Orlando, Florida, is a large metropolis with a booming tourism industry: According to orlandoinfo.com, almost 35 million holidaying visitors came to Orlando in 2009. This tourist population is largely due to the city's world-renowned Walt Disney World Resort. However, the city is home to a wide variety of other popular attractions, from museums to theme parks.
This fully-functioning production studio doubles as one of the most famous theme parks in Florida. Using special effects, Universal Studios brings its films to life in the form of rides, roller coasters and action shows. From Fievel's Playland -- a kid-friendly, Western-themed water park -- to The Simpsons Ride -- a 3D roller coaster simulator -- Universal Studios features attractions meant for a range of ages.
Wet N' Wild is a Universal Studios-operated water park on Universal Boulevard. It spans more than 30 acres and is home to 17 water rides, a lazy river, wave pool and water volleyball area. Among the various rides at Wet N' Wild are the Der Stuka, a slide that takes the rider on a 76-foot, practically vertical drop and The Surge, a 600-foot-long ride that allows up to four passengers per tube.
Located on International Drive in Orlando, Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium is an exposition of the strange and wacky; the building was cleverly designed to look as though it is sinking sideways into the ground. Inside are hundreds of exhibits displaying oddities from the past and present, including a shrunken head, real dinosaur eggs and a two-headed cat.
With 10 exhibit halls and four stories, the Orlando Science Center is the largest science museum in Florida. The center aims to educate its patrons through immersion and hands-on activities. Exhibits come and go, but the various topics of exhibition include the human body, magnetism, light, space and dinosaurs. The museum is additionally home to Dr. Phillips CineDome, an eight-story dome theater, in which films are often projected.
Universal Studios's SeaWorld is essentially a cross between a theme park and an aquarium; the 200 acres of park grounds is home to 11 rides, including four roller coasters, as well as multiple animal exhibits and live animal performance areas. Among the many species of wildlife are representatives of penguins, sharks, sea lions, stingrays, dolphins and flamingos. Live killer whale shows are held at Shamu Stadium, while dolphins, macaws and false killer whales perform in Whale and Dolphin Stadium.
The Orlando Museum of Art, founded in 1924, is the home of a diverse array art in many mediums. Its permanent collections include African art, American art before and after 1945, pop art and art of ancient America, which dates back more than 4,000 years. The museum's rotating exhibitions feature art from the Aztec society to cloth and bead work from Africa.
