Great value at $14 per kid - all day pass…read more There's a large diner area in the front with a huge kitchen, tons of play food, there's a mini gas station with cars. Huge variety for kids to play in a secure area. Although you can't bring outside food or drink, you can step out eat and come back in. Truly Enjoyable. Wish they had this in south florida!

This place is so cute. It's perfect for under 5. Lots of different activities or areas of play…read more Located in the mall near the arcade. They do offer military discount for entry! Socks required for certain play areas. No food or drink inside the facility.

This is a blockbuster exhibit currently taking place in the Orlando Science Center. Admission to…read morethe science center includes this exhibit. An adult ticket is $26 but I was able to attend for free except for the $5 parking garage fee. On the first weekend of every month, Bank of America offers free admission to select museums with their Museums on Us program. I was so excited to see that the Orlando Science Center was participating because it saved me the admission fee. You must purchase the tickets on the museums website with the promo code on the Bank of America website and when you get there show your BOA card and ID. The Pompeii exhibit is a traveling temporary exhibit and January will be the last month you can take advantage of the free admission for Pompeii. This museum is located in Loch Haven Park. If you haven't been here before the entrance is a little confusing. You can't enter the building from the ground floor. The only way in is to enter through a bridge that runs from the upper floors of the parking garage across the street into the museum. The Pompeii exhibit is located on the same floor as admissions. Orlando is only one of 3 states to host the exhibit and it is the last stop in the U.S.. it was brought to Orlando by the Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program. In AD 79 Mount Vesuvius erupted destroying the town of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum in 24 hours. Nearly two thousand people were killed by heavy ash, building collapse, and pyroclastic flow, a super heated hurricane force wind carrying ash and rock that can destroy anything in its path. The pyroclastic flow was a deadly river of gas, ash, and rock. Many people collapsed and died in place when the superheated poisonous gas and ash hit them. As the ash hardened the void their bodies made were left behind. After the eruption the city remained hidden and largely forgotten until an excavation in the 1740's. In the late 19th century archaeologists developed a method of injecting plaster into the holes in the hardened ash left behind by the bodies. The exhibit starts with a short 360 degree movie that gives you a glimpse into what it might have been like to have been in Pompeii on that day. After the movie you step into different galleries displaying artifacts and models of artifacts that explain what life was like in Pompeii. My favorite items were a delicate pair of gold drop earrings, a gold snake bracelet, and a loaf of bread that remained uneaten. The final room has the plaster cast of two bodies surrounded by the portraits of how people would have looked at that time. It is very poignant. Since I am not going to get to Italy anytime soon I didn't mind the drive to Orlando to see these precious objects. I was a little disappointed to see that some items were replicas but overall I was very impressed with the exhibit. I learned a lot about life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. After my visit to the Pompeii exhibit I was free to explore the rest of the museum. While it is more geared to children it was still nice to check it out. Food can be purchased at the 4Roots Cafe on the ground floor. If you have time to go, the Cornell Museum on the Rollins College Campus currently has a door knocker from Pompeii on display and it is free to visit. Before I left, I visited the gift ship where you can pick up a few souvenirs from the exhibit like postcards and magnets. I ended up purchasing a catalog of the items that were displayed. The exhibit leaves on January 24, so hurry before it is gone. Pompeii in 79 AD was nice city to visit but you didn't want to linger too long.

The biggest let down. A lot of photos on the wall, a few videos and a few statues. Not a lot of…read moreauthentic artifacts which is what we were wanting to see. I have seen far far more about Pompeii in National Geographic for free. There were way too many people and certainly no social distancing in the Pompeii exhibit. This is the third time I have driven all the way to Orlando to see an over rated exhibit which was mainly photos and maps on the wall. If you have children the center is worth the membership. Otherwise a waste of money since so much is online today

