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• Historical and Cultural Interests
• Lively Arts Scene
• Eco-Tourism
• Sports Mecca
• Festivals and Special Events
• Medical Tourism
• Family Fun
• Girlfriend Getaways
• Mancations
• The Place to Meet
• Value Meeting Season
• Unique Neighborhoods
• Jacksonville: By the Numbers

Historical and Cultural Interests
The country's first tourists washed ashore in Northeast Florida searching for the Fountain of Youth and Jacksonville's historic significance played a major role. From the earliest attempt at colonization at Fort Caroline to life at Kingsley Plantation, the oldest remaining Florida plantation house, history runs deep. Jacksonville's cultural scene also showcases the city's roots...Downtown served as headquarters to legendary performances and rich African-American tradition at The Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum and the vaudeville and picture show past of The Florida Theatre, one of only four remaining high-style Florida movie palaces and the site of Elvis' first indoor performance. Both are still delighting audiences with performances, granting visitors a peek into Jacksonville's glorious past, present and future. For more information on Jacksonville's historic and cultural roots, visit Arts & Culture.

Lively Arts Scene
Consistently listed as one of the Top 25 Arts Destinations in the country by AmericanStyle Magazine, Jacksonville's arts scene is growing with celebrations, museums, galleries and live music venues. Monthly street party, First Wednesday Art Walk in Downtown Jacksonville offers free access to the city's museums, galleries, eateries and streets of the urban district. Other cultural hotspots include the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts for live symphony and Broadway performances and Jacksonville natives Lynyrd Skynyrd-inspired Freebird Live for live music, among other locales. For more information on the arts in Jacksonville, visit Arts & Culture.  

Arts & Culture Sample Itinerary

Eco-Tourism
The City of Jacksonville operates the largest urban park system in the country providing infinite possibilities to experience the great outdoors. Home to large nature preserves, over 20 miles of pristine beaches, unique waterways and the award-winning Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens showcasing thousands of animal and plant species, Jacksonville provides the nature lover in all of us an opportunity to soak it in through kayaking, hiking, fishing, surfing, bird watching, unique tours and camping, among others. Plus, with a growing amount of Florida Green Lodging-certified hotels, the chance to have an eco-friendly vacation is attainable. For more information on an eco-friendly adventure, visit Outdoors & Nature.

Sports Mecca
To say that Northeast Florida is sports crazy would be an understatement. Tailgating and cheering are an art form in Jacksonville. With its moderate temperature year round, the region is home to the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, Double-A Jacksonville Suns minor league baseball team, THE PLAYERS Championship, Bausch & Lomb Women's Tennis Championship, Konica Minolta Gator Bowl, Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic and other collegiate football and baseball match ups. For more information on Jacksonville's sports scene, visit Adventure & Sports.

Festivals and Special Events
Locals in Jacksonville love to celebrate and the city is becoming a well-known destination for its diverse festivals and events showcasing art, culture, music, film and food. Popular events held in Northeast Florida include the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Springing the Blues, World of Nations Celebration, Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival and the Jacksonville Film Festival. For more information on regional festivals, visit Festivals.

Medical Tourism
Jacksonville is quickly gaining prominence as one of the top health and medical destinations in the country. Regional hospitals and clinics lead the way in providing highly-specialized services and technology and our local businesses associated within the medical industry are thriving as the area is a source for medical activity. Jacksonville is home to over 30 medical institutions including one of three Mayo Clinics in the country and one of five proton therapy institutes in the country, to name a few, plus numerous medical businesses headquartered in the city. The launch of "Jacksonville: America's Health Center" in November 2007, unites these groups with the tourism industry to welcome individuals coming to the region for extended patient care, business-to-business meetings and medical meetings and conventions.

Family Fun
With beaches to explore, native and exotic animals to discover, waterparks and interactive museum play, Jacksonville has a wealth of activities for kids of all ages. With plenty of accommodations, restaurants and attractions that cater to the entire family, Northeast Florida is the natural escape for a family vacation. For more information the destination's family friendly attitude, visit Family Travel.
Family Fun Sample Itinerary

Girlfriend Getaways
Sometimes, you want to leave the men at home. Northeast Florida is an ideal location for a trip with the gals whether celebrating an engagement, bachelorette party or just for the sake of celebrating. From our sizzling beaches, great restaurants and nightlife, world-class spas like PGA TOUR Spa Laterra, resorts, fabulous shopping excursions at St. Johns Town Center or in a number of boutiques in quaint neighborhoods and more, a lively and stress-free escape can be found in Jacksonville!
Girlfriend Getaways Sample Itinerary

Mancations
Who says girls get all the fun? As one of the hottest trends in the tourism industry, male bonding can take place at any of our more than 70 golf courses or in a fishing boat, sporting event or camping, hiking and biking in Jacksonville's large number of parks. If you're feeling lucky, head out to sea on a SunCruz Casino cruise or to the dog track. Jacksonville's hot bars and clubs produce endless hours of music, dancing and libations.
Male Bonding Sample Itinerary

The Place to Meet
For years, Northeast Florida has captivated guests with its vibrant charm and vast array of offerings for visitors of every interest. From the historic charm of the Prime Osborn Convention Center to hotels and resorts with up to nearly 1,000 rooms and meeting space perfect for a small gathering to a large convention to more unique venues in museums, riverboats and outdoor spaces, Jacksonville welcomes groups of all sizes to experience the flavor of the area. Plus, with a collection of world-class golf, dining and nightlife options, a meeting in Jacksonville will be a crowd pleaser.

Value Meeting Season
In addition to the beautiful natural surroundings, number of attractions and warm Southern hospitality, Jacksonville's meetings market provides value with the view. Meeting planners who host groups during the value season months of July through December can receive extra incentives ranging from accommodation discounts on meeting space, hotel rooms and services. Discounts on group admission to attractions, tours and transportation are also available. For more information on hot meeting dates and rates in Jacksonville, visit Value Season.

Unique Neighborhoods
At 840 square miles, Jacksonville is the largest city in the continental United States by land area. This large mass of land gives way to a number of neighborhoods showcasing their own individuality. Each district provides something different to see and do...Riverside's Five Points presents a quirky, eclectic mix of local artists and hipsters while Avondale's stately mansions and long traditions enchant locals and visitors. The faster pace of the urban core in Downtown is in strict contrast with the laid-back nature of Jacksonville's beaches. The Spanish moss hangs from the oaks lining the streets of Mandarin where families live and play, while the young professionals shop trendy boutiques and enjoy the nightlife of historic San Marco. There are plenty of neighborhoods to explore and stories to go along with each one in the many areas of Jacksonville. For more information on Jacksonville's distinctive districts, visit Jacksonville's Neighborhoods.

Jacksonville: By the Numbers
Long thought of by residents and visitors as one of Florida's best kept secrets, Jacksonville is gaining in popularity as an emerging destination for leisure and business travel. Individual visitors, large scale events and the conventions which meet here, generate billions for the city and thousands of jobs. Not only is Jacksonville arousing the interests of visitors, but developers for hotels have also noticed. With over 5,500 hotel rooms scheduled, Jacksonville is the place to be. For more information on economic impact. For more information on economic impact, read Visit Jacksonville's Annual Report .