Orlando, for free: 10 ways to see the city beyond pricey its theme parks

Orlando’s major amusement parks are world-famous – and can be famously expensive, too. Yet if you have some time yet not much money left after your time with the Mouse, you might be pleasantly surprised at the many attractions and activities in and around Orlando that don’t cost a dime. There are no long lines, either.

Here are the best free things to do in Orlando.

1. Walk the waterside paths at Lake Eola Park

This little city park sits between downtown and Thornton Park. A paved sidewalk circles the shore, a waterside playground delights little ones, and swan paddleboats are available for rent if you want to take to the water ($15 for 30 minutes). To see the real thing, keep an eye out for white swans and other birds that live in the park. A paved 1-mile walkway encircles the lake.

Consistent shade, convenient location and a fenced-in playground make it an ideal escape for families. Street parking is found all around the park.

2. People-watch at Disney Springs...

Stretching along the shore of Lake Buena Vista, the Disney Springs complex boasts an outdoor pedestrian mall that lures tourists with a huge number of restaurants, bars, music venues and shops.

This is also where you’ll find the stage show Drawn to Life, a collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, and the largest Disney store in the world. Here, a Disney-inflected party atmosphere is the norm, particularly on the weekends, with street performers dancing on stilts, parents pushing strollers loaded with Disney shopping bags, and hundreds upon hundreds of people enjoying waterside drinks and excellent cuisine.

Although most of the restaurants and bars will have a Disney premium added to prices, a stroll around the grounds to take in the atmosphere is absolutely free.

3. ...or opt for family fun at Disney’s BoardWalk

Unfurling along the shore of Crescent Lake, just across from Epcot, the quarter-mile-long Disney’s BoardWalk echoes a waterfront promenade of a turn-of-the-20th-century seaside resort. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, magicians, jugglers and musicians add a festive vibe, and diners can choose a handful of good restaurants and bars. Pick up a doughnut or cute Mickey Mouse cakes at the bakery, and toot around on a surrey-with-the-fringe-on-top bike.

Far less harried and crowded than Disney Springs, Disney World’s entertainment district is free to the public, and the bridge connecting the BoardWalk to the Yacht Club and Beach Club is a good spot to watch the nightly Epcot fireworks.

4. Take in the elegance of Winter Park

When Orlandoans tell visitors about the beauty of their city, many of them mention Winter Park, a bucolic town (well, city) 15 minutes north of downtown that was founded in the mid-19th century as a winter getaway for wealthy Northerners. The town grew up around liberal-arts school Rollins College, Florida’s oldest institution of higher learning. Here, you’ll find some of Greater Orlando’s best-kept secrets, including the region’s best art museum (see below) and some of the most talked about restaurants in town, all along a few shaded, pedestrian-friendly streets – especially Park Ave, the town’s elegant main drag.

5. Enjoy three top-notch Winter Park museums

This tiny, lovely Rollins Museum of Art sits on the campus of the liberal-arts college and houses old-master and contemporary works by artists from the USA, Europe and Latin America. The collection is on display both at the museum and at the nearby Alfond Inn, a boutique hotel owned by the college. Both offer free admission and guided tours for visitors.

Internationally famous, the delightful Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art houses the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Gilded Age master Louis Comfort Tiffany. Highlights include the chapel interior designed by the artist for the 1893 World's Columbian Exhibition in Chicago; 10 galleries filled with architectural and art objects from Tiffany’s Long Island home, Laurelton Hall; and an installation of the Laurelton’s Daffodil Terrace. Plan for visit for a Friday evening from November to April, when admission is free from 4–8pm (it’s $6 all other times). 

As far back as 1881, Winter Park’s Hannibal Square was home to African Americans employed as carpenters, farmers and household help. A small assortment of photographs and oral histories can be found at Hannibal Square Heritage Center, a display that celebrates and preserves this community’s culture and history.

6. Let your hair down (and enjoy live music) at CityWalk

Across the canal from the parks of Universal Orlando Resort is CityWalk, a pedestrian mall and entertainment district with restaurants, clubs, bars, the best multiplex movie theater in town, a mini golf course and lots of shops. Live music and free-flowing drinks form the backbone of the entertainment options here – and while the nights draw partying 20-somethings, bachelorette parties and other raucous types, you’ll find the distinct also has a family-friendly vibe. Several bars even have reasonable food. While all this makes it feel like a theme park of partying, you don’t need a ticket to get in on the fun.

7. Sample local produce at the Orlando Farmers Market

With pretty and central Lake Eola as its backdrop, the Orlando Farmers Market is where locals and visitors alike come to sample local produce, buy handmade jewelry and catch live entertainment at the wine and beer garden every Sunday at noon. Leashed dogs are welcome (look for vendors specializing in homemade pet treats).

Free street parking is within walking distance, and paid parking garages are nearby on South Osceola Ave and North Eola Drive.

8. Celebrate a literary legend at the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts

Dedicated to Florida writer and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston (1881–1960), who was born in Eatonville and is perhaps most famous for her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, this tiny one-room museum features changing exhibitions of work by African American artists.

While the museum itself attracts folks with particular interests in the author’s important work or African American studies more generally, the Zora! Festival attracts thousands for a multi-day, family-friendly celebration every January.

9. Savor the natural beauty of Kraft Azalea Garden

This quiet, 5-acre lakeside oasis in Winter Park features enormous cypress trees and numerous walking trails. It’s particularly stunning in January through March, when the numerous azaleas burst into bloom. There’s a dock – but no barbecues or picnic tables. So come prepared simply to contemplate nature’s beauty.

10. Taste Florida vintages (really!) at Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards

Florida’s largest premium winery sits on a 127-acre estate about 25 miles northwest of downtown Orlando. Every year, it produces nearly a million bottles of table and sparkling wines from muscadine and hybrid grapes.

The daily tours and tastings at the winery are completely free. The 45-minute experience includes a 15-minute video followed by a tour of the production area and a peek at the expanse of the vineyard. The winery also hosts a free music series throughout the year, as well as a free open house during the holidays.