Florida is largely known for sunshine, theme parks and oranges. But one of the best kept secrets of the peninsula is its diverse culture and world-class museums. From the Keys up into the panhandle and every county in between, Florida has some of the most beautiful and unique museums in the United States. And its culture is more diverse than one would think. After all, it is the destination of hundreds of thousands of tourists and ten of thousands of Americans relocate to the Sunshine State each year.

Florida Culture

In an afternoon's drive, visitors and residents can go from the beach side subtropics to rustic rural locations. In the panhandle, its charming southern living, straight out of a magazine. In central Florida, fun awaits for visitors and residents of all kinds--with theme parks providing entertainment day and night. At the bottom of the peninsula, a beach-bum's lifestyle awaits. And surfing, fishing, boating, scuba diving and sunbathing are available over 2,000 miles of coastline. Greek sponge docks, Cuban communities, dairy and fruit farms, southern charm and tropical lifestyles and much more can all be found here.

Florida Arts

The arts are alive and well in the Sunshine State. Award winning Broadway shows can be found in many metropolitan areas and museums which have to be seen to believe. Ringling, The Holocaust, National Museum of Naval Aviation, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Salvador Dali, St. Augustine Lighthouse, Pirate and Treasure, Flagler Museum and  the South Florida Science Museum are just a few on a list of many.

Florida Festivals

But Florida's arts and culture certainly don't end there. The Gasparilla Pirate Festival winds its way through the streets of Tampa every year. There's the Art Deco Weekend Festival in Miami, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Sunfest in West Palm Beach, the Pensacola Beach Air Show, the infamous Biketoberfest in Daytona Beach, the Space and Air Show at the Kennedy Space Center and Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival in Orlando right at Walt Disney World. There's no shortage of art and culture in Florida. From the Fine Arts Museum in Saint Petersburg to the island breezes of Key West to the Space Coast to the oldest city in the United States in St. Augustine, there's something for everyone and it's here year-round.