Let's slow it down a bit in Florida..

July 13, 2010 - PRLog -- In Florida tourism is a key source of cash flow for the economy, many the states cities contribute to a reputation as the ideal getaway destination. Many go to Florida for the allure of Disneyland or the golden beaches and night life of South Beach -  but not many people know that it is a place beaming with culture and that you could see a lot of things that can stimulate your brain.

You'll find that most of these places are usually in the metro area of the cities, some would say they didn't come to Florida just to be in the city   It may not be your first thought for a vacation but the downtown areas are nothing to laugh at.

The Broward Center which is located in Fort Lauderdale is in the middle of Downtown.  It was designed by award winning architect Benjamin C. Thompson and was built in a plan to inject some life into the southern part of Florida.  This was the business district at the time (1980s) and various groups of people would come together to help gather funds which were needed.  At the theatre you can see ballets, concerts, operas, lectures and various community based activities.  It is also partners with these art the Symphony of the Americas, Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Concert Association of Florida, Gold Coast Jazz.

Every Spring Orlando hosts the Orlando International Fringe Festival.  This is a 12 day annual arts festival which features various forms of the arts such as readings to full fledged productions.  These  not only come from local artists but companies from around he world do appear as well.  The festival was created in the early 1990s and assembled at Downtown Orlando, where most of the venues were store fronts.  Now its held at Loch Haven Park in professional theatres and a outdoor stage.  It is the oldest and largest fringe festival in America and has won quite a few awards.  The good thing about the festival is that 100 percent of all the proceeds goes back to the artists.

If you're a fan of Salvador Dalí's art then the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is the best place to go.  Outside of Europe this has the largest collection of his art.  It is situated on the campus of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg but it will be moving to a new location in January 2011.   The museum has been established for more than 25 years and houses over 7 out of 18 pieces of Dalí's work including The Hallucinogenic Toreador and The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.

For those who like science then the perfect place to visit is the South Florida Science Museum.  A museum that has been around for over 50 years, at first focused on natural science and nature history.  In the early 1970s the museum doubled in size adding classrooms, exhibition spaces, an auditorium but more importantly and considered the star attractions of the museum an aquarium and planetarium.

For children there are a few museums that are highly rated in Florida.  There is the Children's Museum of Singing pines located in Boca Raton known for its Magnetic art, doll collections and its play houses.  The Children's Science Explorium also located in Boca Raton has interactive exhibits and geared towards 5 to 13 year old.  Then there's the Young at Art Children's Museum in Davie which  has an exhibition gear towards children and regularly runs programmes like one day camps for children of various ages.  In Miami there one that has a unique building and is Miami's oldest art museum, it is the Miami Children’s Museum.  It hosts over 13,000 pieces of art from various different countries and hosts exhibitions about said countries all year long.

Watching timeless classics at the Florida Theatre is desirable, the theatre is a historic movie theatre and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Films are still shown there but  they're not the modern ultimate budget films you see in today’s society.  It was opened in 1927 and was renovated in 1983 making the theatre over 80 years old.  An interesting fact about the building is that the city doesn't own the theatre they own the physical building but is leased back to a non-profit for the duration of 99 years, at $1 a year.

Overall there is a lot of cultured things to do and see in Florida not only is it a place to go to if you are a adrenaline junky or if you want to lay back on the beach for a while - it is a place of attraction for the art connoisseur or the historian in us. A private vacation rental can make a great base to explore Florida's many facets and faces on your trip.

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