256 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Florida - Atlas Obscura

Unusual
Attractions
in Florida

Key West, Florida

Dry Tortugas

Remote Florida islands have a history of sea turtles, sunken treasures, and one of the world's largest coastal brick fortresses.

Coral Gables, Florida

Venetian Pool

The only swimming pool listed on the National Register of Historic Places is emptied and refilled each day with naturally filtered water.

Lake Wales, Florida

Bok Tower Gardens

Possibly the most beautiful carillon in the world, set atop Iron Mountain in Florida.

Key Biscayne, Florida

Neptune Memorial Reef

An underwater city for the dead.

Weeki Wachee, Florida

Weeki Wachee: City of Live Mermaids

Welcome to old Florida, where a 1940s mermaid show is still enchanting visitors.

St. Petersburg, Florida

Salvador Dalí Museum

Florida might be at its most surreal in this museum devoted to the famed Spanish artist.

Chiefland, Florida

Manatee Springs

Where manatees are the snowbird vacationers in these balmy Florida springs.

Homestead, Florida

Ed Leedskalnin's Coral Castle

A mysterious castle built as a monument to lost love.

See All 256 Things to Do in Florida See All 256 Places

Unique
Food & Drink
in Florida

Sour Orange Pie

Floridians baked this tangy treat before key lime took over the state's pie scene.

Clarified Milk Punch

Just so we’re clear, there is actually milk in this old English punch.

Dole Whip

This pineapple soft serve has a cult following at Disney theme parks.

Jezebel Sauce

Cooks in the Southern United States still whip up this spicy, seductively sweet condiment from the 1950s.

See all 13 things to eat in Florida See all 13 things to eat in Florida

Atlas Obscura Trips

Wildlife in Florida’s Coastal Wetlands

Join us for a five-day adventure as we search for those rare orchids, paddle our way through mangrove forests, and snorkel alongside sea turtles, all in the company of an experienced naturalist guide.

Community Forums / United States / US: South

Top Discussions in the US: South Travel Forum

Post	Replies	Views	Activity
Nashville Music Shops — seeking recommendations	10 September 12, 2019	311	September 12, 2019
Fort Mountain 'Ancient Wall'	9 August 26, 2019	1001	August 26, 2019
Salvador Dalí Museum	3 September 13, 2019	612	September 13, 2019
Vintage Sewing Center and Museum	1 September 26, 2019	232	September 26, 2019
The Mother Vine	7 August 17, 2019	557	August 17, 2019

New Post Visit the Forum

Explore Florida

Launch Map

Florida Leaderboard

Places Added

Places Edited

Places Visited

Recent Florida Activity

gabrielaprtllo wants to go to Geiger Key Abandoned Beach

gabrielaprtllo has been to John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

gabrielaprtllo has been to Garden of Eden Trail

gabrielaprtllo has been to Windover Archeological Site

jakechouston wants to go to World Erotic Art Museum

Stories
About Florida

Miami blue butterflies are one of the rarest insects in the world.

The Tiny Florida Butterfly That Refuses to Become Extinct

Miami blues have returned from the dead. Twice.

by Karuna Eberl

December 12, 2018

Catasticta sibyllae, named for Maria Sibylla Merian, is known from only two specimens.

A Rare and Striking Butterfly Is Named for a Pioneering Female Naturalist

Maria Sibylla Merian watched these beautiful insects more closely than anyone else of her time.

by Sarah Laskow

December 6, 2018

Transplanting blueberry seedlings at the University of Florida.

The Tooth-Rotting Trials of Building Better-Tasting Berries

How new flavors are created and killed.

by Abbey Perreault

November 14, 2018

Minna Fernald's painting of fewflower milkweed.

Found: A Lost Painting Collection of Florida Wildflowers

An amateur artist captured now-rare flowers in great detail.

by Sarah Laskow

November 5, 2018

A notched stake marked a burial place.

An Underwater Grave Site Was Untouched for 7,000 Years

Once far above sea level, this gravesite is now deep under the ocean.

by Sarah Laskow

October 29, 2018

A Burmese python coils around a branch in the Everglades.

How Escaped Pets Took Over Florida

When store-bought animals are released, they may go from pet to pest.

by Jessica Leigh Hester

August 31, 2018

Hundreds of moths rest in a hollow tree in Florida.

Peek Inside an Unexpected Moth Slumber Party

The flying insects usually go solo—but one lepidopterist surprised hundreds snoozing together in a hollow tree.

Mangrove trees at dawn.

Florida's Mangroves Face Death by Rising Sea Level

The Everglades and coastal communities are in peril.

by Oliver Milman

Lists Featuring
Florida