Top Rated Attractions in Orlando

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, Lake Eola is an ideal escape without having to leave the city. The lake is a part of a park complex that includes a lovely walkway, which encircles the lake and serves as a running track. The park is a whopping 43.2 acres (17.48 hectares), which makes it easy to feel like you really have left the city. Visitors can use the picnic facilities located throughout the park, or rent a boat to take out onto the lake.

Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine is officially named as Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe. This Roman Catholic Church is located in Orlando and was just an idea in the 1970s, but became a reality in the 1980s and 1990s. Originally built to accommodate the tens of millions of Catholics coming to the area on vacations, the church offers a place for travelers to worship or attend Mass among magnificent statues, sculpted entryways and adorned walls. On the church's property, you will also find beautiful gardens, a museum and a gift shop.

This lovely 50-acre (20.2 hectares) botanical garden is situated on Lake Rowena and promises to offer visitors a chance to escape into Old Florida. Wander miles of paved paths through forests of giant camphor, oaks and palms. The formal Rose Garden is one of the largest in the South, but don't pass up the opportunity to visit the herb, butterfly, palm and bamboo gardens as well. Towering over all this natural wonder is the Leu House. Built-in 1888, it now serves as a decorative arts museum.

Orlando Science Center is a glistening structure that looks like the product of a meeting between Greek-Roman architects and Star Trek engineers. The analogy applies to the activities inside as well. The museum strives to teach kids (and adults) about classical science using modern, hands-on, sometimes high-tech activities. The museum houses themed exhibit halls where patrons can explore the human body, modern technology, the solar system and other topics. The exhibits often change, so you can always learn something new. Its eight-story CineDome is billed as one of the world's largest movie theaters where they show large-format nature/technology films.

The Orange County Regional History Center allows visitors to explore over 12,000 years worth of Central Florida history. The detailed exhibits go as far back as the Seminole Wars, and cover everything from natural disasters to the arraignment of the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy. You can even find out what Orlando was like before the establishment of Walt Disney World. Be sure to explore the gift shop for some excellent souvenirs such as old photographs, books, and sweet treats.

One of the world's premier amusement parks, the Universal Studios Florida was opened to great fanfare in 1990, and since then has become one of the most visited theme parks in the world, with millions of guests per year. The park is split into several different sections that resemble locations from some of the studio's most popular ventures, which include the like of the Islands of Adventure and Universal CityWalk. The park's famous Jaws ride is one of the park's oldest and most popular attractions to date.