Day Trips

WaterPlayUSA takes the effort out of planning your aquatic adventures and lets you get back to enjoying your vacation! With thousands of activities, tours and rentals, WaterPlayUSA is one of the largest watersport-booking platforms in the United States. By partnering with top activity providers throughout the nation, Waterplay USA brings them to one single location just for you! Whether you want to learn how to surf, go kayaking, let lose… Continue Reading WaterPlay USA

Great Explorations Children’s Museum has served the Tampa Bay area since 1987. Designed for children 10 and under, the 23,000 square foot museum is filled with exhibits and activities to stimulate learning through creativity, play and exploration. The museum is a learning playground where children can make a discovery, make a mess, and even make a new friend. The museum is the first mid-size children’s museum in the country and… Continue Reading Great Explorations Children’s Museum

When you want to get away from the beach and add some excitement to your Anna Maria Island vacation, spend the day or a few hours at TreeUmph, Southwest Florida’s only elevated adventure course! About a 45-minute drive from AMI, at TreeUmph! you’ll feel the exhilaration of climbing, zip lining, swinging and free-falling from 15 to 60 feet in the air . . . all while harnessed to equipment designed… Continue Reading TreeUmph! Adventure Course

Recognized as the second oldest continuously operating antique car museum in the country, the Sarasota Classic Car Museum is a must-see for any classic car enthusiast. As you stroll through the museum, which is about a 30-minute drive from Anna Maria island, travel back in time and into the future of man’s greatest invention . . . the automobile! The museum features over 75 automobiles, consisting of the alphabet of… Continue Reading Sarasota Classic Car Museum

With tourism promoted as the number one industry in Manatee County, the historical role agriculture has played in the development of the county has been lost among young people. The Manatee County Agricultural Museum works to combine recognizing the historical achievements of its pioneer farmers with a hands-on museum designed to educate as well as entertain. The museum’s exhibits focus on Manatee County’s primary commodities including livestock, vegetables, citrus, horticulture,… Continue Reading Manatee County Agricultural Museum

As Florida’s only not-for-profit resident circus, the mission of Circus Sarasota is to pay homage to an extraordinary community legacy by broadening the artistic contribution of the circus through education, and human service outreach programming; it fulfills its mission by enriching, educating and entertaining audiences of all ages. Its purpose is to educate children using unique and innovative learning programs; to improve the quality of life for individuals in institutionalized… Continue Reading Circus Sarasota

Rosa Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard is a family-owned business located just south of Lake Manatee in the rolling hills of eastern Manatee County. The owners, Antonio and Rosa, moved to the Bradenton area from Casteldaccia, Sicily, and were struck by the similarities of the area to their native land. Soon there were five rows of bunch grapes in the backyard with the garden, and a corner of the garage closed… Continue Reading Rosa Fiorelli Winery & Vineyard

Have you ever fed a giraffe? Have you ever smelled their grassy breath? These are memories that will last you a lifetime. At Giraffe Ranch in you’ll experience first hand, the lives of giraffe and other species from around the world living under huge live oaks in a setting that is right out of Africa. Giraffe Ranch is a licensed working ranch that specializes in exotic species as well as… Continue Reading Giraffe Ranch

Crowley Natural and Cultural History Center also known as “Crowley” is a non-profit organization furthering natural and cultural history located on 190 acres of pristine Florida including pine flatwoods, oak hammock, hardwood swamp, sawgrass marsh, and the Myakka River. Enjoy a guided or self-guided tour of untouched Florida landscapes. Kids love the Children’s Discovery Path with five interactive stations on native Florida creatures. Farm animals, organic garden, and more! Open… Continue Reading Crowley Natural and Cultural History Center

Just an hour’s drive from Anna Maria Island, the world famous dancing horses are a must see! Founded in the 16th century for the exclusive use of the Hapsburg Royal family of Austria, the Royal Lipizzans are unquestionably the rarest, most aristocratic breed of horses in the world. The pride of the Hapsburg Empire, the Lipizzan breed was first established by Archduke Charles at Lipizza (now part of what was… Continue Reading Lipizzan Stallions