You can tell a lot about someone by what they hold dear. From kitschy to undeniably cool, I think you’ll agree our museums say a lot about us in Florida.
1. Salvador Dali Museum
Much like Florida, Dali embraced the weird. Thus it's fitting this St. Petersburg museum houses the largest collection of his work outside Europe.
2. Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
Hemingway lived in this home in Key West from 1931 to 1939. Descendants of his cats still roam the property.
3. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
This beautiful center for Japanese arts and culture is located in Delray Beach, FL. It features a bonsai garden, library and its own restaurant. Festivals are celebrated several times a year.
4. John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Highlights include a circus museum, impressive art museum, railroad car, gardens and the Ringling's mansion. It's located in Sarasota, FL.
5. Ripley's Believe It or Not
This St. Augustine attraction holds a huge collection of oddities and artifacts. There are other locations, but this is the original.
6. Fantasy of Flight
The world's largest private aircraft collection ever displayed, this museum is currently showing only a fraction of its collection until its upgrade is completed, hopefully in the next few years.
7. WonderWorks
This zany museum specializes in space, math and physics exhibits, and it's all built to appear upside down!
8. Florida Citrus Tower's Presidents Hall of Fame
This 226-foot tower was built in Clermont, FL, in 1956 and houses the Presidents Hall of Fame, complete with a replica of the White House.
9. Potter's Wax Museum
So creepy, yet you can't take your eyes off of them. Wax figures of popular icons and historical figures make for great photo opportunities at this museum in St. Augustine.
10. John Gorrie Museum
This museum in Apalachicola shows we Floridians really appreciate anyone who helped invent air conditioning (for obvious reasons).
11. Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing
This Ocala museum isn't just for car enthusiasts, it's fun for the whole family. You may even see Big Daddy himself.
12. Water Ski Experience Hall of Fame and Museum
We love our water sports!
13. SS American Victory
This floating museum in Tampa is a real World War II Victory ship.
14. Key West Shipwreck Museum
Actors films and artifacts illustrate the history of shipwreck salvage in the Florida Keys.
15. St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum
Home to lots of fascinating pirate arrrtifacts!
16. Spongeorama
This unique museum in Tarpon Springs, FL, claims to have the largest collection of natural sponges in the world. It's also got lots of quirky vintage fun.
Don’t these museums look worth a visit? What are some of your favorite Florida museums?
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