Posted in Florida Day Trips, Nature, Parks & Gardens March 04, 2021 by

The Outdoor Discovery Park In Florida That’s Perfect For A Family Day Trip

The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center is located on Hutchinson Island in beautiful Stuart. This one-of-a-kind center is the perfect place to relax and reconnect with nature. Visit this hidden gem for memorable, fun, and family-friendly encounters with marine animals!

The 57-acre Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center sits between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian River Lagoon, creating a unique landscape perfect for marine education.
Florida Oceanographic Society/Facebook
You can take a tour of this stunning landscape on a nature trail that leads to the Indian River Lagoon. Along the way, your guide will teach you all about the plants and animals. A shorter trail goes through the mangrove swamp, where you'll explore the magnificent marine wetlands of Florida.
Florida Oceanographic Society/Facebook
At the center, kids and adults can learn through exhibits featuring fish, sharks, stingrays, and turtles, as well as lots of activities for children and a visitor center.
Suzanne D/TripAdvisor
There are lots of opportunities for hands-on learning here.
Florida Oceanographic Society/Facebook
Touch tanks give kids an up-close experience with marine life like starfish.
The 30-minute stingray program teaches guests all about different rays, and you even get to touch and feed these fascinating animals.
Pnemiller/TripAdvisor
Don't worry, they won't actually sting!
It's also quite a sight to watch the sharks and game fish feeding in the 750,000-gallon lagoon.
SJMKidd/TripAdvisor
The Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center offers programming all throughout the year, so be sure to check their website for a schedule of events on the day you plan on visiting!
Florida Oceanographic Society/Facebook

Have you ever visited this outdoor discovery park before? What’s your favorite place in Florida to learn about nature?

And for another family-friendly place offering marine animal encounters in Florida, you’ll definitely want to check out Discovery Cove in Orlando.

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Address: 890 NE Ocean Blvd, Stuart, FL 34996, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center

Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center

March 09, 2021
Sarah

Is Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center the only discovery park in Florida?

Discovery Cove is an all-inclusive, family-friendly discovery park in Orlando. Discovery Cove provides unforgettable experiences like swimming with dolphins, snorkeling with stingrays and thousands of fish, and interactions with beautiful exotic birds. In the sea of Orlando’s fun yet loud and crowded theme parks, this park stands out as a peaceful tropical oasis. Discovery Cove is a completely different kind of attraction than you’re probably used to. There are no towering thrill rides, and you don’t have to worry so much about the heat because you’ll be in the water all day. The park limits the number of guests to 1,200, so you never have to feel like you’re stepping on anyone’s toes. Many families end up looking back on their relaxing day at Discovery Cove as the best day of their vacation.

What are some of the best day trips in Florida?

Florida has got to be one of the best states for day trips. Although it’s not easy to drive from one end to the other, there is such a huge variety of natural and manmade attractions that you’re never too far from the next adventure. Have you ever asked: what is there to do in Florida? If you have, you've come to the right place! Bob Tower Gardens is one of the most enchanting spots in the state, and it makes for a perfect day trip. This 250-foot-tall Singing Tower and its surrounding gardens and bird sanctuary. It sits atop Iron Mountain, one of the highest points in (mostly flat) Florida. This National Historic Landmark is the perfect oasis for a laid-back day trip. Another top trip option is St. Augustine; though its surrounding areas have become quite popular, America's oldest city has maintained its small size and a lot of its historical authenticity. Highlights include many museums, restaurants, and spectacular examples of architecture, as well as the oldest fort in the country and an alligator farm. You probably can't see it all in a day, but it's always a good time.

Are there any marine centers in Florida?

Did you know that Florida is home to the world's third-largest coral reef? Visit Biscayne National Park, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to explore its otherworldly beauty. (There are many places to go in Florida to see this sea-dwelling wonder, actually.) Another place to see marine life is, of course, the Everglades National Park. The Everglades consists of more than a million acres of the biological diversity and natural beauty that Florida was famous for long before its theme parks and vacation spots.