Jacksonville Area Information

Get to know Jacksonville: Where Florida Begins.
Unpretentious metropolitan style meets stunning natural beauty…Jacksonville captures the essence of a lifestyle and landscape reflecting the real Florida. Discover the heart of the city and endless stretches of pristine beaches, while exploring the region's unique shopping, numerous dining options and warm Southern hospitality. With a moderate temperature year round, Jacksonville is home to numerous festivals, national and international sporting events, exceptional golf courses and world-class art and culture.

Jacksonville, the most populous city in Florida and 13th most populous city in the US, is located on the banks of the winding St. Johns River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean about 20 miles east of downtown. Downtown Jacksonville offers a variety of restaurants and entertainment, including performing arts venues and museums. As one of the earliest areas in the US settled by European explorers, you can visit the historic districts of San Marco, Riverside, Avondale, Springfield, Fernandina, Timuquana, St. Augustine and Fort Caroline.

Get to know Jacksonville. Where Florida Begins.

For more travel resources, visit our partner, Visit Jacksonville.

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 Crowne Insiders Guide to Jacksonville Travel:
Visit these links to explore Jacksonville dining, attractions, nightlife, and shopping - all near our Jacksonville hotel.

• Crowne Plaza Dining
• Downtown Jacksonville Restaurants & Dining
• Nearby Jacksonville Restaurants & Dining
• Jacksonville Nightlife, Clubs, Lounges, & Bars
• Jacksonville Shopping
• The Jacksonville Landing
• Jacksonville Events Calendar

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Annual Jacksonville Cultural Events & Fairs
Jacksonville is home to a number of popular annual cultural events, including The Jacksonville Jazz Festival which is held every April and is the second-largest jazz festival in the nation. Other popular music festivals include The Spring Music Fest, Planetfest, and Springing the Blues, a free outdoor blues festival held at Jacksonville Beach. Other major events include the Jacksonville Film Festival (May), the Freedom, Fanfare & Fireworks celebration (July), and The Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair (November). See our Jacksonville Area Event Calendar for more details.

Jacksonville Arts and Culture
The arts are represented by several nearby performing arts venues and museums.

The Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts (0.8 mi) is comprised of three halls: the Jim & Jan Moran Theater, the Jacoby Symphony Hall (home of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra), and the Terry Theater.

The Florida Theatre (0.9 mi), opened in 1927, is one of only four remaining high-style movie palaces built in Florida during the Mediterranean Revival architectural boom of the 1920s.

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena seats 16,000, and attracts national entertainment, and also houses the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame.

The Riverside Arts Market takes place every Saturday just seconds away under the Fuller Warren Bridge along the St. Johns River. More than 150 vendors span across the market offering fresh produce, baked goods, handcrafted jewelry and local artwork. Stop by the Kids Corner to watch children showcase their musical or artistic talent to passers-by.

Jacksonville Museums and Historical Attractions
The Museum of Science and History (MOSH - 0.1 mi) features three stories of hands-on science and local history exhibits, including the Alexander Brest Planetarium.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA - 0.7 mi) features eclectic permanent and traveling exhibitions.

The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (0.7 mi), located on the bank of the St. Johns River, holds a large collection of European and American paintings, and is surrounded by three acres of formal English and Italian style gardens.

A must see historical sight, St. Augustine (39 mi) is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the United States. Among the many historical sights and interesting things to do here, the Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos dominates the scene and should not be missed.

Jacksonville Shopping
Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Hotel puts you close to everything, including The Jacksonville Landing, a riverfront festival marketplace, just across the river, with more than 70 shops, restaurants and lounges, and live entertainment.

Jacksonville has a plethora of shopping malls and districts, whether you are looking for outlet deals, upscale department stores, antique finds, or boutique specialties. Find shopping experiences for every taste and budget in Downtown Jacksonville and the surrounding Metro area. Nearby shopping districts include the Historic San Marco Square, Historic Five Points in Riverside, and the Shoppes of Historic Avondale. Popular shopping malls near our Jacksonville hotel include: The Avenues Mall (12 mi), St Johns Town Center (8.5 mi).

• Explore Jacksonville Shopping

Jacksonville Sports Venues
Jacksonville is home to a number of professional sports teams, the most famous of which is the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL, who play in Alltel Stadium (1.8 mi). The Jacksonville Suns, a minor league baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers, plays at the Baseball Grounds (1.6 mi). The new ABA expansion team, the Jacksonville Jam, played its first season in 2006. The Jacksonville Barracudas, offer professional ice hockey in the Veteran's Coliseum (1.6 mi). Jacksonville is also home to women's professioal basketball, men's professional indoor football, and men's rugby.

Each year, professional tennis features the WTA Bausch & Lomb Championships at Amelia Island Plantation near Fernandina Beach, just north of Jacksonville. Other sports events include the annual Kingfish Tournament held in July, the Florida-Georgia football game, commonly known as "The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" held every October, the ACC Championship football and baseball, and the Gator Bowl held in early January.

Jacksonville Outdoors: Water Sports, Golf, Parks, Trails and Fun!
Jacksonville offers outdoor fun for everyone. A year-round temperate climate with lots of sunshine makes Jacksonville is the perfect place for anyone to enjoy boating, fishing, and any number of water sports at the nearby river, lakes and beaches.

The Jacksonville area features many highly rated golf courses, several being within just a short drive of the Crowne Plaza. In Ponte Vedra, the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass (23.6 mi), one of the most famous golf courses in the world and home to the annual PGA tour, TPC (THE PLAYERS Championship) tournament.

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Crowne Insiders Guide to Jacksonville Travel:
Visit these links to explore Jacksonville dining, attractions, nightlife, and shopping - all near our Jacksonville hotel.

• Crowne Plaza Dining
• Downtown Jacksonville Restaurants & Dining
• Nearby Jacksonville Restaurants & Dining
• Jacksonville Nightlife, Clubs, Lounges, & Bars
• Jacksonville Shopping
• The Jacksonville Landing
• Jacksonville Events Calendar