Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 is the day for budget travelers and museum lovers in Florida.
Many top attractions are free, even some attractions that normally charge $20 admission. It’s part of the nationwide Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day. All you have to do is go online and download your free tickets. (Two per household.)
Dozens of museums across Florida are participating. Check out the full list and see what catches your interest. (Click on Get A Ticket.)
Here are four personal favorites from the list of participants:
The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, where tickets are normally $15 for adults. Completed in 1874, the black-and-white spiral-striped museum has a spectacular view from the top and exhibits on shipwrecks, the life of the lighthouse keeper plus children’s activities.
The Naples Botanical Garden, 170 acres of pure beauty, where admission is normally $20 for adults. The garden features subtropical and tropical plants and trees from Florida, Brazil, Asia and the Caribbean. A water garden is filled with water lilies, lotus, and papyrus.
Florida Keys History and Discover Center, 82100 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada. This museum tells so many interesting stories of the Florida Keys, from the historic and deadly 1935 hurricane to the story of pirate and wreckers. It’s a great stop when exploring Islamorada, which this guide helps you do. Admission is usually $15.
The Ancient Spanish Monastory in North Miami Beach, is an actual monastery built between 1133 and 1141 in northern Spain. Newspaper baron William Randolph Hearst purchased the monastery in 1925 and had it dismantled stone by stone and brought to the United States. It was stored in a warehouse for 26 years, and only rebuilt after his death in 1952. It’s an exquisitely beautiful building and grounds, where admission is normally $10.
Here’s more about Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day including where to download tickets.
The author, Bonnie Gross, travels with her husband David Blasco, discovering off-the-beaten path places to hike, kayak, bike, swim and explore. Florida Rambler was founded in 2010 by Bonnie and fellow journalist Bob Rountree, two long-time Florida residents who have spent decades exploring the Florida outdoors. Their articles have been published in the Sun Sentinel, the Miami Herald, the Orlando Sentinel, The Guardian and Visit Florida.