10 Things To Do In And Around Amelia Island For A Great Experience

things to do in amelia island florida
Nabeel
Nabeel 
Updated
| 5 min read

Amelia Island is situated in the Nassau County of Florida. It was named after Princess Amelia, daughter of George II of Great Britain. Throughout history, eight different flags have flown over the island ranging from colonial powers to Mexico and now the United States. The communities of Fernandina Beach and Amelia City are both located on the island. The city of Amelia and Fernandina Beach offer a lot of different activities for adults and children alike. We suggest checking out some of the places in this list to make the most out of your trip.

What are you waiting for! Read on and find out about the best things to do in and around Amelia Island.

1. Fort Clinch State Park

Fernandina Beach FL Fort Clinch fort18
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ebyabe used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Fort Clinch State Park is one of the biggest parks in Amelia Island. The park provides not only recreational activities for its visitors but also different historic attractions and wildlife viewing opportunities. The shoreline offers activities like swimming, fishing and sunbathing that the whole family can enjoy. There are also 70 different camping sites placed around the park and also a large group camping facility.

Guided nature walk tours are offered at the Willow Pond Nature Trail at 10:30am every Saturday. Various Civil War reenactments can also be viewed when visiting the park, with rooms, galleries, and grounds of the fort offering rich history lessons on how soldiers survived back in 1864. The park is open all year round from 9am-5pm every day. Entry fee for visitors is 2 USD per person with an additional 5 USD for vehicles.

Fort Clinch State Park

Address: Fort Clinch State Park, Florida 32034, USA

Website: Fort Clinch State Park

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2. Fernandina Beach

Amelia Island Fernandina Beach
Source: Photo by user TimothyJ used under CC BY 2.0

Fernandina Beach is one of the nicest beaches in Florida with a lot of ambiance that is still reminiscent of old Florida. There are a lot of shops and restaurants to explore in this part of town. There are almost 40 public access points to the beach while visitors with special needs can also borrow a free wheelchair for up to 7 days from the Fernandina Beach website. Lots of shark teeth also wash up on the beach for those who like collecting shark teeth and shells. Horseback riding is also available on certain days at Peter’s Point. Fernandina Beach is definitely the perfect place to relax, wind down and enjoy nature during your trip.

Fernandina Beach

Address: Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034, USA

Website: Fernandina Beach

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3. Marlin and Barrel Distillery

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Marlin and Barrel is a great distillery in Amelia Island with a lot of interesting twists on some well-known spirits. It has a great selection of rum, vodka, gin and other drinks. They use American Oak and as many local products as possible, giving the rum a unique taste. The owner distills amber and light rum along with orange cello, grapefruit cello and other types of vodka and gin. Visitors looking to check the place out are bound to take a few bottles home. Tours of the distillery are also available while the staff and owner are extremely knowledgeable about the entire process and answer any questions happily.

Marlin and Barrel Distillery

Address: 115 S 2nd St a, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

Facebook: Marlin and Barrel Distillery

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4. Amelia Island Museum of History

Fernandina Beach FL Amelia Island MoH01
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ebyabe used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Amelia Island has a very interesting history and culture that comes from many different groups of people who have settled in the city since the beginning. Visitors can do self-guided tours but it is recommended to go for the 45-minute guided tour since the tour guides are very knowledgeable and explain the history in an engaging manner. Some of the information includes the history of African-Americans in the region and how the city was affected before, during and after the Civil War. The museum also has a small gift shop if you plan on taking some souvenirs along.

Amelia Island Museum of History

Address: 233 S 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034, USA

Website: Amelia Island Museum of History

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5. Main Beach Park

With long stretches of beach with huge waves and shells everywhere, Main Beach Park offers a lot to do and see without the hustle and bustle of bigger city beaches. It is clean with plenty of parking space which is free of cost while there are facilities for people of all ages like playgrounds, picnic tables, restrooms, and showers. Handicap access to the beach is also available for those with special needs and disabilities. Different downtown restaurants and shops are also easily accessible from this location. In short, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the ocean.

Main Beach Park

Address: 32 N Fletcher Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

Website: Main Beach Park

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6. Pirate Playground

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

If you have kids with you on your trip then it becomes important to take them to a place where they can have a lot of fun and let all of their energy out. The Pirate Playground is focused specifically on the little ones. Bathrooms are easily accessible from the playground and the whole area is fenced so parents can have peace of mind. Kids can explore the water play area or do some digging with the sand toys. A pirate ship is also there for kids to explore since the area has a very pirate themed name. There is something for every kid to explore and enjoy in this playground and they will surely stay busy for hours.

Pirate Playground

Address: 2500 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

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7. Amelia Community Theater

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

The Amelia Community Theatre offers a variety of shows during its season. The theater started out with a small stage but it is now housed in a much bigger building with space for even more people. The production quality of shows is superb and the actors put in a lot of passion to deliver the best entertainment to the visitors. With different shows offered, one of them is bound to attract you even if you don’t like watching plays. Almost everything is run by volunteers, which ranges from concession stands to show management and directing.

Amelia Community Theater

Address: 209 Cedar St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

Website: Amelia Community Theater

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8. Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Come play say you saw this post and repost for buy one get one admission today!!!

Posted by Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum Inc. on Friday, February 2, 2018

You might not have heard of a pinball museum before but you can definitely check one out in Amelia Island. The Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum has around a dozen authentic pinball machines from different eras and for only 10 USD an hour or 14 USD per day, you can play as many games as you would like. The machines are from 1964 and all the way up to 2016. It is a nostalgic experience for adults but lots of fun for kids is also guaranteed.

Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum

Address: 2106 Sadler Rd, behind “Krystal”, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, United States

Facebook: Fernandina Beach Pinball Museum

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9. Amelia SanJon Gallery

Editor’s note: Establishment is permanently closed

The Amelia SanJon Gallery houses a number of unique and talented artists all under one roof. The owner of the gallery, Sandra Baker, is an artist herself who loves interacting with the visitors. The gallery features her work along with the work of other artists from the island and there is also a working studio where you can view how everything is done. The artworks are of very high quality and they are priced very reasonably.

Amelia SanJon Gallery

Address: 218 Ash St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

Website: Amelia SanJon Gallery

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10. Fernandina Farmers Market

Fernandina Farmers Market - Orchid Seller
Source: Photo by user TimothyJ used under CC BY 2.0

The Fernandina Farmers Market is not huge but it has a great variety of goods. It is located in the beautiful historic district of Amelia Island. Visitors can buy different types of fresh vegetables, fruits, bakery items, meat and more. Apart from food, different clothes, arts and crafts, there is live music. The market can be visited every Saturday although we suggest visiting early in the morning if you plan on buying some fresh seafood.

Fernandina Farmers Market

Address: N 7th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

Website: Fernandina Farmers Market

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Experience Florida in Amelia

With a collection of really nice beaches, parks, museums and so much more to do, Amelia Island will definitely provide you with the complete Florida experience. We suggest checking out the places in this list to make your trip really memorable, so much so that it will have you coming back again the next time you visit the sunshine state!

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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