We purchased tickets for A Petrified Forest as last minute plans on Halloween night not sure what…read moreto expect and we were really blown away. Parking is free and and so is the short tram or bus ride to the event. The experience begins on the ride as you're greeted by the bus driver; (Ours was named Splatter and his energy set the mood for the night) and his assistants who may give you a fright as they give you the lore/theme of the houses and their names. The premise of this event changes every year, and after our experience we are excited to see what they cook up next year. In the front yard of the event there are many food trucks to choose from, some with themed menu options, a few shops with an array of goods, and a DJ playing some Halloween classics. This area is a relatively small but we never felt crowded, and we're able to find seats at tables to eat, despite it being Halloween Night where we expected a peak number of visitors. The smaller area also guarantees that you'll have many encounters throughout the night with the scare actors who roam this open space. Screams from guests filled the air sporadically all throughout the night. The houses were extremely impressive. There were 3 free houses included in your ticket and 2 experiences where you pay for an extra ticket. These tickets also work as fast passes to the houses. We found that the lines went by quickly. The houses are not so much houses as they are trails through the wooded area in the event lot which added a lot more to the fear factor than your typical indoor haunted houses. Every scene was filled with props and scares. It was obvious how much effort was put into the designs of the sets. This year's premise to put it simply was an abandoned mall and the houses reflected that. What really made this night for us were the employees. This experience was very interactive and the scare actors all had great attitudes. They were in character but when we had questions about the event they answered us seriously and it showed. We got the impression that they enjoyed their work, and that helped keep spirits high all night

This time I gave it a go to try some treats along with walk the 3 trails. My favorite trail was the…read morecousin's cafe of course. The treats I tried this time was the Puffy vampire brownie and the mini donuts with strawberry and blueberry drizzle. The donuts were a bit dry but the glaze was delicious. The mango and passion fruit lemonade was delicious.

The City of Altamonte Springs puts on their Independence Day Celebration and fireworks show every…read moreyear on the 3rd of July and the call it Red Hot & Boom. We love that they pick the 3rd because it opens an opportunity to see another show on the 4th, thanks for that! After last years celebration, we were very saddened to hear that 2023 was going to be their last year putting this event on. I guess the public outcry was so great that they decided Red Hot & Boom must go on, and we are so glad it did. In my opinion, it's the best fireworks display in the central Florida region, I can say that because I've been to all the big events several times over the course of my 24 years living in the area. Who else has two identical displays going off simultaneously,with and extended finale, one on the west side and the other on the east side of Cranes Roost Park. Nobody else does this but The City of Altamonte Springs, so Thank You for continuing this tradition!!! As always, there is plenty of food, beer, and merchant vendors on site. There was at least 65 Porto John's available with hand sanitizer stations. There was five bands who kept us entertained all the way up to the moment before the fireworks were launched. Great job City of Altamonte Springs and a big Thank You to all of the sponsors for keeping this show going, us little people truly appreciate it!

Red Hot & Boom in Altamonte Springs on July 3rd, 2022 was seriously the best fireworks celebration…read morein a long time. This was super organized. It is free to get in and free to park. There is tons of space to sit all around Cranes Roost Park. Bring your chairs and blankets. I'd say bring those chairs so you are most comfortable. The sponsors really did a good job including the local radio station bringing some great entertainment and pop singers. It was very fun filled. The fireworks were in so many directions and they were huge and eye popping and had some energetic music with it. This was a blast and really made for a perfect independence celebration. This will definitely be a must do every year now. After seeing these fireworks, other fireworks are very difficult to beat.

ORLANDO, FL: one of the best attractions we did on our trip was a haunted walking tour with…read moreOrlando Haunts! Leashed and friendly dogs are allowed to join as you walk through downtown and stop at buildings that have history of supernatural events! Our guide, Korben, was fantastic in telling the stories of ghosts, mysteries, and history that you wouldn't even know are right here in the city! A graveyard under a movie theatre, a college campus that was a former morgue, murders, mafia crimes, and more! This was such a unique experience and we had a great time! The tour is about 60 minutes covering 1 mile and features a few stops! Policy as of 4/26/24: "Pets are welcome as long as they do not disrupt or distract from the tour." You can also find these ghost tours in over 40 cities in the U.S.!

