Read Reviews of Ocala Downtown Square. The territory officially became a part of the United States in 1821. The best, fun, and beautiful attractions of Ocala are mostly found in its historic downtown area. Things to Do in Ocala, Central Florida: See Tripadvisor's 7 995 traveller reviews and photos of 52 Ocala attractions.
Every room is equipped with cable TV and free Wi-Fi connection.Howard Johnson is situated close to fun attraction spots such as the Silver River State Park which is 20 minutes drive away.It is also close to the Thunderbird Care which is an on-site restaurant, they serves waffles, pastries, and fruits as dessert.Hilton is a hotel in Ocala which is located off Interstate 75, this hotel features a cocktail lounge.Here you will find Arthur’s Restaurant which serves some of the best dishes in town.You can lounge by the restaurant’s pool, or play volleyball in the volley court owned by the hotel.Fun places close to the hotel include the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing and so many others.The HITS is a showjumping circuit which operates in Ocala during the winter season, they are the host to the HITS horse Show.The HITS draws thousands of show jumpers and hunters to Ocala.During the show, anyone who can ride a horse, from kids to world-class competitors are allowed to bring their horses if they wish to compete, the prize for the winner is $1 Million.HITS is a fitting festival for this ‘world’s horse capital’, it makes one of Ocala activities you should not miss.One of the best places to stay in Ocala is the Seven Sisters Inn, this Inn is situated in Ocala’s Historic District and it is housed in a Gothic Victorian home which was built in 1890.Though it is listed as a haunted place in Florida, it is every tourist choice.Quite a beautiful Inn, you will be impressed by its historic touches.Its rooms are identified using the names of places, hence, you can travel from Egypt to Beijing, Paris and Morocco by just changing rooms.Every morning, the Inn serves a 3-course breakfast to visitors, you can spend the morning and afternoon lounging in the Inn for a fun time.Rainbow River is a River fed by the Rainbow Spring, one of the best things to do here is a kayak or paddleboard ride.If you have a kayak you can come along with it, you can also rent one from the park.While Kayaking, you will notice how crystal clear the Rainbow River can be, looking down into the water from your Kayak, you will be able to see everything in the river bed, from the white sandstone to the emerald green seagrass.You will also see several aquatic life in the river.Swimming in this river is not allowed, do consider adding a visit here on your itinerary of things to do in Ocala FL.An old Florida Highway attraction, Rainbow Spring State Park is one of the Florida State Parks.This park once housed a zoo, you can still see its remains in the park.Other features of the park include a waterfall and nature trails, an exploration of these trails leads to incredibly beautiful locations of the park.There is also the Rainbow Spring in this park, the park got its name from this spring.This parks also features lots of picnic areas, making it a cool place the family can hang out.If you are a lover of Golf, then you won’t find any vacation without the chance to golf as fulfilling.Stone Creek Golf Course is an 18-hole championship golf course which is situated on 187 acres of beautiful rolling countryside.This golf course also has more than four acres of Champions Bermuda greens suitable for golfing.If you wish to golf but don’t know how, the golf company offers classes on golfing to beginners during the weekends.Ocala is a perfect illustration of the saying “Never judge a book by its cover”,A casual look at the city, and the feel of calmness here, one might assume Ocala as a boring city, hence, missing all the fun it offers.This list of things to do in Ocala which cut across its parks for picnics, festivals, horse riding and other fun stuff, are all in place to give you a fun time in this city. Though this city has developed and expanded beyond its original size, it still retains the coziness expected from a hammock town.To help plan your trip, here are the best things to do in Ocala, FL.One of the best places to visit in Ocala is Sholom Park, this park is a good spot for reflection and meditation, It is a place to go if what you seek is tranquillity.Covering over 44-acre land space, you will find in this park, native plants, carefully chosen trees, shrubs, and perennials.As you explore the park, you will observe that it is made up of eleven beautiful landscape areas alongside a labyrinth, a ginger garden, an azalea trail, and a formal garden.If you wish to explore every area of this park, you can follow its connected paved walkways.The park is opened daily to the public, admission is free, but you are free to make donations to help maintain the park if you wish.One of the best things to do in Ocala is a visit to Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing, it was built as a monument to Don Garlits.Don Garlits also known as Big Daddy is said to be the father of drag racing. Today, they can be seen at the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing Ocala.Other features of the Museum includes a collection of Mr. Garlits dragsters, racing memorabilia, classic cars as well as a gift shop.You might get to see the Big Daddy while you explore the museum, he lives next door with his wife Pat.Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area is one of the four wilderness areas which can be found in Ocala National Forest.Covering a 14,000-acre land space, this area is a fine example of an untouched sand pine scrub forest.At Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area, you will find walking trails which give access to several habitats such as the hardwood swamp, the grass prairie, the pine Flatwoods, and marsh all located in the area.There is also an on-sight interpretive center that offers more information about the various habitats you will find in the area.Fun activities you can engage here include paddling of canoes across the wetlands.