FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

5. Ripley’s Believe It or Not and Wonderworks

Girl on Ropes Course at Wonderworks

Image: Wonderworks Orlando

Fascinatingly, Orlando is home to not just one but two lopsided museums. The first, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, is likely a familiar name to frequent vacationers thanks to their long history and nationwide presence. Orlando’s “Odditorium” is a whopping 10,000 square feet with over 600 bizarre exhibits. Guests can get lost for hours exploring mind-bending optical illusions, stunning wax figures, and much more celebrating the bizarre and unusual.

Less familiar than Ripley’s but just as interesting is Orlando’s upside-down marvel, Wonderworks. Part science museum, part fun center, Wonderworks has taken many of the concepts once exemplified by Disney’s Epcot and breathed fresh life into them to dazzle kids of the digital era. The “Wonderzones” take the subjects of natural phenomenon, physics, light and sound, space discovery, art, and the imagination and display them in stunning form with over 100 hands-on exhibits that will leave both kids and adults gaping. Your kid doesn’t have to be a bookworm to enjoy Wonderworks. The museum also includes an impressive indoor ropes course, a laser tag arena, and a 4D motion theater.

6. Kennedy Space Center

Apollo and Saturn V Center at Kennedy Space Center

Image: Kennedy Space Center

While it isn’t technically an Orlando attraction, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention the motherlode of all experiences for space exploration fans—Cape Canaveral’s Kennedy Space Center. Located one hour away from Walt Disney World, Kennedy Space Center is just close enough to Orlando for visitors with a rental car or access to a shuttle to make a point not to miss. You could easily spend an entire day (or more) exploring the center’s sprawling exhibits and attractions. Visitors can tour the center’s rocket garden, historical exhibits, enjoy a must-see IMAX film, participate in a guided behind-the-gates bus tour of the campus, and even blast off in The Shuttle Launch Experience. Guests regularly report that their visit far exceeded their expectations, and die hard space fans will find dozens of extra tours and experiences to enjoy during their visit. You can even dine with a real astronaut!

What is your favorite non-theme park experience in Orlando?

 
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Add new comment

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...