concourse, and there’s a strong half-time entertainment programme during games.

45. SAK Comedy Lab

💵 Tickets from around $20
🕒 Shows Wednesday-Saturday evenings

SAK Comedy Lab is an improv comedy theatre in downtown Orlando that’s been running since 1986. It’s where Wayne Brady got his start, and the theatre still draws strong improv talent from across the city.

Shows run Wednesday through Saturday evenings, with multiple performances most nights. The format is short-form improv based on audience suggestions, similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?, with all-ages early shows and edgier 18+ late shows on weekends.

46. Mango’s Tropical Café

💵 Tickets from around $40 (dinner-show packages from $70)
🕒 Show nights vary; usually 7-11pm

Mango’s Tropical Café is a Latin dinner-show venue on International Drive combining live music, dance performances, and a multi-course Latin menu. The performance and meal both run for around two hours, with a single ticket covering both.

The show itself rotates through Cuban, Brazilian, Argentine, and Caribbean segments, performed across multiple stages with rotating dancers, musicians, and a live band.

It’s a more grown-up alternative to a dinner show like Medieval Times, and once the performance finishes the venue turns into a Latin nightclub so you can combine dinner, a show, and a night out in one stop.

47. Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament

💵 Tickets from around $70 adults, $40 children
🕒 Show nights vary; usually 7-7:30pm

Medieval Times is a jousting dinner show in Kissimmee, about 25 minutes south of Orlando. The show recreates an 11th-century medieval tournament with knights on horseback competing in jousting, sword fighting, and falconry, while the audience eats a four-course meal with no cutlery.

The audience is split into six colour-coded sections, each cheering on their own knight. It’s deliberately camp but the riding, sword work, and horsemanship are all genuinely impressive, and the chicken and ribs dinner is more substantial than dinner-theatre food usually is.

48. Mall at Millenia

💵 Free entry; designer shop prices vary
🕒 Mon-Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 11am-7pm

Mall at Millenia is a high-end shopping mall, about 10 minutes south-west of downtown Orlando. There are over 150 stores here with a luxury range that includes:

• Louis Vuitton
• Gucci
• Tiffany & Co.
• Cartier
• Burberry
• Chanel
• Hermès

There’s also plenty of mid-tier stores including:

• Apple
• Macy’s
• Bloomingdale’s
• Sephora
• Tesla
• Neiman Marcus
• Anthropologie

Most of the stores here are outside of my budget so while I’ve been to this mall a couple of times, I typically prefer shopping at the Premium Outlets instead.

49. Orlando Premium Outlets

💵 Free entry; outlet prices vary
🕒 Daily 10am-10pm

Orlando has two Premium Outlets, both run by Simon. Between them they hold around 330 stores including most of the major American and European brands at outlet prices:

1. Orlando International Premium Outlets, at the northern end of International Drive
2. Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets, near Disney Springs

Popular brands here include:

• Coach
• Kate Spade
• Michael Kors
• Nike

All offering discounts on retail of between 25% and 65%. Designer brands like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, and Saint Laurent also have stores at both locations, although the discounts are typically smaller.

Being from England I try to visit both outlets on my trip to Orlando as the discounts and range of stores here are typically a lot better than we get at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I get about visiting Orlando as an adult.