Adventure Landing 1944 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach (246-4386). Located just east of the Intracoastal Waterway, Adventure Landing features two 18-hole miniature golf courses, batting cages, a go-cart track, 100 arcade games, Shipwreck Island water park and The Rage, Florida s only uphill water coaster. Open daily.
Alhambra Dinner Theatre 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside (641-1212). Enjoy fine buffet dining and professional Broadway comedies and musicals in the intimate 400-seat theater. Evening performances Tue-Sun, with matinees Sat-Sun. Admission includes dinner and show, $26.50-31.50. Group rates available.
Anheuser-Busch Brewery 111 Busch Dr., Northside (751-8117). Hourly guided and self-guided tours show how beer is brewed, bottled and packaged. Mon-Sat, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; free.
Black Heritage Trail (798-9111). Trace Northeast Florida s black history through nine sites: American Beach, Catherine Street Fire Station, Kingsley Plantation, Masonic Temple, Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Edward Waters College, Olustee Battlefield and Edwin Stanton School; call the Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau for a trail guide.
Cummer
Museum of Art and Gardens 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside (356-6857).
"A Night at the Opera: Historic and Contemporary Performance Costumes,"
a unique display of authentic costumes worn by legendary opera stars, on display
May 9 thru August 10.
Permanent collection spans 12 galleries and features an impressive array of
Western art from 2000 B.C. to the present. Tue-Fri, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat, noon-5
p.m.; Sun 2-5 p.m.; $5.
First Lady of Jacksonville 917 Dante Pl., San Marco (398-0797). See the St. Johns River aboard a paddleboat for sightseeing, lunch, field trips and private charters. Daily; $18-31.
The Florida Theatre 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown (355-2787). Discover the unforgettable Florida Theatre, a beautifully restored 1920s-era picture palace, now a world-class performing arts center hosting 200 events a year. Box office hours: Mon-Fri, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Fort Caroline National Memorial 12713 Fort Caroline Rd., Arlington (641-7155). French Huguenots landed at this site in 1564, establishing the first Protestant colony in North America. Today the park encompasses 680 acres and includes a replica of the fort, a museum filled with French and Native American artifacts, and a nature trail. Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; free.
Greyhound Racing Jacksonville Kennel Club, 1440 N. McDuff Ave., Westside; Orange Park Kennel Club, 455 Park Ave., Orange Park; St. Johns Greyhound Park, U.S. Hwy. 1 and Racetrack Rd., Bayard (646-0001). Races held Mon-Sat (except Tue) at 7:45 p.m. Matinees Wed and Sat, 12:30 p.m.; Sun, 1:30 p.m. Simulcasts of thoroughbred and greyhound races and jai-alai; 50 cents-$2.
Jacksonville Historical Center Southbank Riverwalk (398-4301). Trace Jacksonville s history from its days as home of the Timucua Indians to its growth as a major port city. Daily, noon-5 p.m.; free.
The Jacksonville Landing 2 Independent Dr., Downtown (353-1188). Riverfront marketplace boasting 65 retail shops, 17 restaurants and regularly scheduled live entertainment in the courtyard; boat docking available. Mon-Thu, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri-Sat, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun, noon-5:30 p.m.; free. Dining and night spots stay open later.
Jacksonville Maritime Museum Two locales: Jacksonville Landing (355-9011); Southbank Riverwalk (398-9011). Model ships, paintings, photos and artifacts relating to local maritime history beginning in 1842 and continuing through World War II. Landing: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun, 1-5 p.m.; Riverwalk: Mon-Sat, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sun, 1-5 p.m.; free.
Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art 4160 Boulevard Center Dr., Southside (398-8336). Permanent collection includes art by Louise Nevelson, a variety of modern paintings, an impressive pre-Columbian art exhibit, and a sculpture garden. Tue-Wed, Fri, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Thu, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat-Sun, 1-5 p.m.; $2-3.
Jacksonville Zoological Gardens 8605 Zoo Rd., Northside (757-4463). Check out the Birds of the Rift Valley Aviary with more than 75 birds in free flight, and the 1,200-foot boardwalk overlooking animals on the 20-acre Plains of East Africa exhibit. See Mahali Pa Simba (Place of the Lions), a one-acre home to two adult lions and two lion cubs. The Okavango Village features unique animals which can be viewed from a boardwalk along the Trout River that leads to a domesticated animal petting area. Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. $4-6.50.
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum 101 W. 1st St., Downtown (356-2992). Located in the restored former First Church of Christ Scientist, the Karpeles houses one of the world s largest private holdings of historical documents concerning literature, science, music and politics. Daily, noon-4 p.m.; free.
Magnolia Belle 331 University Blvd. N., 32211 (731-5304).
Museum
of Science and History 1025 Museum Cir., Southbank (396-7062)
"Currents of Time: A History of Jacksonville," a new permanent exhibit
that opened in the spring of 1997.
"Atlantic Tails," a new $400,000 exhibit focusing on five marine mammals
that inhabit the coastal and inland waters of Northeast Florida.
Kidspace is a specially designed environment for a child's first experience
with science featuring interactive learn-through-play toys. Mon-Fri, 10 a.m.-5
p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun, 1-6 p.m.; $4-6.
Museum of Southern History 4304 Herschel St., Riverside (388-3574). The museum, established in 1975, is dedicated to presenting the lifestyle and culture of the Antebellum South through displays and artifacts relating to politics, medicine, local history, weapons and fashion. Tue-Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; $1.
Riverside Avondale Preservation 2623 Herschel St., Riverside (389-2449). Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to maintaining one of Jacksonville's most beautiful neighborhoods.
Southbank Riverwalk Downtown Jacksonville (396-4900). This 1.2-mile boardwalk is an ideal place to take photographs of Jacksonville's downtown skyline and bridges or catch a water taxi ride.
Tree Hill,
Jacksonville's Nature Center 7152 Lone Star Rd., Arlington; and the
Loretto Nature Preserve, Mandarin (724-4646). Tree Hill is a 42-acre nature
center with a hardwood forest, nature trails and a variety of environmental
and conservation exhibits. Mon-Sat, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; 50 cents-$1.