Things to do in Jacksonville
From antique shopping to zoo visits, whatever your passion, you’ll find it here in Jacksonville. As the 14th largest city in the U.S., Jacksonville has an abundance of things to do including professional sports, fabulous shopping, museums, theater, myriad recreational opportunities, water sports, concerts, dining and, of course, miles of magnificent beaches. With all these activities to choose from, you’ll never run out of things to do in Jacksonville.
Sports
Whether you prefer to cheer from the sidelines or get into the action, you have plenty of choices. With an average of 320 days of sunshine each year, and the coolest summers in the state, Jacksonville is a year-round outdoor paradise.
The Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL take to the field at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium. The stadium was the site for Super Bowl XXXIX and also hosts the annual Florida/Georgia match-up (billed as the world’s largest outdoor cocktail party!) and the Toyota Gator Bowl. (www.jaguars.com)
Enjoy minor league baseball up close and personal at the Jacksonville Suns’ red brick ballpark in the heart of downtown. The Suns are the Double-A affiliate team of the Los Angeles Dodgers. (www.jaxsuns.com)
Jacksonville has a minor league hockey team, the Barracudas, which is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League. www.jaxcudas.com
The Bausch and Lomb Women’s Professional Tennis Tournament is held each spring on nearby Amelia Island, attracting the best players from around the globe. (www.blchamps.com)
If you like to play tennis, Jacksonville has 134 municipal courts in addition to numerous private clubs. The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) is headquartered here and sponsors two tournaments each year. (www.atptennis.com)
Ranked one of the best cities for runners by Runner’s World magazine, Jacksonville hosts the Gate River Run, the official USA 15K National Championship each year in March, attracting nearly 8,000 runners who compete for the $10,000 first prize. www.gate-riverrun.com
From the St. Johns River (the longest river contained entirely within the state) to the Intracoastal Waterway to the miles of beaches, Jacksonville has opportunities galore for water sports including boating, sailing, kayaking, surfing, canoeing or fishing. Urban ponds are scattered throughout the city and feature bank fishing for freshwater fish like bream, bass and catfish. Nassau Sound Pier is a great spot for salt-water fishing. www.floridastateparks.org/nassausound/default.cfm
Boating and Fishing
Jacksonville has miles of waterways on which to enjoy your favorite water sports, whether it’s boating, sailing, kayaking, canoeing or fishing. The city maintains 22 boat ramps and 9 canoe/kayak launch sites.
The Metropolitan Park Marina has 78 boat slips that hold vessels up to 80 feet LOA along with a few very large yachts. The slips are available to the public on a first-come, first served basis. Reservations are not required except during special events such as Jaguar and college football games at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium or concerts and festivals in Metropolitan Park.
Jacksonville is an angler’s paradise with a great variety of places to hook the big one. Urban ponds are scattered throughout the city and feature bank fishing for freshwater fish like bream, bass and catfish. For salt-water fishing, the Nassau Sound Pier is a great spot. The world record flounder, 20-pounds, 9-ounces, was caught on the pier.
For deep sea fishing, charters are available at Fernandina, Mayport and St. Augustine, as well as from some marinas along the Intracoastal Waterway and the St. Johns River. Charters make it easy to enjoy offshore fishing—the boat, captain, license, tackle and bait are part of the package. Cast your line for grouper, snapper, amberjack, cobia, beeliners and sea bass.
Fishermen from throughout the region gather during the annual BellSouth Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament held at Sisters Creek Park in July, along with a Seafood and Music Festival.
Call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-347-4356 for details about fishing licenses. All licenses are available from the county tax collectors’ offices as well as at many tackle shops, fish camps, hardware stores and sporting goods stores.
Cultural Activities
Jacksonville offers a vast collection of cultural venues. Browse the galleries and museums, take in a show, enjoy a classical or rock concert, or attend a dance performance.
Performing Arts
The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts attracts thousands of theater and music fans every month. Located on the St. Johns River, the complex has three halls and is the home of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Florida Community College at Jacksonville Artist Series. www.jaxevents.com/timesunioncenter
Famous for its classic architectural design, the Florida Theatre books 200 performances every year including ballet, opera, contemporary pop, jazz, rock, country and blues. The theater opened in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. www.floridatheatre.com
The Ritz Theatre and La Villa Museum is a center of African American culture and heritage. Built in 1929, the renovated theater seats 400 and boasts a large stage for a variety of movie, music, dance and theatrical productions. Next door, the LaVilla Museum features a mix of African and African American cultural exhibits.
