Located just south of world famous Orlando in the Everglades, Kissimmee is the largest city of Osceola County in the state of Florida. It is a popular destination among tourists in Central Florida because of its close proximity to Disney World theme parks. Here is our list of things to do in Kissimmee.
Orlando International Airport, which is just 25 minutes drive away from Kissimmee, your entry point. Here most international and domestic flights land. It is about a 25 minute drive down I-4 from Kissimmee. Kissimmee Gateway Airport is used for private jets and commercial flights.
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What is Kissimmee Florida famous for?
Kissimmee is known for its sunny weather and for being a family friendly location. It is highly popular among families with kids because of the presence of various world famous adventure theme parks, and offers a lot of places for shopping & dining.
Famous theme parks like Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando are just a drive away from Kissimmee. There are a lot of adventure opportunities in this sunny getaway. are just minutes away from Kissimmee.
Best time to visit Kissimmee according to locals depends on temperature and humidity, hence traveling here in summer is not advised. So late September or early October to early April makes it an ideal time for making your way to Kissimmee.
What are the best things to do in Kissimmee, FL?
There are plenty of things to do in Kissimmee all year round. Getting around in Kissimmee is also fairly easy as visitors can use its public transportation service called Lynx. Because of this, a lot of tourist places become accessible to visitors, making their travel easy. Check out the service map of the buses here.
OLD TOWN
Old Town is an amusement park and a best thing to do in Kissimmee, FL. As the name suggests, the park has various old-time carnival, joy and amusement rides including a giant human slingshot. There are over 70 shops and restaurants here like Denny’s, Pancake Place.
On weekends, visitors can enjoy a classic car show. It also has a free Ferris wheel ride on the Century Ferris Wheel for those with free coupons which are found in coupon books of various hotels. It provides a stunning night view of the city from 60 feet in the air making it one of those spots where the fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down.
It has free parking and admission per head. Old Town is a must visit and one of the best things for visitors with families. Check out their website here to know about discounts like military discounts on various amusements.
OSCEOLA HERITAGE PARK
it is a complex for events and recreation. The complex has Osceola County Stadium, Silver Spurs Arena, and various other facilities.
The stadium is home of the Houston Astros. All the Baseball fanatics can enjoy watching the excitement of some big matches here up close every year from late February through early April.
Silver Spurs Arena is an events arena that hosts concerts, rodeos and other activities. The popular annual Silver Spurs Rodeo is hosted here every year in late February. Go through their website to check on the events happening at the time of your visit. They offer services regularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. between Thursday to Saturday.
OSCEOLA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
They have a historical village and Museum of Kissimmee, with buildings from older times like a cracker house and horse stables. The entry fee here is varied. Locals and visitors who are interested in history come here to explore the history of Osceola County and learn about life in early Florida.
The place also offers interactive guided tours where you can experience how people lived in the late 1800s at Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek from Osceola settlers to Seminole settlement, hear stories and facts about the place with the sounds of Florida wildlife, and see various sections of the exhibits at the History Museum.
You can also make bookings at the village for private and personal affairs like weddings, vow renewals etc. here.
SHINGLE CREEK REGIONAL PARK
Part of Kissimmee Chain of lakes, this water body at the northernmost headwaters of the Everglades watershed is called Shingle Creek. It has a great American outside called Shingle Creek Regional Park is a 456-acres park packed with adventures which include properties from the historic Shingle Creek community.
The park is ideal for various open sky outdoor activities like fishing, paddling, hiking trails, bird watching, picnicking etc. A paddling trail also passes through the park totals about 7 miles from Babb Landing to Lake Tohopekaliga.
Shingle Creek comprises multiple regions for various activities like Marsh Landing for kayaking and canoeing, Babb landing that has Pioneer Village, Mary Kendall Steffee Nature Preserve etc. That’s why a trip to this Kissimmee area may take a whole day. It’s one of the best things to do outdoors in Kissimmee. Check various trips happening in this park here.
LAKE TOHOPEKALIGA
Well known as “Lake Toho” among locals, Lake Tohopekaliga is the largest lake in Osceola County, Florida. This lake is known as one of the top locations for some of the best bass fishing in the states.
The large area of the lake makes it people’s favorite prime location for outdoor recreation among nature lovers. The fauna around the lake includes gators, otters, wading birds, and Florida-strain largemouth bass. Make sure you don’t miss spotting a few of these.
The lake has a park at its north end that has walking trails, stations for barbecues, restrooms, picnic areas, and a playground and splash pad for children.
KISSIMMEE LAKEFRONT PARK
Located on East Monument Avenue, and the north shore of Lake Toho, Lakefront park is the other common thing where picnickers, bird watchers, and fishermen tours. The parks have grassy walking paths, a fishing pier, shaded picnic spots and playground.
Kissimmee’s Lakefront Park has an interesting and historically significant monument dedicated to those who fought and died during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor called Monument of States.
Various events and parades like Martin Luther King Jr. Parade and festival, Chili Cook-Off, Kowtown Festival, Caribbean Fusion, Symphony in the Park, July 4th Celebration, Art festival, Viva Osceola, and the Festival of Lights Parade takes place at the Lakefront Park. There are many hotel to stay around this park.
