Tag: family

Top 10 Family Friendly Things to Do While Visiting Anna Maria Island

1. The Fish Hole Miniature Golf-An 18 hole golf course located on Historic Bridge Street. They have a koi pond that the kids will love to feed! Open 7 days!
115 Bridge Street
Bradenton Beach, FL 34217
(941) 778-3388

2. Anna Maria Bay Front Park– This is a great family friendly park which offers a playground, grills, picnic tables. There is a bay beach as well with views of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Egmont Key. There are public restrooms and showers to wash off the sand!
316 North Bay Blvd
Anna Maria City, FL 34212

3. Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlor– They offer sundaes, ice cream cones, cookies & candy or you can grab lunch, sandwiches, hotdogs & chips!
101 South Bay Blvd
Anna Maria City, FL 34216
(941) 779-2422

4. Anna Maria Island Community Center-The Center has so many programs and activities for kids, teens and adults too!
407 Magnolia Ave
Anna Maria City, FL 34216
(941) 778-1908

5. The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature-This great museum located in Downtown Bradenton has Bishop Planetarium and Parker Manatee Aquarium all under one roof! You must see Snooty; he is the oldest known manatee!
201 10th St. West
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 746-4131

6. Eternal Summer Surf Camp-This is fantastic, free program offered in the summer. Every Sunday beginning July 4th, there is a 2 hour instructional class for children 14 and under. Did I mention it’s free?
Located at the beach on White Avenue

7. Mote Marine Laboratory-You can explore the sea through the touch pools, viewable-working labs and interactive exhibits. See sharks, dolphins, manatees and sea turtles, along with more than 100 other species of marine life.
1600Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 388-4441

8. Clearwater Marine Aquarium– This is a great family day trip to Clearwater. The aquarium is the official home of the Dolphin Winter, star of the new blockbuster movie, Dolphin Tale!
249 Windward Passage
Clearwater, FL 33767
(727) 441-1790

9. De Soto National Park-This national park teaches the local history through a hands-on exhibit and re-enactments for the young and old. Pack a picnic and you can explore the nature trail!
8300 De Soto Memorial Hwy
Bradenton, FL 34209
(941) 792-0458 ext. 105

10. GO TO THE BEACH!

G. T. Bray Park is a large park in Bradenton, Fl

G.T. Bray Park located in Bradenton, Fl has something for everyone.  You can walk tree rimmed paths, swing on the swing in one of the three playgrounds, swim and play in the water fountains or take your dog to the very safe enclosed dog park.

If you are looking to have a larger event while visiting Bradenton or Anna Maria Island then G.T. Bray Park could be your perfect ticket.  The Bradenton park has seven pavilions (Picnic Shelters.)  Of course sizes vary.  If you refer to the map below the numbers here correlate to those on the GT Bray park map.  (1)Cedar Hammock (2) Oak Knoll (3) Hickory Hollow (4) Meadow View (5) Woodland Grove (6) Whispering Pine (7) Bright Outlook – located adjacent to the Activity Center.

The dog park is called happy tails and is a perfect treat for pet visitors to Anna Maria Island.  Happy Tails Canine Park is a fenced in, 3-acre off leash dog park located at the North East corner of G.T. Bray Bradenton park.  Happy Tails is just off 51st Street West. Amenities at the dog park includes one drinking fountain and free waste bags and a enclosed separate area exclusively for small, fragile, or elderly dogs.

This Bradenton park is a great place to relax or play soccer, softball or football in one of their many open fields.  Tennis and racquetball  courts are available year round.  There is a weight room available for a fee.  Skate and hockey court is also just one of the great amenities the Bradenton park has to offer.  The skate park is located at G.T. Bray Park, 5502 33rd Avenue Drive West, Bradenton, Fl, 34209.

Depending on the time of year you are visiting the beaches of Anna Maria Island, you can find many family friendly events for children all  year long.  The Christmas party is a must see, Santa Claus flies in on a helicopter with Batman to give the children their opportunity to tell him what they want for Christmas and have their photos taken.  The holiday celebration is perfect for families of all ages, face painting, bounce houses, games, crafts, etc.

G.T. Bray Park
5502 33rd Avenue Drive West
Bradenton, Florida
(941) 742-5923

Robinson Preserve Information

Bradenton – If your family is looking for something adventurous and would enjoy a bike-ride on newly-paved trails, a walk along the nature paths, kayaking through the paddle trails, a climb up an Observation Tower or would just prefer to enjoy the wildlife, then Robinson Preserve is the perfect way to entertain the whole family!

The Robinson Preserve is located in Northwest Bradenton, about a 10-15 min drive off Anna Maria Island. Open year-round, Hours: Sunrise to Sunset.  Free Admission and parking.  Tours only by request and usually last about 2 hours.  Make an appointment by calling ahead of time.

Bring your bathing suit if you would like to go for a swim.  The Preserve also has plenty of picnic tables across from the Visitor Center to have a meal or a little snack. Make sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen as it can be very hot, especially during summer!!

Are you bringing your dog on vacation? Bring them to Robinson Preserve! Just make sure that you bring a leash and plenty of water!

There are several companies offering services to rent kayaks at Robinson’s preserve.  They will deliver the rental kayaks at predetermined times so you can enjoy a kayak around the preserve.  Great fun!

1690 99th St NW
Bradenton,FL 34209
(941)748-4501

The Ringling -The John and Mable Ringling Museum

The Ringling museum is a great day trip from Anna Maria Island into Sarasota. The museum is located right off Sarasota Bay just a short 30 minutes drive away. This is truly an amazing museum, and a must visit for art lovers!

John and Mable Ringling built their home and museum in 1927 and left their beautiful grounds and buildings to the State of Florida. The museum opened to the public in October of 1931. The history behind this gorgeous waterfront property is incredible, to read more please go to www.ringling.org.

The museum includes the Ringling Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, Rose Garden, Ringling Courtyard, and the Ca d’Zan Mansion.

Exhibits at The Ringling

You will fall in love with the historically significant art found here. Works from Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens fill an entire room. These pieces are huge and astonishing. Additionally many other famous names decorate the walls.

The Circus Museum is fun for everyone! Yes, this is the John Ringling of Ringling Circus. You will find interesting circus history, and fun things to see.

Ca d’Zan is the summer home of John and Mable. It’s like visiting a palace on Sarasota Bay. This mansion is one of a kind. You’ll never see anything like this luxurious home. The Ringlings held amazing balls and also loved entertaining here.

One of the galleries at the museum is for rotating exhibits. This is an excellent place to catch traveling shows.

The museum offers complimentary tours with admission of the Ringling Museum and the Circus Museum.

Saturdays at the Ringling Museum are family fun days with story time, exploration stations, family friendly exhibition tours and more all with paid admission.

Also located on the grounds, Banyan Café and the Treviso Restaurant are great for dining.

 Located at the end of University Parkway on beautiful Sarasota Bay.

For more things to do in Sarasota, visit our top ten list.