Jacksonville: An Affordable Vacation Destination

Free Adventures in Northeast Florida for Travelers on a Budget

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (February 12, 2008) – For travelers on a budget, Jacksonville provides visitors with an assortment of free activities in a destination complete with sun, sand and fun…just in time for spring vacations.  Whether your vacation is a Spring Break getaway with the kids or a relaxing, stress-free trip away from home, make plans to check out the following free activities while vacationing in Northeast Florida.  

Discover the beer brewing process at the Budweiser Brewery tour (www.budweisertours.com) where guests of age can sample spirits created right here in Jacksonville.


Create your own masterpiece at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens (www.cummer.org) hands-on area – Art Connections as the museum welcomes complimentary admission each Tuesday evening.


Explore up-and-coming artists each month at First Wednesday Art Walk (www.downtownjacksonville.org) in Downtown – featuring a self-guided tour of art galleries, restaurants and local hotspots all featuring artwork from local artists. 


Brush up on your French history at the Fort Caroline National Memorial (www.nps.gov/foca) – memorializing the 16^th century French effort to establish a permanent colony in Florida. 


Try tasty treats straight from the ocean at the Great Atlantic Seafood Festival (www.jacksonvillebeach.org) on March 22 at the Sea Walk Pavilion.  


Dance the night away along the St. Johns River with your special someone at the Jacksonville Landing (www.jacksonvillelanding.com) with live music every Friday and Saturday night. 


Travel through Downtown in style with free trolley service from the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (www.jtaonthemove.com).


Dip your feet in one of the 22 miles of Jacksonville’s beaches (www.jacksonvillebeach.org)


See a 16-foot model of the “Saratoga” carrier along with other maritime artifacts at the Jacksonville Maritime Museum (www.jaxmaritimemuseum.org).


Find stories of the past in maps and manuscripts at the Karpeles Museum (www.rain.org/~karpeles) located in the historic Springfield neighborhood.


Splash and soak your friends in the mini-water park at Kids Kampus, (www.jaxparks.com) featuring water jets and slides – perfect for the pint-sized adventurers. 


Celebrate African-American heritage at the Kingsley Plantation (www.nps.gov/timu) with a guided park ranger tour of Florida’s oldest standing plantation house.  


Relive the old Florida days at the Mandarin Museum & Historical Center (www.mandarinmuseum.net).   Experience an 1876 farm complex, citrus grove and a nature trail along the St. Johns River. 


Experience the largest modern and contemporary art collection in the Southeast at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (www.mocajacksonville.org) at “Family Free Day” every Sunday.


Indulge in chocolate popcorn samples and learn the process of creating chocolate delicacies at Peterbrooke Chocolatier Production Center (www.peterbrooke.com).       


Picnic on Fort George Island at the grounds of the Ribault Club (www.theribaultclub.com), a refurbished clubhouse, built in 1928 as a playground for the affluent.


Sing along with your favorite blues musicians at the Springing the Blues Festival[Back to Press Releases Main]