BOGGY CREEK AIRBOATS AND SWAMP BUGGY RIDES
One of the fun things to do in the city is to get up close and personal with the swamps and lakes of Kissimmee. Not to be confused with American horror drama, Boggy Creek, also known as ‘The Central Florida Everglades’ offers airboat or swamp buggy rides to view exotic birds, turtles and other creatures of Florida.
An airboat can hold nearly 20 passengers and takes them on animal viewing tours in the Everglades’ headwaters. Visitors get the opportunity to observe gators, snakes, turtles and a variety of wading and predatory birds of this region. Different tours cost differently according to the differing lengths of the tour are available here.
Visitors also enjoy the educational place here called Native American Village and spend hours at the gator farm. Check out the tickets and tours offered by them here. Locals suggest visiting the place as early as possible to avoid afternoon showers and to have the best chance to see maximum wildlife.
OAKS NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
Oaks National Golf Club In Kissimmee, Florida is the one of the best things to do for golf fanatics visiting the city. The club has parks that are lined by century-old oak trees hence giving it the name of Oaks National Golf Club.
They also offer a course that has an affordable price as compared to many of the other elite courses. The course features a variety of water hazards and sand traps to keep things interesting, and it’s not uncommon to see eagles and wild turkeys during your round. There are also pre-round practice facilities, a restaurant, and a shop available here.
It was designed by renowned Architect Karl Litten. It is located only minutes away from Walt Disney World and Orlando’s other local attractions, Oaks National offers ultimate golf experience. Visitors can play 8 championship holes.
The landscape of this golf course is trimmed and manicured sloping fairways that wind around beautiful water bodies. Birds like wild turkey, heron, eagles and hawks can be easily spotted here. The Oaks National is a perfect amalgamation of nature of Florida and golf. Find about the course here.
MUSEUM OF MILITARY HISTORY
The Museum of Military History, Kissimmee, Florida is an attempt to tell the history of American military. The museum tries to educate, build awareness, and understanding of the American military through interactive, interpretive exhibits of photo essays, relics, personal accounts for visitors of all ages.
It was opened in 2012. The museum has exhibits that have artifacts and objects that cover almost every war that the States has ever fought. All the history lovers and military personnel must visit this museum.
The artifacts and objects include uniforms, weapons, vehicles, and a large variety of photographs, letters, and other firsthand accounts, many of which are very graphic and poignant. Avoid visiting the museum in hot weather as the place can get too crowded.
GATORLAND
Literally a 15 mins of drive away from Kissimmee is Gatorland. Claiming to be a first of its amusement park in Central Florida, it’s a 110-acre theme park and wildlife preserve. Rare leucistic alligator is also featured here.
Famously known as “Alligator Capital of the World”, Gatorland, as the name suggests, is home to thousands of alligators and crocodiles with many other animals. The park has a breeding marsh that also has an elevated boardwalk along it and multiple observation towers, a petting zoo, an aviary, and a ridable miniature railroad called Gatorland Express.
A 1200 feet long Zip line that travels across a pool of alligators was also added here recently. The park also offers an off-road swamp vehicle tour, alligator feeding shows, alligator wrestling shows, and a lot of educational programs.
KISSIMMEE AIR MUSEUM
The state of Florida has a rich aviation and military history, that’s why the Kissimmee Air Museum serves as a great opportunity to learn about the aeronautic history of the security services. It is located at the Kissimmee Gateway Airport in Kissimmee, Florida. It houses vintage aircraft from World War II to the Vietnam War.
The museum also serves as a working place for the restorations of vintage aircraft. It was opened in 2007. Guided tours are available of the workshops and hangers which are crammed with wrecks and bits and pieces of rare aircraft, as well as planes which are flyable or are being restored.
The museum displays a number of Warbird Adventures, Inc’s vintage aircraft as well as it exhibits aircrafts on loan from private individuals and other organizations.
They also offer rides in vintage aircraft. The infamous North American P-51 Mustang is also housed here. It was a deadly fighter plane tasked with escorting heavy and slow-moving bombers on raids over Germany during World War II. Click here to find more about the museum.
ART IN MOTION LLC CUSTOM MOTORCYCLES
This is one of a kind experience that you’ll have in the state. Travelers can see custom motorcycles being built and build their own later. This center is a 0.6 acre facility. The “three-wheeler” restroom offers a “magic spot” where if you park your vehicle in the right place out front, you can see it projected upside-down on the silver wall inside.
The site offers a “build your own bike while on vacation” service for people with the inclination to build a motorcycle but not enough time or knowledge to do this on their own. Go through their website here to know more about this center.
WALT DISNEY WORLD
The Walt Disney World Resort is near Kissimmee in Orlando, Florida. It is only 20-25 mins drive away. It is the dreamiest place packed with entertainment by which you can enjoy human innovation and creativity.
It is one of the best fun things to do in FL. Visitors also experience rides. Rides here are both thrilling and enchanting. If you want to relax and recuperate, then they have a beach and golf course. This a resort where children and adults can have fun together. Walt Disney World is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando.
