Budget-Friendly Guide to Jacksonville

Music, art, food, beer, sports, adventure, and fun await you in Jacksonville on any given day, and the best part?

We guarantee it won’t break your bank!

Jacksonville is Florida’s most affordable destination with a thriving cultural scene that encompasses many things, like our unique museums, southern rock roots, deep surfing history, movie-making days, world-class marathons, coffee roasting past, craft brewery scene, entrepreneurial spirit, and natural wonders to name a few. Visitors can experience it all here on a budget.

Top 11 things to do for FREE in Jacksonville:

  • Peddle along 14.5 miles of tree canopies on the Baldwin Trail. Stop for a picnic or visit Camp Milton to explore a little history.
  • Window shop at St Johns Town Center, which is chock-full of lovely storefronts.
  • Sample tasty treats, listen to live music, browse through local crafts, and mingle with the locals at the Riverside Arts Market in the historic Riverside Avondale neighborhood.
  • Go for a run on the bridges! Two of Downtown’s five bridges have pedestrian walkways perfect for a jog, a run, or simply a walk.
  • Check out Jacksonville’s art festival, Downtown First Wednesday Art Walk. Artists, entrepreneurs and innovators display projects in a 20-square-block, multi-venue gallery in downtown Jacksonville, where the community gets to choose what’s the next best thing. Visitors never know what they’ll come across.
  • Hit the beach for a game of bocce ball or volleyball with friends, an invigorating run or a romantic stroll.
  • Pick your spot for the perfect selfie. With so many waterways and beautiful green spaces, you’re sure to find a great place to snap photos, including Friendship Fountain in Downtown, overlooking the St. Johns River and the city skyline. Be sure to use the hashtag, #OnlyInJax.
  • Explore the self-guided Black Heritage Trail to learn more about Jacksonville's Black History.
  • Catch a movie, during the summer free movies are showcased at the Sea Walk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach. Grab a lawn chair and enjoy a movie date under the stars.
  • With the largest urban park system in the country, there is always a new park to explore! Visit Kingsley Plantation at Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve as well as Fort Caroline if you want to also learn some history.
  • Museums are a plenty here in Jacksonville and some of them have free admission days! The Mandarin Museum is open for free on the first Saturday of each month from 10am- 2pm. MOCA offers free entry every Saturday from 11am-5pm and also on the first and third Wednesdays from 5-9pm. The Cummer Museum is free on the first Saturday of each month from 11am-4 pm and the third Tuesday of each month from 4 - 9pm., excluding ticketed events. Also, check out the Beaches Museum. They are a free museum but do accept donations.

Start planning your budget-friendly trip to Jacksonville today!

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Jose Vega

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Local Expert Guest