Going on field trips is the highlight of any family’s life, especially if you homeschool your kids. There aren’t a lot of crowds, during the school year, and it’s just plain fun for the whole family. You can consider the day family time, but also know that they’re learning at the same time. Here are a few Florida field trip ideas the whole family will love also keep in mind Disney makes a great field trip option.
130+ Amazing Florida Field Trip Ideas
Everyone always thinks of Disney and Universal Theme Parks when they think of Florida. But Florida is such a big state (trust me when you are driving north to south you will understand!).
Florida has so much more to offer than just theme parks!
Related: 10 Ways to Take a Disney Vacation on a Budget
Field Trip Ideas Tampa Bay Area
Orlando Tour Passes
There are so many options for bundling attractions at a fraction of the cost to get more bang for your buck. In the Orlando area, these are your best options:
Orlando City Pass – Save on tickets to famous theme parks
Orlando GoCity Explorer Pass – Choose from 2-5 attractions. You will have 60 days to use the pass.
Orlando Sightseeing Pass – Entry to 2-5 attractions. Over 25 attractions to choose from.
Orlando Tours – 25+ tours and excursions to choose from.
Visiting Winter and Hope at Clearwater Marine Aquarium – If you have seen the Dolphin Tale movies then you know all bout the story of Winter and Hope and you can see them in person.
You can also learn all about their journey and the recovery efforts at CMA. Get discount admission with the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
Related: Top 28 Free Things to do in Tampa Florida
Dinosaur World – Do your kids love dinosaurs? Taking them to Dinosaur World is going to open up their world. The interactive shows, prehistoric museum, and the dino activities are going to have everyone excited.
Busch Gardens Tampa – Come on, if you haven’t visited Busch Gardens, then you’re missing out. This is the perfect family-friendly place to visit, plus a great way to spend time as a family learning.
Busch Gardens has a lot of history, so make sure you check it out! Get discount admission with the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
Related: Top 8 Reasons to Visit Busch Gardens Tampa Florida
Raymond James Stadium Tour – Your tour will include a luxury suite, the Hall of Fame Club, the famous pirate ship, the ALL-NEW West Club, the University of South Florida Home Team locker room, the field, and more!
Tour of the Pinellas County Heritage Village Largo Florida – This is a free open-air museum of buildings from all over Pinellas County and it brings the history of the area to life.
From a sponge company to an old firehouse, and an old grocery store. Around the property, there are a lot of hands-on activities for kids to learn how things used to be done. Things like laundry and how they put out a fire.
Related: Ultimate Guide to the Bay Area Renaissance Festival
MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) – Located in Tampa, I remember several field trips here as a child. It’s a hands-on science museum for kids that they will love. Get discount admission with the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
Manatee Viewing Center – Apollo Beach Florida – Just south of Tampa is one of my favorite places to spot Manatees in the winter. They are there from January until April and it’s a free activity!
Make sure to go on a sunny day. The more daylight the easier they are to see!
Related: The Florida State Fair – Tampa Florida
11 of the Absolute Best Places to View Manatees in Florida – If manatees are your thing then make sure to check out the top spots across the state to spot them in the wild!
Weeki Wachee State Park – The Home of the Mermaids – This is a state park just north of Tampa and it was one of the first roadside attractions in Florida in the 1940s. These women train and swim underwater for the 30-minute show.
There is also a water park, animal attractions, and a boat ride down the river.
Related: 21 Weeki Wachee Mermaids Facts You Never Knew!
Florida State Parks – You already know how much my family enjoys state parks. Visiting Florida State Parks as a special field trip is always so much fun.
Utilizing the park as an outdoor classroom, the exploring opportunities are endless. You may even be able to get into the park for free if you can prove the park trip is related to educational purposes.
Historic Sunken Gardens St Petersburg Florida – This is such a great relaxing getaway in the city. Not only can you take in the gardens but they make a great place for family photos too!
Related: St Armands Circle – Sarasota Florida
Mote Marine Aquarium – Just south of Tampa right on the water of the Gulf of Mexico is Mote Marine Aquarium. They do a lot of animal rescue but also have a fun interactive aquarium to visit as well.
Fort De Soto Park, Historic Fort, and Museum St. Petersburg Florida – This is a historic park right on the water with an old fort and museum along with camping, fishing, hiking, beaches, and more.
Related: Venice Florida Shopping – Venice Ave Shops
Florida Botanical Gardens – Another free activity you can explore is the gardens full of local plants and beautiful relaxing settings. YOu never know what you might see from alligators to beautiful butterflies.
Guide to Hunsader Farms Pumpkin Festival and Events – Hunsaders Farms is just east of Tampa and they have a great Pumpkin Festival and Christmas lights show. But all year long they have petting zoos events and Upick fruits and veggies.
Related: Legoland Resort – 6 Reasons Why the Legoland Hotel is Totally Worth Your Stay
The Florida Aquarium – With their 500,000-gallon coral reef tank you can see over 2,000 different animals who call the coral reef home. They also have a rainforest-themed splash pad and a 2-acre outdoor water play area. Get discount admission with the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
LEGOLAND Amusement Park, Winter Haven Florida – An entire amusement park and waterpark based on Legos. Everything that can be made out of legos and you can find anything lego-related here.
This is built on the old Cypress gardens grounds so it’s just as beautiful as it is fun. Get discount admission with the Orlando GoCity Explorer Pass.
