DK Travel : Orlando : Places of interest

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Gatorland

This park, which recently turned 50, is chock-full of around 800 lurking alligators, honking for mates, and sometimes performing tricks. The gators don’t sit up and beg, but they do jump for food – raw chicken, to be exact, dangled over their ponds by a brave employee. Two hundred or so crocodiles are here to add diversity, as are snakes and other reptiles. The gator-wrestling show is an impressive must-see.
Green Meadows Petting Farm

This educational spot is perfect for anyone who might enjoy milking a cow, riding a pony, or learning about over 300 friendly farm animals. A two-hour guided tour is included and picnic facilities are available.
Harry P. Leu Gardens

Well-tended pathways weave through this elegant 50-acre (20-ha) park. Earthy scents waft from an herb garden, while another contains plants that attract butterflies. Depending on the season, visitors might catch roses in bloom (in Florida’s largest rose garden) or the grace of camellias. Guides conduct tours of the early 20th-century Leu House.
Historic Waterhouse Residence & Carpentry Museum

William H. Waterhouse was a carpenter who came to Central Florida in the early 1880s and built this lovely home overlooking Lake Lily. Pristinely restored and maintained by the Maitland Historical Society, the home, Waterhouse’s carpentry shop, and the property’s remarkable collection of hand-crafted furniture offer a glimpse into the DIY days of Maitland’s past. Woodworking buffs will be wowed by Waterhouse’s extensive use of heart of pine, a wood rarely seen today. Tours lasting about 40 minutes are offered. The Waterhouse facilities nicely complement the Maitland Historical & Telephone Museums, both located just a few blocks away and also run by the Maitland Historical Society.
HOB Blues Bar

The main room at House of Blues is one of the best spots in town to catch big-name acts (see Blues Bar at House of Blues, House of Blues). But the HOB Blues Bar, next door, is an intimate stage for small-scale blues bands that are generally unknown but excellent. Guests ordering dinner get priority for table seating.
Holy Land Experience

Marvin J. Rosenthal, a Christian convert and Baptist minister, created quite a stir when he opened this religious theme park in 2001. Set in a half-scale reconstruction of the Temple of the Great King, which stood in Jerusalem in the 1st century AD, the park aims to take visitors 7,000 miles (11,200 km) away and 3,000 years back to the ancient Jerusalem of biblical times (BC 1450 to AD 66 to be exact). The attraction has models of the limestone caves where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and Jesus’s tomb. It also has displays of rare antiquated Bibles and biblical manuscripts, an outdoor stage where actors portraying biblical personalities tell stories from the Old and New Testaments, and a café that serves Middle Eastern food.
Holy Land Experience

Ancient Jerusalem comes to life at this attraction, which has reconstructions of Jesus’ tomb, the temple, and the caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Make no mistake: this is a “Christ-centered ministry,” but guests of any religion can get a kick out of cast members acting out biblical scenes and telling stories from both testaments. A café serves up “Goliath burgers” among other fare.
Horse World Riding Stables

Enjoy horse riding on 750 acres (300 ha) of peaceful sandy trails. There are pony and hay rides, as well as friendly farm animals.
Incredible Hulk Coaster

Possibly the ultimate inversion ride – it’s a zero-G-force, multi-looping ride of a lifetime. The net catches personal items riders should have stashed in a locker (Islands of Adventure).
Islands of Adventure

Few visitors would contest the claim of this Universal park to being king of the Orlando thrill-ride circuit.