100-year-old buildings, historic saloons, gothic cathedrals…read more Not all of Orlando is all about Mickey & Minnie, Harry Potter's World and warm beaches but there is always something enchanting about listening to ghost stories. We attended a walking ghost tour in Orlando on a Sunday evening. For a Sunday night the restaurants, bars and clubs all seem to be operating as if it was the start of a weekend... although the on-and-off rain has reduced the "usual" crowd there were still a lot of people out, we actually walked to some shady parts of DTO which was more scary than the ghost stories... but wait, I'm still getting started with the actual ghost tour. Our meeting place was outside the Orange County Regional History Center in Downtown Orlando. We did a lot of walking so wear comfy shoes. Our guide talked about haunted buildings focusing on: 1- The Beacham - a ghost of an old woman is seen somewhere near the stage, always accompanied by drastic temperature drops. 2- The Cheyenne Saloon is one of the most popular venues in Orlando, but it has a spooky past... 3- Church Street 4- Ceviche - guests will see an out-of-place woman dressed in 19th century garb, standing behind them in the reflection 5- Hamburger Mary's Bar and Grille, originally a hardware store. Apparition of a young girl dressed in Victorian clothing 6- Kress Building - Kres Chophouse is considered to be a paranormal hot-spot by Central Florida ghost hunters 7- St James Catholic Cathedral - they even conduct their own ghost tour inside 8- Orange County Regional History Center - we learned about one of America's most prolific serial killers, Ted Bundy. The building was the location of Bundy's murder trial in 1979 My daughter purchased the Bonus Extended Tour Upgrade which was up to 4 additional haunted locations. These were all interesting and cool. Thank you to our tour guide, Tabitha.) Review #2781

Brought my kiddo to an evening v~day planetarium event because why not. We enjoyed learning about…read morethe stories behind our constellations and seeing it up bright and personal. I appreciated that the proceeds also went to the homeless community. We def need to be seeing more of that. Such a win-win. Thanks to SCC for supporting a great cause and finding a way to support community in one stone.

I was surprised and delighted to learn of this gem that has been hidden from me all of this time…read more Already this year, I have had a chance the attend a couple of solar system presentations at this planetarium. I thoroughly enjoyed them. The planetarium is small enough to provide an intimate experience yet just large enough to let you feel like you're really getting into the cosmos. The first time I arrived early to avoid being late due to the possibility of getting lost. The doors open 15 minutes prior and once the show starts, you can leave but you can't enter or re-enter. Not only did I not get lost but imagine my joy to find that volunteers had brought out telescopes so that we could get a closer look at some of the cool objects in the night sky. So, of course, I went early again (and will likely continue to do so). The first night was a great view of a nearly full moon. Other bodies visible to the eye included Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Polaris and Orion's Belt. It was even more fantastic to be able to get a closer look of the planets and the moon via the telescope. The Speakers and Planetarium Director are high energy, entertaining and provide lots of interesting information. They really make it enjoyable to be there learning about the solar system. Initially, I was surprised to see that seats filled up quickly but after my first experience, I now understand why. I really enjoyed the time spent here and think that it's worth the $6 per person. I look forward to coming back to check out any upcoming cool celestial events.

Great location. My 2 year old likes it. He enjoys the ball pit and some of the themed areas. I just…read morewish they had a membership option.

Wow. Wish I had known how new and improved this place was! It is a fantastic experience and my…read moregrandson loved every second. The dinosaur bones area was super impressive

This is a great little museum tucked away on a "no name of a road in Sanford". What used to be the…read moreonce, 13th Street, It is now been renamed to show the local flavor, now calling it, Goldsboro Blvd. I met the Curator, Miss Francis, for the first time, a year ago at a Christmas Party- and she is an absolute asset to the community. The atmosphere is primitive and folksy. And although there is no charge, you are "Free" to make a donation. he he Across the street is the Welcome Center. It is welcoming but again, very primitive, in a "grandma's" house kinda way. The biggest thing is the education, you will learn about Goldsboro, before it was Sanford. Hopefully, some day they will Incorporate the old Booker Town of Sanford, located on the other side of the Sanford Rail. (Shoot, I remember those days too). The second thing is, White people are truly welcome. No one stares, no scene to be had. They are actually glad you showed, And you will be too. These are not the olden days of Circa 1990, assuredly, it is NOT. Also, they do Charity work for the Community. I missed out on the last phone drive, but to give you an example: it was for a bus pass for a week for citizens of Orlando to get a job in Orlando. This is a grea tplace for kids and teens alike. The is one off putting thing, at least to me, Is the Trayvon Martin scene. I just don't like it when any museum, funded by public, take on Political views. I think it is inappropriate. Sorry for any typo's- he he.