All the United States Florida

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Florida

502 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Florida

Updated October 16, 2026

Come for the beaches, stay for the live mermaids. The glare of Florida canʼt hide itʼs panoply of wonders, from a coral castle built by one love-stricken man to a fort that eats cannonballs. The Sunshine State really seems to attract visionaries.

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Cities

State not visited
VISITED THIS STATE
Top Cities
All Cities
  1. Altamonte Springs
  2. Bartow
  3. Big Pine Key
  4. Bradenton
  5. Brooksville
  6. Captiva
  7. Carrabelle
  8. Cedar Key
  9. Clearwater
  10. Clermont
  11. Coral Gables
  12. Crawfordville
  13. Crystal River
  14. Dade City
  15. De Land
  16. Delray Beach
  17. Estero
  18. Fernandina Beach
  19. Fort Lauderdale
  20. Fort Myers
  21. Gainesville
  22. Gotha
  23. Homestead
  24. Homosassa
  25. Islamorada
  26. Jacksonville
  27. Key Biscayne
  28. Key Largo
  29. Key West
  30. Kissimmee
  31. Lakeland
  32. Lake Placid
  33. Lake Wales
  34. Marco Island
  35. Miami
  36. Miami Beach
  37. Monticello
  38. Mount Dora
  39. Naples
  40. New Port Richey
  41. New Smyrna Beach
  42. North Miami Beach
  43. North Port
  44. Ochopee
  45. Orlando
  46. Ormond Beach
  47. Palm Beach
  48. Panama City
  49. Pensacola
  50. Pensacola Beach
  51. Ponce Inlet
  52. Port Orange
  53. Punta Gorda
  54. Sanford
  55. Sanibel
  56. Sarasota
  57. Spring Hill
  58. St. Augustine
  59. St. Petersburg
  60. Tallahassee
  61. Tampa
  62. Tarpon Springs
  63. Titusville
  64. Venice
  65. Vernon
  66. Vero Beach
  67. Webster
  68. West Palm Beach
  69. White Springs
  70. Williston
  71. Winter Park

Unusual Attractions in Florida

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See All 502 Things To Do in Florida

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Florida

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Strange Ground: Ecological Wonders of the Deep South

The southeastern U.S. is one of the most geologically and ecologically complex regions in the country. Its limestone karst terrain is riddled with sinkholes and underwater cave systems, while its coastal plains support the largest blackwater swamp in North America. Sandstone gorges harbor species displaced southward by ice-age glaciers, still surviving far from their original range. This three-day route—from northern Alabama through southwestern Georgia and into north-central Florida—allows you to experience all of this region’s fascinating natural diversity in eight stops.

View Itinerary

Explore Florida

Museums 62
History 50
Architecture 42
Animals 42
Art 35
History & Culture 31
Restaurants 28
Collections 25

Florida Leaderboard

Recent Florida Activity

Stories About Florida

International Spy Museum

House on Wheels 🛞

Family Memories & Fridge Magnets
by Charity Long, Atlas Obscura
A mangrove grows along the Guy Bradley Trail in Florida’s Everglades National Park.

America’s First Game Warden Died Fighting for the Birds

Guy Bradley’s mission to protect Florida’s wading birds put him in the crosshairs of poachers—and left a legacy that endures in today’s conservation efforts.
by Olivia Young, Atlas Obscura
University of Miami graduate student Devon Fogarty examines the headstone of John Greer, who died while working at Fort Jefferson on Nov. 5, 1861. The gravesite is now completely underwater.

The Hidden Graveyard of Dry Tortugas National Park

A maritime archaeologist is following underwater clues to uncover the final resting place of Union soldiers stationed at a remote ocean fort.
by Karuna Eberl, Atlas Obscura
Should a snake climb along a branch where a baby anole sleeps, the lizard will wake up and drop to the ground to escape.

Cracking Open Evolution’s Black Box on 'Lizard Island'

On an island in South Florida, scientists use trials to see how natural selection drives evolution in real time.
by Partner Story, Atlas Obscura
One person’s trash is an octopus’s home.

This Octopus Is Using a Beer Bottle as a Nursery

In the Florida Keys, a marine biologist discovered a bit of debris that had become a cephalopod dwelling.
by Benji Jones, Atlas Obscura
An elkhorn coral shows signs of bleaching on the coral reef of Sand Key in the waters south of Key West.

Florida’s Iconic Corals Aren’t Having Babies Anymore

A recent baby bust has scientists alarmed—it's a bad sign for the future of a reef that's already struggling.
by Benji Jones, Atlas Obscura
Do humans have comb jellies to thank for our own through-gut and anus genes?

The World’s Oldest Anus Has an Unexplained Glow in Florida

Scientists are studying its bowel movements, its dazzling sparkle, and its relation to us.
by Lina Zeldovich, Atlas Obscura
The shallow waters of Windover Pond yielded rich archaeological finds from Florida’s Early Archaic Period.

Bog Bodies Lay Hidden in a Florida Pond for More Than 7,000 Years

In the 1980s, archaeologists uncovered 168 ancient skeletons from the peat at the bottom of Windover Pond.
by Nicky Nielsen, Atlas Obscura

Lists Featuring Florida

The boardwalk through a mangrove tunnel.
View of the Soutwest side of Monkey Island on Homosassa River.
A white pelican with a bump on its bill is pictured here standing next to the brown pelican, a state symbol, which are often only a third the size of white pelicans.
Posing for the pictures.

18 Unexpected Natural Wonders in Florida

Sponsored By VISIT FLORIDA
18

Including Clam Pass Beach, Monkey Island of Homosassa, and White Pelican Island

Christ of the Abyss
Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival
Clear waters in Manatee Springs State Park.

13 Unbelievable Underwater Wonders in Florida

Sponsored By VISIT FLORIDA
13

Including Christ of the Abyss, Underwater Music Festival, and Manatee Springs State Park

Mermaid Kiyomi at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park.
Some visiting Amish at a nearby beach, approximately 7 miles away from Pinecraft. Picture is of either Siesta Key, Lido Beach, or Longboat Key.
Opa-locka City Hall.

The Best of Weird Florida

America's strange has sunk to the bottom and settled in these Floridian places.

38

Including Weeki Wachee: ‘City of Live Mermaids’, Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, and Pinecraft

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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