Florida is known for its beaches, but locals know the state offers so much more.
Beyond scenic ocean views are amazing natural and manmade structures, hidden gems and, of course, history that helped shaped America to what it is today.
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, the USA TODAY Network – Florida compiled a list of the state’s treasured views — some of which are lesser known — in conjunction with a national Treasured Views project by USA TODAY.
Here are a dozen treasured views and places across Florida.
St. Augustine’s stone fortress has anchored the city’s waterfront for centuries, surviving sieges and swapping flags as empires changed hands.
Construction of the Castillo de San Marcos began in 1672 to protect Spanish interests and took nearly a quarter-century to finish. Its thick coquina walls—made from compressed seashells quarried nearby—helped it withstand cannon fire and, according to park materials, kept residents safe during attacks.
Today, the Castillo is a National Monument at the heart of the historic district in America’s Oldest City. It draws visitors for its sweeping bay views, grassy slopes and living-history demonstrations. For locals, it’s an easy half-day outing and a reminder of the city’s layered past.
The Treasure Coast gets its name from one of Florida’s most enduring shipwreck stories. In 1715, a Spanish fleet sailing from the New World toward Spain ran into a hurricane off Florida’s east coast.
Eleven of the fleet’s 12 ships sank July 31, 1715, scattering gold, silver, jewelry and other artifacts across the ocean floor. The wrecks are tied to a stretch of shoreline in Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties, giving the region both its name and a major part of its identity.
The story still shapes museums, beachgoing and treasure-hunting rules today. Recovery efforts have continued for years, and the area remains closely associated with the 1715 fleet. An estimated $400 million in treasure was lost, along with more than 1,000 lives. 
Gulf Islands National Seashore stretches across Florida and Mississippi, combining beaches, wetlands and historic military sites in one national park unit.
Created by Congress in 1971, the seashore covers 160 miles from the Pensacola area to Ocean Springs, Miss., and includes both developed visitor areas and more remote barrier islands.
For local residents and visitors, it matters because it offers several different kinds of experiences in one place: camping and RV sites, swimming and fishing, hiking trails, bird-watching, and access to forts tied to U.S. coastal defense history. It also spans multiple communities along the northern Gulf Coast, making it a regional destination rather than a single beach or park stop.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers local residents an easy day trip into the story of American spaceflight.
Just miles from where Apollo 11 launched in 1969, the attraction combines historic hardware with exhibits tied to NASA’s next steps to the moon.
Visitors can walk among early rockets, get a close look at Space Shuttle Atlantis and stand beneath a Saturn V — the type that carried astronauts to the lunar surface more than 50 years ago. On some days, you can also watch a rocket launch from nearby pads.  
At the far southern tip of Florida, Everglades National Park protects more than 1.5 million acres of wetlands, mangroves and coastal islands.
Created in 1947 as the nation’s first park dedicated to preserving an ecological system, it’s the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. and stretches from just south of the Marco Island–Naples area to Flamingo on Florida Bay.
Visitors come for wildlife viewing, paddling, camping and fishing — especially during the drier, cooler months. The park sits so far south that it’s closer to Cuba and the Caribbean than to Georgia or Alabama.
Goodwood Museum & Gardens in Tallahassee offers visitors a way to explore nearly 200 years of local history in one place.
The estate began in the 1830s as a cotton plantation, and today its buildings, gardens and exhibits trace a long timeline that includes slavery, Reconstruction, the Gilded Age and later preservation efforts.
The site also functions as more than a historic house museum. Along with restored rooms and preserved outbuildings, Goodwood serves as a community gathering place for events, lectures and quiet visits to the grounds. For residents and visitors looking to better understand Tallahassee’s past, the estate brings together history, architecture and landscape in a setting that is still active today.
Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is a nationally significant site with deep ties to Florida’s conservation history.
In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside the 5,400-acre Pelican Island as the nation’s first National Wildlife Refuge to protect nesting habitat for brown pelicans and other wading birds. Today, the refuge remains both a protected habitat and a public destination for outdoor recreation along the historic Jungle Trail between Wabasso and Sebastian.
For local residents and visitors, it offers a mix of history, wildlife viewing, walking trails and water access nearby. The refuge is also part of a larger story about how bird protection efforts in Florida helped shape the modern National Wildlife Refuge System. 
Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most remote places you can visit in the National Park System.
About 70 miles west of Key West, it spans 100 square miles of clear water around seven small islands. The park is best known for Fort Jefferson, a massive 19th-century coastal fort, and for reefs and wildlife that attract campers, bird-watchers, snorkelers and divers.
If you’re considering a trip, plan ahead: access is limited to boats and seaplanes, and time on the islands is finite unless you secure a camping permit. 
Fort Pickens is one of the best-known destinations within Gulf Islands National Seashore, offering a mix of history, outdoor recreation and beach access on Santa Rosa Island.
The site stands out because it combines a historic military fort with camping, hiking, swimming and waterfront views in one place. The area includes tent and RV camping, parking, trails and spots for beachgoers, along with opportunities to learn about Pensacola’s military past.
Originally constructed in 1834, the fort later became part of the National Park Service in 1971. Today, it serves as both a historic landmark and a recreational destination, with ranger-led and self-guided options for exploring the site and surrounding grounds.
Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach is both a working baseball venue and a historic site tied to a pivotal moment in American sports.
First laid out in 1914, the waterfront stadium is described as the oldest ballpark still in use in the minor leagues. The park continues to host local teams while undergoing major upgrades, and it recently received added recognition: it was declared a National Commemorative Site in 2025.
The ballpark matters not just as the home of the Daytona Tortugas and Bethune-Cookman University baseball, but as the place where Jackie Robinson played in what the notes describe as the first racially integrated game in modern professional baseball.
Fort Pierce’s shoreline is where the Navy’s World War II “frogmen” trained before combat operations, laying the groundwork for what later became the Navy SEALs.
Today, the oceanfront National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum preserves that local military history on Hutchinson Island, near the original training beaches. Visitors can see artifacts spanning from WWII predecessor units to more recent missions, along with memorials honoring those lost in combat and training.
The museum opened in 1985 on land north of the Fort Pierce Inlet and remains a year-round stop for residents and tourists.
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando remains a major draw as the U.S. marks its 250th anniversary.
The Walt Disney Company is rolling out “Disney Celebrates America” programming across its properties. The park opened Oct. 1, 1971, and its centerpiece, Cinderella Castle, was repainted this year to reflect more of its original gray-and-cream look after a 50th-anniversary makeover.
Hours and ticket prices vary across Walt Disney World’s four parks. The resort’s address is 180 Seven Seas Dr., Lake Buena Vista, about 20 miles from Orlando.
USA 250 Most Treasured Views is a USA TODAY Network project exploring places across America with historical and cultural significance, created in celebration of the USA 250 initiative marking the nation’s 250th birthday.
This story was created by Adam Neal,adam.neal@tcpalm.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more atcm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct.

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