Question about interesting places?

[DixieAmos]

My children are excited about visiting the theme parks. My husband and I would like to visit museums. Can you recommend any? Where should I go to see wildlife?

 

[kellymonaghan]

For museums, I suggest you head to Winter Park, just north of Orlando. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum has the world's largest collection of Tiffany glass and artifacts, including a complete chapel he designed. Gorgeous.

Nearby, the Cornell Museum of Art, part of Rollins College, has a small but choice collection ranging from Old Masters to 20th century realism. The shows change periodically. It's FREE. Also in Winter park is the Albin Polasek Gallery in what was once his home overlooking a beautiful lake. he was a religious sculptor and artist and some of the works are very inspiring. Great shopping in Winter park, too, and don't miss the boat tour to see the mansions.

A bit closer to Disney is the Orlando Museum of Art and the Mennello Folk Art Museum, both in Loch Haven Park (near I-4 Exit 43).

For wildlife, my favorite close-to-Orlando spot is the Birds of Prey Center where they rehabilitate bald eagles and other raptors. The ones on display are those that can't be released into the wild. In St Cloud, south of orlando and Kissimmee, there's a serpentarium where they milk venomous snakes for their venom.

Then of course there's Gatorland which right now has hundreds of egrets and herons nesting in the alligator breeding swamp. The gators provide them protection from their natural predators.

These are just a few of your choices. I managed to fill nearly 400 pages with things to do in and around Orlando that are neither Disney or Universal.

Have a GREAT time!

 

[DixieAmos]

Thank you Kelly. You are most kind.