The University of North Florida Fine Arts Center brings a wide variety of entertainment to its arena and two stages. Offerings include children’s theater, opera, country western performances, classical concerts and ice shows. www.unf.edu/fineartscenter
Community theater groups throughout Northeast Florida perform plays and musicals year-round. They include the Alhambra Dinner Theater, Amelia Community Theater, Limelight Theater in St. Augustine, Orange Park Community Theater and Theatre Jacksonville in San Marco, among others.
Nestled on 27 riverfront acres, Jacksonville’s Metropolitan Park serves as a setting for the Starry Night symphony series, Shakespeare at the Met and the annual Jazz Festival. www.coj.net/Departments/Parks+and+Recreation/Special+Events/Metropolitan+Park/default.htm
Nature and Outdoors
Jacksonville has the largest urban park system in the U.S.—and that represents just one facet of the many outdoor opportunities in the metro area. There are over 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails. The St. Johns River and the inland waterways are ideal for fishing, boating and kayaking and there are marshes galore in which you can find wildlife in its natural habitat.
A short drive from Jacksonville, Amelia Island State Park is over 200 acres of unspoiled wilderness along the southern tip of Amelia Island. In addition to its beautiful beaches, salt marshes, and coastal maritime forests, it is the only state park in Florida to offer horseback riding on the beach.
Located on one of Northeast Florida’s unique sea islands, Big Talbot Island State Park is a favorite location for nature study, bird-watching, and photography. Centuries of wind and water have eroded the exposed shoreline coast, creating a 20-foot bluff along the shore. The park’s famous boneyard beach is covered with the skeletons of oak and cedar trees that once grew near the ocean.
Fort George Island was named for a 1736 fort built to defend the southern flank of Georgia when it was a colony. Today’s visitors come for boating, fishing, off-road bicycling, and hiking. A key attraction is the recently restored Ribault Club. Once an exclusive resort, it is now a visitor center with meeting space available for special functions. Behind the club, small boats, canoes, and kayaks can be launched on the tidal waters.
The 2006-acre Julington-Durbin Preserve occupies a peninsula formed at the confluence of Julington and Durbin creeks. Along its nine miles of shoreline, you may spot bald eagles, osprey, gopher tortoises, bobcats, turkeys, deer and numerous species of wading and song birds. Manatees swim seasonally in both creeks.Golf
Golf is a passion here in Jacksonville. With almost 60 courses and 1,100 holes in the seven-county area, the region is a golfer’s paradise.
Every May, the biggest stars in the sport show up for the annual Tournament Players Championship, (known as the Players,) held at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Not only do golf legends live and play here, they’ve designed some of the courses as well, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who together designed the King & Bear course at World Golf Village. For a look back at the sport’s history, visit the village’s World Golf Hall of Fame.
For a list of the public, private and semi-private golf courses in and around Jacksonville, click here: www.thegolfcourses.net/golfcourses/FL/Jacksonville.htm
Attractions/Events
From the music and dancing of the Irish Festival to the literary allure of the Amelia Island Book Festival to the excitement of the PRCA Pro Rodeo, Jacksonville has activities to suit every taste. Click here www.jaxevents.com/calendar.html to see what’s happening throughout the year.
Museums
Situated in a converted 1930s Art Deco building, the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville features modern and contemporary art exhibitions which rotate every four months. It is also home to ArtExplorium Loft, a hands-on, interactive center and a permanent collection of 800 works. www.mocajacksonville.org
The largest museum in Northeast Florida, the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is renowned for its collection of more than 6,000 American and European masterworks. The museum is set on two acres of beautiful, European style gardens just minutes from downtown. www.cummer.org
The Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery on the campus of Jacksonville University (JU) houses outstanding collections of Steuben glass, Pre-Columbian objects, Chinese porcelain and cloisonné, Tiffany glass and ivory. www.inusa.com/tour/fl/jacksonv/brest.htm
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