Related: 7 Little-Known Legoland Secrets
ZooTampa at Lowry Park – They have a manatee hospital and lots of animals and plants native to Florida. They have a safari and a down under section as well. Get discount admission with the Tampa Bay CityPASS.
Field Trips in Orlando and Central Florida
There is so much to do in the Orlando area outside of Disney and the theme parks. The Orlando GoCity Explorer Pass can save you up to 20% on admission.
Gaylord Palms Resort Check out this destination hotel in Kissimmee with a four-acre glass-enclosed atrium, home to a microcosm of Florida habitats including an alligator-filled swamp, Spanish style fort, 60-foot sailboat, and more.
Related: 25 Free Things To Do in Orlando Fl
Bok Tower Gardens – Take an educational spin on your visit to Florida by checking out Bok Tower Gardens. The gardens are a beautiful ode to Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.
You can consider this place a historic landmark. Make sure you check out the Singing Tower while here. Located in Lake Wales Florida.
Gatorland – Located in the Orlando area this is an Alligator rescue. They had their own TV show for a while and this is where now they do alligator wrestling and educational shows here daily. Get discount admission with the Go Orlando® Card.
Related: What to do at Epcot – 25 Bucket List Items
Chocolate Kingdom Factory Tour – If anyone is going to talk about spending time with chocolate, I’m going to be there. The kids are going to love a Florida field trip to the Chocolate Kingdom. This factory tour will show you an amazing time! Located in Orlando.
Kennedy Space Center– This is where they launch the space shuttles into space. Growing up in Florida we lived close enough (still hundreds of miles away) that I could sit on my grandpa’s back porch and see the shuttles being launched.
They offer tours and other great info now. Get discount admission with the Go Orlando® Card.
Related: The New Disney World Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Regal Marine Industries Boat Factory Tour – Learn how boats are made in this fun factory tour. You can then visit their showroom floor to see the finished products. You do need to make reservations for this tour.
Davidson of Dundee Factory Tour – Learn about Florida’s produce and how it is processed from the grove and even get some free samples to taste. They not only have jams but also citrus chocolate!
Titanic Orlando Museum – See thousands of Titanic artifacts and walk through replicas of rooms from the ship including the grand staircase. Get discount admission with the Go Orlando® Card.
Field Trips in South Florida
A large part of southern Florida is covered in the Everglades but southern Florida also has the Florida Keys!
Edison Ford Winter Estates – Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had winter estates on the water in Fort Myers Florida. They were also neighbors now you can tour not only their homes and the grounds but also Thomas Edison Florida laboratory.
Related: Planning a Trip to Key West on a Budget
Barrier Island Sanctuary – Located down near Miami you can experience Brevard’s barrier island ecosystem firsthand. Topics include sea turtles and soil and water analysis.
Biscayne National Park – This National Park is located just off the coast of Miami. It’s really an underwater National Park that protects coral reefs, pirate ships, and other shipwrecks.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to The National Park Service Junior Ranger Program
Big Cypress Seminole Reservation – Located in the Everglades near Miami is this Native American Reservation. It’s a great place to see a lot of the untamed parts of the Everglades and learn how the Natives adapted to survive in the area.
Everglades National Park – The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. This National Park is home to several endangered animals all of which can be quite deadly so make sure to listen to the rangers!
Related: 15 Must-See Free Things to do in Key West Florida
AH-TAH-THI-KI Museum – This museum includes a Seminole Village. The Seminole Indians are native to Florida and so much of the heritage is still found in the state. The museum offers tours, crafts, demonstrations, and more.
Dry Tortugas National Park – located off the coast of Key West, this is the home to Fort Jefferson and it’s only accessible by boat or seaplane. But once there the beauty is unmatched! Make sure to go snorkeling off the island too!
Related: 24 Free Things to do in Naples, Florida
The Children’s Museum in Naples – If you and the kids love spending time together and exploring, then this may be a good field trip option.
This museum allows kids to play, learn, and dream. There are hands-on exhibit galleries that the kids can enjoy for hours.
Florida Field Trip Ideas for the Rest of the State
As you head to the northern part of the state you hit the panhandle to the west and the historic shore of St Augustine to your east and all have so much to offer!
Must-Sees When Visiting Amelia Island, Florida With Your Homeschoolers – Amelia Island is a great vacation beach town but a small town that has so much history being to close to St Augustine.
Related: What to Expect When Visiting Amelia Island, Florida
Fort Menendez at Old Florida Museum – What if you could see history as it once was? Fort Menendez is such a fun way for kids to have a field trip and a history lesson at the same time.
National Naval Aviation Museum– With Pensacola being the home of the Navy’s Blue Angels there is a lot of aviation history here and the kids will love being able to see some of the planes up close.
Related: What to do While in Panama City Beach
Ancient City Tours – If you’ve ever wanted to see the historical part of Florida, then you’ll want to head to St. Augustine for Ancient City Tours.
This company will take you on a historical guide, showing you things you didn’t even know! You can take tours in other cities too.
Daytona International Speedway – Do your kids have a need for speed? If so, they may just love a field trip to the Daytona International Speedway! The kids get a first-hand experience with the world of racing.
They’ll love everything this field trip has to offer from visiting the start/finish line to having their picture taken with a Champion DAYTONA 500 car.
So now I want to know what are some of your favorite Florida Field Trips?