I went on a free tour of Sally Dark Rides and left feeling like my mind was blown. First of all - I…read morehad no idea this was a huge warehouse in Downtown Jacksonville. Nor did I realize most of the dark rides across the whole world are created and developed here! It was amazing!! Our tour guide led us through the building while showing us all of the stages of creating an epic dark ride. This made me think about amusement parks in a whole different way. The tour was about an hour and was very informative. We asked lots of questions and met people from different departments along the way. Highly recommend booking a free tour and checking this out. It would be great for kids as well!

I need to start b my saying that this part of our trip to Florida was not planned! My 11 yo LOVES…read moreanimatronics, most especially, Five Nights at Freddy's (FNAF). He originally wanted to visit a much smaller place in Orlando, which is a one man operation charging $375. It was a bit too far and too expensive for what it was so I decided to do my own research of places he would love, Sally Corporation became the place. I filled out the reservation form online and was told there were no spots available during our time in Florida. I couldn't take no for an answer. I emailed back explaining how much my son wants to be a Robotics Engineer and that we would wait as long as we needed to snag a spot. We got an email back the next day that two spots opened up!!! We made our way downtown and parked for free in the back. We entered to learn that the tour was also FREE...FREE! This facility is HUGE! They are arguably the largest producer of Dark Ride Amusements in the US and don't just make the robotic aspect of the animatronics, but they handle EVERY aspect of the creation and completion. From make up, costumes, design, voices, all of that! We were thrilled to see they had a...yep...FIVE NIGHTS OF FREDDY'S attraction! If you've ever been to he Ripley's in San Antonio, you will see one of their biggest sellers there, a ginormous T-Rex, that's their baby that sells for $90,000! The tour takes you to each department and you are truly immersed in their production. It is an working operation so you get to see the people behind the scenes at work, which was SO DAMN INSPIRING for my 11 yo who has told me for 4 TM years that this is what he wants to do in life. He got to see what his future could be like, which is absolutely priceless. The staff, facilities, location, displays, animatronics, all were 5 stars! Hands down a MUST when in Jacksonville! Come for a 10 or 11am tour and then take the FREE Skyway (Tram) to Hemming Park and Check our Sweet Peet's. Your kids will have the best day ever!

Wonderful place with the nicest people. Aweosme sea animals and exotics, just a clean fun…read morewholesome place to spend some time. Side note th cafe is really good, incredible coffee and coaco will try the food next time.

A great hidden gem in Jacksonville. We love visiting on a rainy day with the kids. There are tons…read moreof fish and sea animals, a little library, tasty cafe, and lots of hands on activities.

Great service good selection First time coming here. Great service and food next door - Abby the…read morebartender was amazing !

First time here-- had an assortment of arcade games, dart boards, air hockey, etc. All ages are…read morewelcome before 9:00pm and then it becomes 21 and up after that. We liked this place better than the neighboring Keg & Coin. This location was more open and spread out. Had a good selection of draft beer, seltzers, etc. Bartender was friendly and attentive. I think I would go back as a fun date thing vs going back with my young kids since the games are more for older kids and adults.

I went there for a visit on a night time feeding. It was a neat concept. They have to feed the…read moreanimals anyways, so why not invite people to educate and raise money for the sanctuary. The animals seem well taken care of and happy. The have mostly tigers but also a lion and some smaller cats. They even have two foxes and two bears! This is different than a zoo, because they have these animals as a way to save them. Some of them were from private owners and some were form closed zoos. The workers and volunteers were all happy as well.

You've never been to a place like this before... and at first, I wasn't even sure what to expect…read more The sign outside is nicely done, but when you walk in, the tables and chairs look like they're 50 years old... clean and organized, but the area clearly needs an upgrade. But that's actually the point... every dollar this nonprofit earns goes directly to animal care, facilities, and expansion. Nothing is wasted on appearances. And that mindset defines everything about this place. We signed up for a tour and arrived early to walk around a bit on our own. By chance, we ran into Curt Logiudice, the founder and owner of the sanctuary... a remarkable man who has devoted his life to this mission. Hearing him explain how it started, how it's grown, and his vision for the future was inspiring. Watching him interact with the bear they have was priceless... playful, natural, and full of trust. You couldn't tell who was enjoying it more... Curt or the bear. What they're doing here is truly admirable. Their mission is the rescue of exotic animals from serious and often tragic situations. Once an animal arrives at Catty Shack Ranch, it has a home for life. They do not breed, trade, sell, or buy animals. The sanctuary is home to tigers, a bear, lions, pumas, leopards, lynx, foxes, and coatimundis... all cared for with dignity and respect. The guided tour is absolutely worth it. The staff is knowledgeable, the experience is educational, and you get surprisingly close to the animals while still feeling completely safe. The atmosphere is calm, respectful, and not overcrowded. I noticed families with kids whose eyes were wide with amazement... it's that kind of place. This is privately funded, and even veterinarians volunteer their time to care for animals in need of medical treatment. If you see Curt on the grounds... and you probably will... stop and talk to him. His passion, humility, and genuine love for these animals is unmistakable. Please visit. Please support this place. What they're doing here truly matters. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Spent a great day at the Jacksonville Riverwalk and it honestly ended up being one of the easiest,…read moremost relaxing parts of our trip. The whole walkway along the water has that perfect "just keep strolling" feel. You get nonstop views of the river, boats passing by, and the skyline stretching out in the distance. It is one of those places where you start walking without a plan and suddenly realize you have gone way farther than you meant to because it just keeps pulling you along. My family and I took our time, stopping every few minutes just to look out at the water or take pictures. The breeze off the river made everything feel cooler and calmer, even with people out and about enjoying the day. There were joggers, families, couples, and everyone just kind of sharing the same peaceful stretch of space. What I liked most is how simple it is. No big attractions needed, just a clean, open riverfront path that lets you slow down and enjoy Jacksonville at your own pace. Five stars. Perfect place to walk, talk, and take in the river views without any stress at all.

