I love going to historical spots and learning about the past. Fort King has the fort and it has the…read moreinside museum, which is small but has plenty to check out. The fort itself is awesome to explore, but once you walk inside it's bare, would be nice to see a wagon or the setup they might have had back in the days. Overall, a great stop for any history buff.

Nice historical park - has hiking trails and dogs are welcome to! Saw the Reenactment this year was…read morefun! And free!

Cory at the visitor's center was incredibly helpful, as well as knowledgeable, and got me set up…read morewith maps and some of the best historic and artistic sites in the city. The center has free WiFi, making it easy to do some self-planning over maps, and it's a super clean location. All high marks!

From the owner: Tucked into north central Florida in a region known as "horse country," Ocala offers visitors…read morewinding community pathways lined with oak trees and dangling trellises of Spanish moss, and the opportunity to explore miles of untainted nature. If the prospect of canoeing down a crystal clear stream amid the largest sand pine forest in the world sounds appealing, Ocala and surrounding Marion County are more than worth your time. Ocala and the region's freshwater streams, rolling hills and clean air remain unspoiled and have been used for Hollywood movies. Nearby Ocala is Silver Springs, a national landmark and nature theme park on 350 acres. Silver Springs is Florida's "original attraction."

My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

What a breathtaking location! From the parking lot, it doesn't look like much. They are redoing the…read moreentrance sign, and from the outside, it seems like the place might be pretty rundown. However, once you walk through, you are quickly transported. The entrance to the park is only two dollars per person, and honestly, in my opinion, they could charge just a little bit more. The glass-bottom boat tours run faster than you might expect, so if you have the time (which we didn't during our visit), opt for the longer boat ride; it doesn't cost much more. They also have little shops to explore and plenty of outdoor seating so you can take in the beautiful surroundings. If you're a water lover, make sure to plan ahead and reserve a crystal-clear kayak or paddleboard to enjoy the water--it'll be worth every penny. The only hiccup in our plan was that we booked everything on the day of our visit, so we ended up with a shorter tour on the glass-bottom boats and got locked into the last kayaking time slot. The woman at the reservation desk for the kayaks was not very pleasant. She told us that despite showing a 5 o'clock slot, they were no longer taking reservations. I showed her the option on my phone, but she still refused to let us sign waivers. Luckily, we found the manager in charge of the rental hut, who advised that we could still make our reservation online. I showed him on my phone, and although we'd have to pay full price and probably have less than an hour, that was perfectly fine with us since we were in the last slot. The lake was practically empty, so we had the entire waterway to ourselves--so beautiful and peaceful. Honestly, it felt like we were in another country, surrounded by nature. If you don't have the chance to kayak, there's also a walking path where you can see monkeys left behind from one of the movies that was filmed on location. We walked part of the path, and it was just as beautiful. Any chance my kids and I get to be outside in nature, we gravitate towards it, putting away our phones to enjoy everything around us. What a great way to spend your day and your vacation!

Marion block building The Marion Block building was…read moreconstructed in 1885 by D.C. Wharton Smith of Philadelphia. The third floor originally contained the Marion Opera House which had seating for 800 people. The first floor contained the Court Pharmacy drugstore. Today at the entrance the word "Drug Co" still appears in the mosaic tile. Thi building is now Harry's seafood.

Located on the north side of the road near Pine Avenue (US 27 / 441) and Silver Springs Blvd (SR…read more40), this marker points out a building that is no longer here and a man who did great things for the community. The marker reads, "In 1905, Dr. Richard Samuel Hughes II graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, the second oldest African American medical school in the country. After moving to Ocala in 1908, Dr. Hughes helped form the American National Thrift Association (ANTA), a benevolent organization that offered prepaid health care plans, pensions, and other services to African Americans unable to get conventional health insurance. By 1925, ANTA converted the Savoy Hotel into a 50-bed hospital operated by Dr. Hughes and his nursing staff. White physicians from Munroe Memorial Hospital, including E.G. Peeks Sr., Thomas Wallis, and H.F. Watt, assisted Dr. Hughes by volunteering time. The ANTA hospital served the medical needs of African American communities in Marion County and surrounding areas, from Chiefland to Fort Myers. Dr. Hughes, along with other prominent physicians and surgeons from Meharry Medical College, conducted annual, week-long surgical clinics that provided African American patients with medical treatment and surgical procedures. Dr. Hughes died in 1943 and the hospital closed soon after, but his contributions are regarded as a significant advancement in healthcare access for Ocala's black community." This is marker numbeer F-1003 and it was erected in 2018 by the Dr. R.S. Hughes Family and the Florida Department of State. There is a lot across the street where you can stop to see the marker. [Review 1035 of 2024 - 1910 in Florida - 22063 overall]

This company took very good care of us and made sure we had the best experience. Juan and Ralph are…read moreknowledgeable about the manatee and wildlife in the area It was a very chilly morning but they made sure we were comfortable with blankets and hot chocolate! They take care of the photos which means we were just able to take in and enjoy our time with the manatees.

Great experience and knowledgable friendly staff. Gorgeous day and boat was clean and safe.read more

1804-1838…read more Osceola Monument October 23, 1834, the Seminole Indians met in council at these springs to discuss demands of the United States for their removal to the West. Osceola, then an obscure sub-chief, swayed the council with his oratory and set the Indians against removal. This was the real beginning of the Great Seminole War of 1835-42, in which, as head War-Chief, Osceola became an important Indian Military genius and strategist of American History. He was captured through deception and died at Fort Moultrie, Charleston, on January 30, 1838. Bernice West, Sculptor