Jacksonville is Florida’s most populated city, and the numbers aren’t even close. Despite that, it’s never felt as congested as a lot of the other large cities in Florida. Things are more spread out throughout the city, giving you more room to breathe. It’s harder to walk, though. Whenever I visit a city, I like to stay as central as possible and travel by car as less often as possible. Here’s a list of fun activities I always keep on hand whenever I take a trip over to Jacksonville!
Everbank Stadium
Home of the Jaguars, baby! The Jaguars is Jacksonville’s home NFL team, and the city loves them! If the timing works, I highly recommend catching a Jaguars game. If you find yourself nearby in the offseason, various concerts and other sporting events are sometimes held here as well. Check online and see!
St. Johns River Taxi
There are 11 stops along the St. Johns River that the water taxi makes. You can buy your tickets ahead of time, and the water taxi will take you wherever you want to go! The water taxi also makes specialty cruises you can book ahead of time. I personally love the sunset cruise– you can bring food onboard with you, and they sell drinks you can purchase. They also have a couple sightseeing cruises as well as special gameday trips. This can be a very affordable activity that makes your day special!
The MOSH (Museum of Science and History)
I’m a sucker for a good museum! Suitable for all ages, the MOSH has enough to fill a few hours with a good time. There are four floors of exhibits and activities to work your way through. They also have a planetarium that plays multiple shows throughout the day. Periodically, they also offer night shows.
Friendship Fountain
Just outside the MOSH is the Friendship Fountain. It’s a huge fountain with jets that shoot as high as 120 feet. There are multiple pergolas and seating options nearby. One of the Water Taxi stops is near here, too. This is a great spot to just sit and people watch for a while. The fountain is especially beautiful at night.
Cummer Museum of Art
Another one of Jacksonville’s museums, the Cummer Museum of Art contains both historic and contemporary pieces of art. There’s also a beautiful garden behind the museum. You can easily spend a few hours perusing the exhibits. When you’re done, they also have a small cafe where you can get refreshments. If you visit on a Saturday, walk outside the museum and take a right. You’ll find the next thing on our list there.
Riverside Arts Market
Every Saturday, a huge farmers market sets up underneath the bridge nearest the Cummer. Usually there’s a huge variety of vendors– produce, baked goods, arts and crafts, live performers, and food trucks. I love spending a Saturday late morning/afternoon here. You can spend hours here just browsing and munching on the food.
Catch a Show
There are so many theaters in Jacksonville! That means that there will always be something fun to watch. I’m partial to the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts. The Jacksonville Symphony performs regularly here, and they are wonderful. You can also regularly catch musicals, comedy shows, and concerts from this venue. I saw Hamilton here a few years ago, and it was a real treat!
Dreamette
As a local favorite, the Dreamette is a must! You’ve never seen ice cream as plentiful or as tasty. My grandparents used to grab ice cream at the Dreamette back in the day, and they’re still the place to beat. Now there are multiple shops, but each one still carries that original taste. You can choose between ice cream cones, shakes, floats, and so much more. Some of the shops only take cash, so make sure you have some on hand.
Wick
Every time I’m in Jacksonville, I make plans to stop at Wick. Wick is a Candle Bar where you can design your own candles, hand soaps, lotions, reed diffusers and more. They have a giant wall of over 100 different scents (rotated regularly), and you can choose any combination to make a uniquely-scented item just for you! I love this shop. The staff are always super nice, the candles are not overly expensive to make, and it usually only takes less than an hour. This makes a great activity whether you live in Jacksonville or if you’re visiting from somewhere else.
Jacksonville Zoo
While the Jacksonville Zoo is a little bit farther from the other activities on this list, I would be remiss not to include it. The zoo here is surprisingly expansive, and they have some really cool exhibits. My particular favorite is the giraffe exhibit where you can actually feed the giraffes! A couple restaurants are available throughout the park if you get hungry, and they have a small train that transports you across the park. This is a great half-day activity, but if you move more leisurely, you could easily spend longer here.
There you have it! A list of my top 10 favorite things to do in Jacksonville. I hope you found this list helpful! If you have any other suggestions, or if I overlooked something, let me know in the comments!