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Highest-rated free things to do in Florida by visitors

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valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
valeriiaarnaud // Shutterstock
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Being an American can be incredibly expensive. While workers in the United States have seen a 1,015% increase in wages over the past 50 years, those gains haven't caught up with the ever-growing cost of living, according to a 2025 report from Consumer Affairs. Between 1973 and 2023, the national consumer price index increased by 586%.

Although Americans have about 63% more purchasing power than 50 years ago, that quickly dissipates when factoring in the increased costs of housing and education. Housing costs have jumped about 1,045%, private college tuition has risen by 158%, and public college tuition has increased by 177%.

That imbalance has put a huge strain on the average American. In 2023, a record-high 42.9 million households were cost-burdened, according to an analysis of Census Bureau data by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.

It's no wonder that maintaining savings, paying down debts and mortgages, and regular expenses are taking precedence over vacations. But not everything that's enjoyable has to come at a high price. In fact, there's a roster of completely free things to do in Florida.

From touring landmarks and historical sites to getting out into nature, you can find all this and more without swiping your credit card or crossing state lines.

To help you find your next free activity, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated free things to do in Florida using data from Tripadvisor. Tripadvisor ranks places using a combination of metrics, including overall rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, an activity with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of Aug. 18, 2025. Only locations that received at least 20 reviews were included.

Read on to start planning a weekend of free fun near you!

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#30. Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

Tripadvisor

1 / 30

#30. Hollywood Beach Broadwalk

- Rating: 4.5/5 (3,691 reviews)
- City: Hollywood Broward County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#25. St. Augustine Beach

Tripadvisor

6 / 30

#25. St. Augustine Beach

- Rating: 4.6/5 (4,720 reviews)
- City: Saint Augustine Beach St Augustine
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#24. Cocoa Beach

Tripadvisor

7 / 30

#24. Cocoa Beach

- Rating: 4.3/5 (3,838 reviews)
- City: Cocoa Beach Brevard County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#19. Haulover Beach Park

Tripadvisor

12 / 30

#19. Haulover Beach Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,341 reviews)
- City: Sunny Isles Beach
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#17. Panama City Beach

Tripadvisor

14 / 30

#17. Panama City Beach

- Rating: 4.6/5 (6,656 reviews)
- City: Panama City Beach
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. National Naval Aviation Museum

Tripadvisor

17 / 30

#14. National Naval Aviation Museum

- Rating: 4.9/5 (6,596 reviews)
- City: Pensacola
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#13. Fort Lauderdale Beach

Tripadvisor

18 / 30

#13. Fort Lauderdale Beach

- Rating: 4.5/5 (9,330 reviews)
- City: Fort Lauderdale Broward County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#12. Orlando International Premium Outlets

Tripadvisor

19 / 30

#12. Orlando International Premium Outlets

- Rating: 4.4/5 (8,758 reviews)
- City: Orlando
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Sawgrass Mills

Tripadvisor

21 / 30

#10. Sawgrass Mills

- Rating: 4.4/5 (9,257 reviews)
- City: Sunrise Broward County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Las Olas Boulevard

Tripadvisor

22 / 30

#9. Las Olas Boulevard

- Rating: 4.3/5 (6,714 reviews)
- City: Fort Lauderdale Broward County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Hollywood Beach

Tripadvisor

27 / 30

#4. Hollywood Beach

- Rating: 4.7/5 (7,507 reviews)
- City: Hollywood Broward County
- Read more on Tripadvisor

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