Original Florida Attractions Offer Time-Honored Charms

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Tours of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates and Gardens go through Edison's Laboratory, where the inventor did extensive experiments on rubber.

Photo Credit: Edison and Ford Winter Estates

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A child with parrots at Jungle Island's storied entrance.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

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VISIT FLORIDA Off the Beaten Path Insider posing with penguins at Miami's Jungle Island

Photo Credit: Dr. Bern Levine

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The Crane Point Museum and Nature Center is one attraction along the beautiful Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys.

Photo Credit: Crane Point Museum and Nature Center

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The famed original and reconstructed Seven Mile Bridges in the Florida Keys

Photo Credit: Phil Hollman

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St. Augustine's Lightner Museum exhibits elegant relics of the Gilded Age.

Photo Credit: Hilda S. Mitrani

Take a tour of Old Florida with hidden gems, surprising shows and more at these unique Sunshine State attractions.

In the late 1940s, Sir Winston Churchill watched a cockatoo pedal a bicycle across a high wire at Miami’s historic Jungle Island. And today, audiences can still watch the same charming feat, which opens this ever-popular attraction’s world-famous Winged Wonders bird show.

Florida’s hidden corners, back roads and traditional favorites are packed with unique experiences that Floridians and visitors alike continue to cherish today, as they did decades ago.

One-on-one experiences with kangaroos, lemurs from Madagascar, reptiles, camels and other hand-raised exotic animals remain popular at Jungle Island. The three animal shows smartly blend elements of nostalgia with edu-tainment about the environment and quirky photo ops. Regular promotions at the animal park include Buy a Day, Get a Year and special events such as the Spooktacular Halloween Weekend and traditional Easter Eggstravaganza.

In Fort Myers, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates and Gardens were the second homes of the two great inventors who got “sand in their shoes,” just like Damon Runyon, the writer who coined that phrase about falling in love with South Florida. Today, the estates host hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, and even the occasional destination wedding in the manicured gardens.

Now, this 127-mile-long chain of 42 bridges and roads winds through stunning ocean and bayfront vistas.

Kids (and even teens) are often fascinated by Edison’s Laboratory, filled with the original apparatus and equipment that Edison used to conduct his rubber research. The Estates Museum galleries are filled with Edison and Ford artifacts, including an original working light bulb and phonographs. Throughout the year, the Edison and Ford Winter Estates offer free admission for numerous groups including teachers, fathers and veterans. Check the website for the special events and selected free admission dates announced each month.

The Overseas Highway to Key West was originally dubbed the “Over-Sea Railway” and widely heralded as “The Eighth Wonder of the Manmade World.” Now, this 127-mile-long chain of 42 bridges and roads winds through stunning ocean and bayfront vistas, and leads to many “off the beaten path” attractions.

One of them, the Crane Point Museum and Nature Center has 2.5 miles of trails and wooden walkways crisscrossing the hammock. It’s home to the rare Key deer and has remnants of pirate ships and a 600-year-old dugout canoe.

At the Nature Center, an informative exhibit on the life cycle of sea turtles includes a rare giant leatherback carapace on display. Also on-site is the Marathon Wild Bird Center, which nurses injured pelicans, cormorants, egrets and other birds back to health. From November through April, the free, guided trolley tours are a refreshing way to explore the expansive property.

Further south on the Overseas Highway, which was named an All-American Road in 2009 by the Department of Transportation, is the world-famous Seven Mile Bridge. In January 2012, a week of events commemorating the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Flagler’s railroad kicks off a year of celebration and events. Best of all, a stroll on the old bridge is free every day.

Another old favorite, the glass-bottom boat, was invented in Central Florida’s original tourist spot, Silver Springs and became an instant sensation. At Silver Springs, visitors can still glimpse the Old Florida that enthralled Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in nearby Cross Creek. Today, the attraction includes a petting zoo, carousel and the same glass-bottom boat rides that first became popular more than 130 years ago.

Visitors can buy a Nature Card for yearly access or an All-Access Silver Pass, which includes entry for a year, plus concerts and the Festival of Lights. Summer guests can purchase a Wild Waters Season Pass. Parking is free, and a ticket still gets you a grand view of unspoiled Florida beauty from those glass-bottom boats peering into the crystal clear springs.

On the other side of the spectrum, The Flagler Museum in Palm Beach is grander than many European palaces. A National Historic Landmark completed in 1902, this 76,000-square-foot mansion features world-class art from the Gilded Age. Today, it hosts high tea in the Cafe des Beaux-Arts from the day after Thanksgiving through the Saturday before Easter. Classical music recitals are held each January and February.

During Grandparents Day on Sept. 11, the Flagler Museum offers special activity guides to all kids. Activities include making scrapbook pages, conducting special grandparent interviews and having a family photo taken in front of the Flagler’s private Railcar No. 91.

Across the state, an 100-foot mural depicting the Gulf floor gives visitors to the Destin History & Fishing Museum the feeling of swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Exhibits include award-winning examples of fish caught in Destin, which is renowned as the “World’s Luckiest Fishing Village.”

A large collection of antique fishing rods and reels is on display, including one that belonged to Ernest Hemingway and is constructed of split bamboo with an original Penn Reel. It is also home of the oldest seine fishing boat still in existence, The Primrose, which was built in 1925. Adjacent to the property, the original Destin Post Office offers an alternate glimpse into the past.

Florida’s original attraction, the “florid” region of St. Augustine, continues to beckon folks much as it did in 1513, when some of the first Europeans established settlements in North America. Today, the town is known for Castillo de San Marcos, Flagler College, the Lightner Museum, historic reenactments, costumed interpreters, gourmet restaurants and the St. Augustine Lighthouse that ensures safe navigation of its shores. One of the most economical ways to see the attractions is to purchase a trolley ticket, which allows a full-day ride to interesting spots throughout the town.

Many of Florida’s original attractions remain alluring today. Along with our spectacular beaches, these heritage locations continue to draw visitors and locals every day – and offer deals that make sure all curious and fun-loving parties get to see this side of the Sunshine State.

If You Go

Jungle Island
1111 Parrot Jungle Trail, Miami
305-400-7000
www.jungleisland.com

Crane Point Museum, Nature Center & Historic Site
5550 Overseas Highway, Marathon
Mile Marker 50.5, Bayside
305-743-9100
www.cranepoint.net/

Old Seven Mile Bridge
Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

Edison Ford Winter Estates
2350 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers
239-334-7419
www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/

Silver Springs Nature Park
5656 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Silver Springs
352-236-2121
www.silversprings.com

The Henry Morrison Flagler Museum
One Whitehall Way, Palm Beach
561-655-2833
www.flaglermuseum.us

Destin History & Fishing Museum, Inc.
108 Stahlman Avenue, Destin
850-837-6611
www.destinhistoryandfishingmuseum.org

St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches
Visitors & Convention Bureau
29 Old Mission Avenue
St. Augustine, FL 32084
800-653-2489
www.floridashistoriccoast.com