Jacksonville, Florida has started popping up more on the vacation destination radar. The River City has great weather year-round making it the ideal destination for outdoor family fun. Our list of Free Things to do in Jacksonville offers a wide variety of family-friendly activities for you to enjoy.
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Free Things to do in Jacksonville, Florida
1. Hit the Beach
It wouldn’t be a proper trip to Florida without a visit to the beach. Our family loves spending the day frolicking in the waves and digging our toes in the sand. Jacksonville has 22 miles of beaches for you to explore! Grab some sunscreen and a towel and head out to Jacksonville Beach for a day.
Pro-Tip: Be sure to check out the newly rebuilt Jacksonville Beach Pier!
2. Visit the Riverside Arts Market
The Riverside Arts Market is held every Saturday alongside the St. Johns River. Here you’ll find fresh produce, food trucks, local artisans, and musicians. It’s a great way to spend the morning!
While you’re in the area, be sure to stop by The Cummer Art Gallery, Memorial Park or Riverside Park.
Pro-Tip: The Cummer Art Gallery has free admission on the first Saturday of each month.
3. Hit Up the Art Walks
While we’re on the subject of the arts, you should check out our art walks! The Downtown Art Walk takes place on the first Wednesday of the month. It includes over 40 open galleries for you to peruse. The Museum of Contemporary Art also offers free admission on this night.
On the second Tuesday of each month, Jacksonville Beach also hosts an art walk.
Both events go from 5 – 9 PM.
4. The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
The Timucuan Preserve protects salt marshes, coastal dunes, and hardwood hammocks and the 6,000 years of human history of this area. The 46,000-acre preserve includes miles and miles of hiking trails that travel through diverse ecosystems.
The park encompasses Kingsley Plantation (below), Fort Caroline (below), American Beach (which provide African Americans beach access during segregation), Cedar Point, Theodore Roosevelt Area, and more.
5. Explore Kingsley Plantation
Kingsley Plantation is the oldest plantation home in Florida. t was once the home to Zephaniah Kingsley, a slaver who established plantations between South Carolina and Spanish Florida. The home is maintained by the National Park system as part of the Timucuan Preserve. It is a great place for visitors to stop in and learn about our nation’s dark past.
The site features 25 of the remaining 32 slave quarters, the main house, a barn, and a dock. There is plenty of signage throughout the site that tells the story of the people that once lived and worked here. Access to the main home is limited in order to help preserve the home. However, the ruins of the slave quarters are available to tour.
6. Fort Caroline
Fort Caroline is known as the Atlantis of Florida because nobody knows where its actual location truly was. When most people think about forts in northeast Florida, they picture the Spanish fortress Castillo de San Marcos or the Civil War era Fort Clinch. It is often forgotten that the French had a short tenure in the area before they were almost completely wiped out by the Spanish.
Pro-Tip: Many of the top attractions in Jacksonville offer free admission to children during the month of November.
7. Spend Time at the Arboretum
The Jacksonville Arboretum is a hidden gem. So much so that we almost hate sharing it with you. Seven easy to navigate trails surround a beautiful lake and wind through this 120-acre urban park. The three miles of trails surround a beautiful lake filled with turtles, fish, and alligators.
8. The Riverwalk
The mighty St. Johns River runs right through downtown Jacksonville. Both the north and the south bank are lined with parks and paved trails for urban hiking. We love walking the from the Riverside Arts Market across Locks of Love Bridge to Corkscrew Park on the northbank.
The southbank is also great! After a trip to MOSH (Museum of Science & History) we like to walk to Friendship Fountain and down the riverbank. The southbank is lined with art like a mosaic mural and the Lone Sailor.
9. Explore the Largest Urban Park System in the United States
Hitting the parks is one of the best free things to do in Jacksonville. The Bold City has the largest urban park system in the entire United States! The city is home to over 80,000 acres of parks. We have an impressive 400 city parks, 7 state parks, and 3 national parks! Be sure to look into our favorite parks: Castaway Island Preserve and Sheffield Park.
State Parks: Big Talbot Island, Little Talbot Island, Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Fort George Island Cultural State Park, George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park, Amelia Island State Park
National Parks: Fort Caroline, Kingsley Plantation, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve
10. Visit the Largest Candy Store in the Southeastern US
Located in a historic 22,000 square foot mansion, Sweet Pete’s is the largest candy store in the southeastern United States! The venue features a restaurant, ice cream shop, and a factory where they make candy on-site. It’s so fun to watch the chocolatiers and candy makers work their magic. Sweet Pete’s also offers candy making classes that are highly recommended by the 5 Suitcases Crew!
We hope that our list of 10 Free Things to do in Jacksonville inspires you to get out and explore the First Coast!
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