Southbank is a wonderful way to walk, take in the beauty of the St John's River and it's just the…read morebeginning of what Jacksonville can be. The trail goes right along the St John's River. It's surrounded on one side by the city and the other by woods and a brand new boardwalk. It extends from that boardwalk to Friendship fountain. Each end has an excellent playground and activities for kids. The entire trail is dog friendly as well. I am truly hoping for more events to be held here, and vendors to set up along the way. We love it here and bring the dogs almost weekly. Just a fantastic part of downtown and a great way to get exercise and just reset.

This place was great and Tyler was super helpful with helping me get a hang of the jet ski! I…read morebooked two hours and had a lot of fun (I'm going to try the jet kart next time)

From the owner: Don't Take Risks With Sketchy Uninsured Mobile Jet Ski Rentals. Evolution Jetsports Is Jacksonville…read moreFlorida's Safest & Most Well Equipped Jet Ski Rental Business

Credit to Jacksonville as we have a really fantastic zoo…read more Nicely laid out, well-staffed, clean, clearly marked trails, broken up with kids play areas, hosting a good range of animals from around the world. The new manatee habitat is gorgeous, and allows people to enjoy these gorgeous mermaid potatoes while they're treated and rehabilitated. The weather is the only negative, so plan accordingly with sunscreen, fans. hats, rain ponchos, money for the Kona Ice and Dippin' Dot vendors and so on.

Went to see the new exit and Manatee exhibit. The entrance is beautiful and you can see were a lot…read moreof care an attention was added to the fascade of the exhibition. There was an "art in the park" event so it was wonderful to see local artists set up to sell their creations. One downside of the new entrance is that the walk from the entrance to the tigers is very laborious, with no restrooms, water stations, or shade. It's not bad when it's not crowded, but I can imagine how terrible it will be when summer hits. It would have been nice if the walkway was had an overhead canopy of bamboo. It's also a very industrial area, interesting in a "behind the scenes way" (but completely out of harmony with the rest of the motifs of the zoo). Please note that the zoo is now 100% cashless, and there's a huge discount if you buy your tickets online in advance (or you risk paying up to 40 per base ticket). Overall I love the zoo, I can't wait to see their continued growth, I just wish their new walkways were more considerate of pedestrians and the mercurial weather of Florida.

Very well maintained 9 hole mini golf course tucked into this little corner lot. Just challenging…read moreenough to make it interesting, we all enjoyed our time putting.

Still loving this place! The people are so nice and we are VERY happy they survived the pandemic…read more Fun and relaxed place for family night mini golf.

I love it it's an amazing jumping place, it fun and really nice and the trampoline are so fun and…read morecool!

Very large trampoline park - it was crowded but there was still plenty of space for the kiddos to…read moreplay. Very nice young man was helping with the rock climbing harnesses. There were some loud crowds of bigger kids but for the most part they watched their language around the younger kids. For $18, it was a great bargain for the entire day.

This is a fun place for kids (even adults who are still kids at heart and have the energy of a…read morekid!)... Great place to go and let kids jump, run, and play for 90 mins. We went when the weather was 70 degrees, which was perfect because the kids worked up a sweat! The staff was present and available. There was a kid inside the bounce house being reckless and the staff quickly rectified the situation. The place was clean and felt safe. FunBox is located in the Avenues Mall parking lot. They have Porta potties in the area, but you can leave and go to the mall food court restrooms if you prefer. As long as you keep your wristband on, you can come and go as you please. Adults must accompany their kids (no dropping off your kid and leaving), seating is first come first serve, there's a snow cone stand ($6.00) and a free shoe store area. You can bring your own water and snacks in. Nonslip socks are required. You can bring your own or purchase some at FunBox. Music was good and it was a fun time. If your kid likes bounce houses, then they'll love this place. It's HUGE! My picture doesn't do it justice. SN: I read some of the proceeds of Funbox goes to foster care kids. A company doing good things for society is a plus!

Fun place for kids (and adults who still feel like kids!). Great for bouncing, running, and playing…read morefor 90 minutes. Staff was attentive and handled a reckless kid quickly. Place is clean and safe. Located in Avenues Mall parking lot, wristbands allow in-and-out access. Snow cone stand available, nonslip socks required. Music was fun,