My wife, son, and I travel often every year. We love visiting new places around our wonderful country and enjoying new activities. However, we also take great pleasure in the many fun family-oriented attractions right in our home state of Florida. The city of Jacksonville contains many family activities, and we have chosen these five as our favorites.
Adventure Landing is a place the entire family can enjoy. Adventure Landing contains a very large game room, miniature golf, batting cages, laser tag, mini roller coaster and other kid rides, candy shop, concession stands, and more. Kids of all ages and their parents will find something to enjoy for hours. Each attraction has a separate charge, but combination packages are available to help reduce costs.
During warm-weather seasons, Adventure Landing also runs Shipwreck Island, a large water park for all ages. Shipwreck Island has various sizes of water slides, lazy river, wet playground, fountains, wave pool, and a toddler area. We have spent entire days here and beaten the Florida summer heat. Shipwreck Landing’s regular admission is approximately $28 per person, but special packages are available throughout the season, including $10 Thursday nights after 5:00 p.m.
Adventure Landing
1944 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
1-904-246-4386
Jacksonville Suns Baseball
During the summers, the Jacksonville Suns take the field. The Suns are the Double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, and every year they compete for – and often win — the Southern League championship. In addition to great baseball, fans will enjoy the Baseball Grounds at Jacksonville for its family-friendly atmosphere. Games and concession stands line the walkways and still give a great view of the field, and kids can have fun on the playground behind the centerfield fence. The stadium also contains party zones and a grass berm behind the left field fence. Fans can enjoy Friday night post-game fireworks all season long. Admission begins at $7.50 per ticket.
301 A. Phillip Randolph Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32202
1-904-358-4846
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
My son loves Adventure Landing, am I am a Suns fan. My wife, though, is a quintessential animal lover, and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens gives her the same thrills. The Jacksonville Zoo has exotic animals from all over the world on display, especially on the Asia, Austrailia, and Africa loops. Kids will love the penguin and reptile exhibits and marvel at the thirty-foot boa and the Komodo dragons. Kids may also run at Play Park all year round and cool off at Splash Ground mini water park during warm weather. General admission is $14.95 for adults and $9.95 for children, and special value tickets and group packages are available.
Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens
370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218
1-904-757-4463
The Jacksonville Landing
The Jacksonville Landing is a huge hangout for Jacksonville visitors and residents, especially on the weekends. The Landing is a conglomerate of twenty-two shops and nineteen restaurants. Patrons will enjoy live entertainment in the huge courtyard most every weekend as well as special events throughout the year. During football season, fans hit the landing for pre- and post-game parties for the Jacksonville Jaguars and college teams who come to town for the annual Florida-Georgia and Gator Bowl games. The landing runs along the St. Johns River and gives access to river boat rides and more.
The Jacksonville Landing
2 W. Independent Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32202
1-904-353-1188
Dave and Busters
Jacksonville is home to one of the many Dave and Busters restaurant/game rooms around the country. Dave and Busters has the largest game room in Jacksonville with games that entertain kids and adults. Most games award tickets that guests can redeem for prizes. The Jacksonville location has a separate billiard room with regulation-size tables. The Jacksonville location offers half-price Wednesdays, during which the arcade games cost half the points, making a game card last twice as long.
Dave and Busters also has two dining facilities – a sports bar adjacent to the game room and a separate quiet dining room. The food is excellent in either facility, and the menu is extensive. We can spend a full day playing and dining.
Dave and Busters
7025 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, FL 32258
1-604-296-1525
Jacksonville is known as a military and residential city, but visitors and residents alike can find many fun family activities. Whether staying in town or just passing through, these five activities — as well as countless others — can make a visit to Jacksonville one to remember. We plan to visit each one again and again as the opportunities arise.
