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Live entertainment, fascinating museums and cultural delights galore await in Orlando.
Days to weeks can be spent at the area’s famous theme parks – Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and LEGOLAND Florida Resort – but if you’re looking for fun away from the parks, Orlando also provides a top-notch art and culture scene that is often overlooked or completely unknown to visitors wanting diverse leisure options while on vacation.
See Why They Call it “The City Beautiful”
Art is all around you in Orlando, spilling out onto streets, structures and greenspaces. The city’s public art program is responsible for over 900 pieces throughout the city, including the large assortment of colorful murals found throughout the hip Mills 50, Milk District and Downtown neighborhoods. If you’re looking to escape the heat, head to Winter Park’s Rollins Museum of Art to view a permanent collection of over 5,600 works for free or stroll the nearby grounds of Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. In Downtown, wander seven galleries highlighting local artists at CityArts and the rotating photographic artworks at Snap! Orlando – both free of cost. Other art institutions to visit include the Orlando Museum of Art, Charles Hosmer Museum of American Art and the Maitland Art Center.
Intricate stained-glass windows at the Charles Hosmer Museum of American Art

Enjoy Theatrical Surprises
Orlando knows how to put on a great show, from the best of Broadway to magnificent local productions. Downtown, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts hosts over 300 shows a year in four distinct venue spaces. The center is also the home for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Ballet Company and Opera Orlando. Just blocks away, Fringe Artspace puts on free-spirited local theater productions and workshops. It's one of many venues that take part in the International Fringe Theatre Festival, a series of 850 ticketed theatrical performances and a free outdoor music festival that thrills the city each May. For shows that the whole family will enjoy, the Orlando Shakespeare Theater, commonly known as Orlando Shakes, puts on classic, contemporary and children’s plays, and the Winter Park Playhouse produces musicals in an intimate setting.
The Bach Festival Society performs a concert in Steimetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts

Experience this Entertainment Hub
Orlando’s many music and sports venues come alive with exciting spectacles nearly every night of the week. Catch acclaimed musical acts on their tour stops at the Kia Center downtown, House of Blues in Disney Springs and Hard Rock Live in Universal CityWalk Orlando. Starting in 2025, you'll be able to see the internationally popular Blue Man Group put on dynamic performances nearly every day in their very own theater in ICON Park. If smaller, intimate shows are more your vibe, check out Tin Roof and Ole Red in ICON Park, or head to The Social for indie bands. Festivalgoers flock to the Electric Daisy Carnival, a can’t-miss EDM festival in November, and the Orlando Funk Fest, an old-school R&B and hip-hop extravaganza that takes place in June. With pleasant weather all year, outdoor music festivals happen in all seasons. Sports fans can root for multiple professional teams – Orlando Magic basketball games, Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Pride matches, and Orlando Valkyries volleyball games put you right in the heart of the action.
An intimate performance at House of Blues in Disney Springs

Getting There
Fly into Orlando International Airport (MCO), Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) or Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) and rent a car to see the area at your own pace. Public ground transportation aboard the SunRail commuter train and Brightline high-speed passenger train is also available.

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