Central Florida Attractions

From Steinmentz's toboggans to Walt's theme parks, what would Central Florida be without exciting attractions? Entertainment in Central Florida can be broken down into two periods: before Disney and after Disney. And yes, there were theme parks before Disney. Early theme parks may not have had the screaming roller coasters or interactive animatronic creations there we enjoy today but they were entertaining nonetheless.

The earliest theme park in Central Florida dates back to the late 1800's at Silver Springs. Located at the headwaters of the Sliver River 90 miles north of Orlando, Silver Springs is the home of the largest artesian spring formation in the world and its famous glass bottom boats, which allow visitors to see 80 feet below the crystal clear waters.

Cypress Gardens was founded by Dick and Julie Pope in the 1930's and featured gorgeous botanical gardens and its world famous eater skiing show. Cypress Gardens has recently undergone extensive renovations and new improvements and now features four new roller coasters and over 30 rides.

Drive down South Orange Blossom Trail between Orlando and Kissimmee and you can't miss Gatorland with its giant alligator mouth entrance. A central Florida attraction staple since 1948, Gatorland features natures walks, an observation tower, a petting zoo and of course gators, gators and more gators!

Of course everything changed in 1971 when Walt Disney opened the doors to Disney World. In an instant Central Florida went from a quiet agricultural and aerospace center to the largest travel destination on the planet. Since the initial opening of The Magic Kingdom, Disney World has grown to four individual theme parks, futuristic EPCOT, movie-themed Disney-MGM Studios, and most recently, Animal Kingdom. In addition to the four parks there are over two dozen themed resorts, water parks entertainment complexes, and shopping venues.

The second largest theme park in Central Florida is Universal Resorts Orlando, which opened Universal Studios in 1990 inviting visitors to "Ride the Movies." Universal Studios' rides were themed on movie sets from popular movies. In 1999 Universal Resorts Orlando expanded with the opening of the roller coaster and thrill ride packed Islands of Adventure theme park and Universal City Walk entertainment complex.

Busch Entertainment Corporation (the theme park division of Anheuser Busch) operates the third largest theme park outfit in Central Florida , SeaWorld and Discovery Cove, which opened for business in 1973 and 2000, respectively. SeaWorld features exiting animal acts and rides while Discovery Cove features one on one interaction with dolphins and other marine animals, in addition to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove, Busch Entertainment Corporation also runs Busch Gardens in nearby Tampa.

These aren't the only action packed options in Central Florida though, there are smaller attractions located throughout the area featuring thrill rides, miniature golf, go-karts, water parks, shows, and exhibits.

For more wild encounters, several zoos and animal parks in the area such as the Brevard Zoo and Jungle Adventures Nature Park offer visitors up close and personal encounters with indigenous and exotic species such as elephants, slots, cheetahs, and more. One of the more popular zoos is the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford. The Central Florida Sanford Zoo opened its gates in 1975 but dates back to the early 1920's. The Central Florida Zoo is a favorite destination for school field trios and family outings and features many endangered animals such as the ruffed lemur, black footed car, spider monkey and clouded leopard.

If its cerebral endeavors or a love of the arts that keep you entertained be sure to visit one of the many museums in Central Florida . The Orlando Science Center offers rotating exhibits, hands on installations, an IMAX theater and the largest publicly accessed refractor telescope in Florida. The Orlando Museum of Art has been voted as being one of the best art museums in the South and houses a permanent collection of American, African, and Ancient American paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, and sculptures from as old as 2000 B.C. Aside from its permanent collection, the Orlando Museum of Art also hosts on average 10-12 rotating art exhibits per year. The Morse Museum in Winter Park boasts the largest and most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany works. Visit the Orange County Regional Historic Center in downtown Orlando to catch a glimpse of Central Florida 's beginnings.