Fishing is available at many of Polk County's public parks.
Each year millions of people flock to Central Florida's Polk County for their beautiful lakes and parks, historic landmarks and family friendly entertainment. Located less than an hour from Orlando, FL, Polk County offers a variety of family fun activities both indoors and out. Tourism is a strong economical force in Polk County, and with so many great things to do, its no wonder why.
Outdoor Activities
Plan a visit to one of Polk County's 60 park and recreational facilities (polk-county.net). Visit a park and spend the day fishing, boating, or hiking. Florida residents can purchase a year long fishing license for $17. Non residents are charged $47. Licenses can be purchased online or at the county tax collector's office. If fishing's not your sport, challenge the kids to a game of tennis and have a picnic at one of their picnic shelters. Camping is available at four of Polk County's parks, so pack a tent or rent a cabin and spend a night under the stars.
Indoor Activities
Spend the day indoors. If the weather isn't cooperating you can still find fun family activities in Polk County. Take the family to a movie or catch a show at the theatre. There are five movie theaters located in the county and three performing arts theaters. Also, make sure to visit the Polk County Historical Museum (no website; 100 East Main Street, Bartow; 863-534-4386), located in the old Polk County Courthouse. The museum offers special events and educational programs for the whole family and admission is free. The Polk County libraries (mypclc.org/libraries) also offer different family events each month. If shopping is more your style, you won't be disappointed with Polk County's antique shops and Lakeside Village (shoplakesidevillage.net) shopping plaza.
Theme Attractions
Visit theme parks located within Polk County, FL. Bok Tower Gardens (boktowergardens.org), Polk County's historic botanical gardens is located right inside of Polk County and cost $10 per person. Also, Fantasy of Flight (fantasyofflight.com) and Sun 'N Fun Fly-In are engaging attractions to keep the family busy on a warm Florida day.
Things to Do Nearby
Visit some of Florida's famous attractions all located within one hour of Polk County. Walt Disney World Resorts (disneyworld.disney.go.com), Universal Studios (universalorlando.com), SeaWorld (seaworld.com/orlando), and Busch Gardens (buschgardens.com) are all less than a 45 minute drive from Polk County, FL. Plan to only visit one to two of these nearby venues in a day so that you have time to enjoy and see everything the parks have to offer.
Tags: Polk County, family activities, less than, located within, visit Polk