The resort is the flagship of Disney’s worldwide theme park empire. It is, by far, the most popular theme park resort in the world. Some visitors describe it as a place of magic and fantasy where life size movie characters come up to entertain you; others speak of fun, excitement at the rides.
The centerpiece of attractions of Walt Disney World are the four theme parks: The Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Walt Disney World also has two of the world’s three most popular water parks in Florida, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Two shopping and entertainment districts, Downtown Disney and Disney’s Boardwalk, provide extensive shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
For those who still don’t know what to do here then check out some of the lesser-known things: golf, tennis, boating, race car driving, spas and health clubs, backstage tours, sporting events, character dining, and much more. So, we can tell by now that Walt Disney World has things to offer to everyone.
TITANIC ARTIFACT MUSEUM
Like many other attractions, this museum is also a drive away from Kissimmee, Florida. It is dedicated to the Titanic. Visitors are welcome to see the artifacts from the ship, and enjoy the re-creations of the ship & guided tours.
It has almost 20 distinct galleries spread over thousands of square feet. The Titanic Artifact Exhibition is Florida’s most complete repository of artifacts, memorabilia, and personal accounts and ideas of the unfortunate event. It mostly takes an hour or two to fully experience all the things here.
A few of the most popular attractions are the underwater rooms, the full-scale reproduction of the boiler, and the restaurant where many passengers dined for the last time. The Museum features over 300 arts, costumed actors, full-scale room recreations, and gala dinners with popular dinner theatres as well.
CHOCOLATE KINGDOM
Chocolate Kingdom is, you guessed it, a chocolate factory in Kissimmee, Florida. The factory offers guided interactive tours that take the visitors into the chocolate making world. It shows the process from cacao bean to chocolate bars.
Tours last approximately an hour and include samples along each stage of the chocolate making adventure, beginning with a walk through a cacao bean greenhouse. The factory has a museum, a gift store for all the chocolate things, and the Mystical River of Chocolate.
By the end of the tour, you’ll be able to create your own customized chocolate by the back of your hand. If you’re a chocoholic, this is going to be the best day for you to date with lots of Charlie and the Chocolate factory vibes.
BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA
It is one of the most popular theme parks in the United States. It is a 343 acres African themed animal theme park and offers many thrilling roller coaster rides.
Visitors can also have multiple encounters with animals. Busch Gardens is dedicated to animal conservation across the globe. The park has guided animal tours which operates both during the day and at night.
The Serengeti Safari lets visitors ride in open-air vehicles for viewing of zebras, giraffes, ostriches, and other African species. The park has several restaurants, shops etc.
EXTREME JET SKI OF ORLANDO
Extreme Jet Ski of Orlando is a company that is based on the shores of a large lake in Kissimmee, Florida. It offers excellent jet ski rentals like Yamaha, Seadoo, and Honda jet skis and instruction. The skis are extremely fast and allow the riders to zoom into the water. The large area of the lake gives riders plenty of room to drive safely.
THOMPSON AIRE
Thompson Aire is a company that offers sunrise flights seven days a week over the Kissimmee and Orlando area. The balloon rides with Thompson Aire allow only 4 to 6 persons per flight and offer a stunning bird’s eye view of central Florida. All rides also include a full buffet breakfast.
SHOP AND EAT IN KISSIMMEE
Your search for a shopping center in Kissimmee will bring you to a stop at the Loop. It is a large shopping center which was opened in 2007. Goods ranging from cheap to expensive can be found here. The Loop has a wide variety of anchor stores, restaurants, and specialty retailers, and a movie theater.
Downtown Disney in Florida offers a range of curated shops which sells different merchandise. There is another market called Lanier’s Historic Downtown Marketplace. You can’t tell which place is better without visiting them. Downtown of the city has a lot of restaurants.
Medieval Times is a place where dinner shows take place with medieval reenactments like horseback jousting, falconry etc. all set in a huge castle. Café D ’Antonio is a lakeside Italian café. Capone’s is a gangster themed diner. Gator’s Dockside, Fat Boy’s BarBQ, and Kissimmee Steakhouse are suggested highly by the locals.
What are the free things to do in Kissimmee, FL?
Kissimmee offers a lot of attractions that we have mentioned above for free and there some other places also. Town of Celebration is one such place which is a Disney World look alike neighbourhood but has its own things going on. Famous Oktoberfest on a weekend in October takes place here.
Here farmer’s market is an absolute delight. Places like Disney Springs, Disney Wilderness Reserve, Old Town etc provide free admission. Lake Toho and Shingle Creek have cost nothing to explore.
What are the things to do in Kissimmee at night?
Various safaris at Busch Gardens are offered at night. Old Town has a lot of fun things to do at night. Downtown of the city has a lot of bars and pubs for nightlife. Medieval Times, Titanic artifacts museum etc offer dinner shows.
There is something to do here in Kissimmee, Florida every night but before venturing out in the night, make sure you go through this website to get updates about the location and guidelines released by the authority before visiting the place.
Please also read things to do in New Orleans.
