Everybody knows Orlando as the site of the greatest collection of theme parks on earth. While lovable mascots Mickey, Donald, and Woody Woodpecker dominate the city’s tourism personality, you might be surprised to learn that Orlando is a diverse destination with a variety of noteworthy cultural, sports, entertainment and nature attractions that can enhance a visit to the area.

Every visitor to Orlando’s headliner attractions, Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, needs some sort of reprieve from the long lines, crowds, and incessant walking. If you find yourself in need of a theme park break or you’re simply interested in doing something different, Orlando has lots of intriguing options--DAS Demo recommends the following.

Cultural Attractions

In Winter Park, a small town with a New England-style main street three miles north of downtown Orlando, you'll find the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which has the most comprehensive collection of Tiffany glass in the world. Brimming with brightly colored leaded-glass windows and lamps, jewelry, pottery, and paintings, the 30,000-square foot facility located at 445 North Park Avenue is one of Orlando’s best-kept secrets. Better still, admission is unbelievably inexpensive-- $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $1 for students with identification, and free for children younger than 12.

In downtown Orlando, the Orange County Regional History Center is another don’t-miss cultural gem. Featuring interactive permanent exhibits, the center gives visitors an accurate picture of the history of Orlando and Central Florida.

Sports Possibilities

If you have any energy left after traipsing through theme parks, the sports options in Orlando are phenomenal. With a year-round temperate climate, you can engage in a wide variety of sports activities any day of the year. Orlando has more than 100 golf courses within a 40-mile radius, so there is no shortage of places to tee up. For fuzzy ball enthusiasts, the Lake Cane Tennis Center with 17 lighted courts, located four blocks from Universal Orlando, is a top-notch complex. Designed for wakeboarding and waterskiing, the Orlando Watersports Complex near the Orlando International Airport features a cable system that can pull skiers up to 36 miles per hour.

Outdoor Fun

Twenty minutes north of downtown Orlando is Seminole County where you’ll find a bevy of natural attractions, including canoeing and kayaking on pristine rivers and waterways, finding gators on an airboat ride and bird watching on the Great Florida Birding Trail. The pristine Wekiva Springs State Park near Apopka offers a wealth of opportunities for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, canoeing, kayaking, camping, and picnics.

Alternative Entertainment Attractions

Orlando’s major theme parks have spawned several engaging, one-of-a-kind attractions that are worth a visit when you’re in Orlando. Here are two:

No visit to Florida is complete without seeing an alligator, right? The best place to see one is Gatorland in Kissimmee, a 110-acre theme park known as the Alligator Capital of The World, which has thousands of alligators and crocodiles you can view from a boardwalk or observation tower as well as reptilian shows, an aviary, a petting zoo, a swamp walk, and educational programs.

Flying enthusiasts, welcome to airplane nirvana. Fantasy of Flight in Haines City, 20 minutes west of the Walt Disney World complex, has over 40 rare and vintage aircraft on display, including a B-26 Marauder, B-24 Liberator, and P51 Mustangs. Other popular activities are a B-17 Walkthrough, tram tour, aerial demonstrations, and hang-gliding simulator.