State Parks - Intro

OTHER PARKS AND GARDENS :

BIG TREE Park,
featuring the Senator, one of the oldest and largest bald cypress trees in the United States: 8 a.m. – sunset Monday-Friday. 9 a.m. – sunset Saturday and Sunday off U.S. Highway 17-92 on General Hutchison Parkway, Longwood; free (407) 788-0405

Big Tower Gardens,
nature preserve with gardens and carillon tower (concerts by guest carillonneur George Gregory at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday): 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily; 3 miles north of Lake Wales at Country Road 17A and Tower Boulevard: (941) 676-1408. Also, guided tours of Pinewood House and gardens at 2 p.m. Sunday, 12:30 and 2 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday

Harry P. Leu Gardens,
50 acres of trails and botanical collections featuring colorful annuals, butterfly garden, palms, Florida native plants, 50-foot floral clock, Tropical greenhouse: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday; 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando; (407) 246-2620

Orlando Wetlands Park,
1,200-acre wetlands and wildlife preserve 7 a.m. till half-hour before sunset daily. Wheeler Road, Christmas (access off East State Road 50) (407) 246-2348

University of Central Florida Arboretum,
89.4 acre nature preserve featuring seven native-Florida botanical environments, hiking trails, picnic areas, group tours available: sunrise to sunset daily. University Boulevard and Alafaya Trail, Orlando, Free (407) 823-5428

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex,
exhibits of spacecraft, Astronauts Memorial Space Mirror, The Dream is Alive, L5. First City in Space and Mission to Mir films in Imax Theaters, Apollo/Saturn V Center, International Space Station Center and LC39 Observation Gantry: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily; east of U.S. Highway 1 on NASA Parkway, 5 miles south of Titusville (407) 452-2121

Museum of Arts and Sciences,
Pleistocene fossil wing with exhibits and audio-visual overview of Pleistocene Florida: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1040 Museum Blvd., Daytona Beach (904) 255-0285

Museum of Science and Industry,
Imax films To Fly (through Sept. 3) and Everest (through Nov. 19), BioWorks Butterfly Garden, GTE Challenger Learning Center, Saunders Planetarium (with SkyWatch Saturdays after sunset, weather permitting): from 9 a.m. daily (closing times vary): 4801 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa (813) 987-6300

Orlando Science Center,
interactive exhibits, Cinedome movies (showing of Everest and , beginning Saturday, Alaska: Spirit of the Wild), Digistar 11 planetarium shows, plays, "Star Treck: Federation Science" exhibit (through Sept, 7): 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 777 E. Princeton St., Loch Haven Park, Orlando

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