Arts & Culture in Central Florida.

1885 Brooksville Train Depot

Museum in a 19th-century train depot featuring local-history & railroad exhibits.

8th Ave. Gallery

Art gallery in Ocala dedicated to curating abstract art in all its varied styles and forms, celebrating the bond between father and son artists with monthly Third Thursday events featuring art shows and studio visits.

A Novel Idea Bookstore

Independent new and used bookstore with over 40,000 books in stock. A local treasure for book lovers in Ocala.

Appleton Museum of Art

Stunning travertine marble museum housing over 24,000 works spanning European, American, Asian, and African art. The reflecting pool out front is as photogenic as the galleries inside. Affiliated with the College of Central Florida.

Arrachme Art Studio

Artist With A Purpose

Art studio and gallery in downtown Leesburg showcasing purposeful artwork and creative community events.

AstronomyKart

Family-friendly go-kart attraction in Lady Lake offering racing fun for all ages. A solid pick for an afternoon of friendly competition near The Villages.

Bearded Browncoat Comics and Games

Family-owned comics and games store in Ocala since 2014, offering comics, video games, board games, D&D, and Warhammer supplies. Features dedicated gaming areas and hosts regular Sunday events and tournaments.

Bowersock Gallery

Fine art gallery on 4th Avenue specializing in contemporary, modern, and classical impressionism. Representing 30+ established artists with works spanning portrait, landscape, sculpture, and encaustic.

CC Fine Arts

Fine arts gallery on Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala showcasing works from local and regional artists.

Clermont Historic Village Museum

Seven historic buildings from the late 1800s including a schoolhouse, train depot, and WWII Quonset Hut museum — all telling the story of South Lake County's pioneering families. Free admission (donations appreciated), open weekends 1-5pm.

Coastal Art Gallery

Artist-owned gallery in Crystal River representing over 20 local artists and featuring unique works including glass, pottery, paintings, photography, jewelry, wood art, and sculptures.

Coastal Heritage Museum

Local-history exhibits in a former city hall, built in 1939 from locally quarried limestone.

Designs By Nerissa

Art and design studio in Crystal River offering creative services and showcasing artistic works on Suncoast Boulevard.

Discovery Center

Ocala's hands-on children's science center at Tuscawilla Park, open since 1997. Interactive exhibits, live reptiles, rotating galleries, and STEAM programs for ages 2-12. A great rainy-day option for families.

Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing

Chronicles the history of drag racing with about 90 racing cars in the Drag Race building and 50 vehicles in the Antique Car building. Opened in 1984.

Equine Instincts

Equestrian art collective at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala offering curated works including heirloom-quality sculptures, original paintings, and handcrafted home accents inspired by horse and wildlife art.

Eustis Historical Museum

Fort King Building

Historic building near the Fort King National Historic Landmark site, serving as a gateway to the interpretive trails and living history exhibits of the Second Seminole War era.

Franklin Anderson Gallery of Arts

Art gallery in downtown Crystal River on North Citrus Avenue featuring works from local artists and creative exhibitions.

Hammerhead Marine Sculptures

Marine-themed metal sculpture studio in Crystal River creating custom handcrafted marine and wildlife art pieces.

Inverness Art Co-Op

Member-run art cooperative in downtown Inverness showcasing and selling work from local artists, with gallery exhibitions, art classes, and workshops in a collaborative community space.

Jane Slivka Gallery

Art gallery on 3rd Avenue in downtown Mount Dora showcasing fine art from local and regional artists. A charming stop during the monthly Art Stroll.

Lady Lake Historical Society and Museum

Small local museum preserving Lady Lake's history with photos, artifacts, and memorabilia from the town's early days. A quick and interesting stop to learn about the community's roots.

Lake County Historical Museum

The Lake County Historical Society and Museum is located on the first floor of the historic courthouse in Tavares, Florida.

Lake County Museum of Art

A free-admission art museum in downtown Tavares with rotating exhibitions that punch above what you'd expect for a small-town gallery. Donations welcome but not required. Worth a stop, especially if you're already walking Ruby Street.

Lauren Graham Cunningham

Art gallery and studio on Dora Drawdy Way in Mount Dora featuring original works by the artist. A creative space in the heart of the Mount Dora arts scene.

Leesburg Arts Center

Community arts organization in Leesburg promoting visual arts through gallery exhibitions, art festivals, educational programs for all ages, and a Mobile Art Studio (MAS).

Leesburg Historical Museum

Compact museum showcasing exhibits on the region's history, with photos & artifacts.

Ma Barker House

The Ma Barker House is a 1930 Florida cracker-style home and the site of the longest gun battle in FBI history — the January 1935 shootout between the FBI and the Barker-Karpis gang that killed matriarch Kate "Ma" Barker and her son Fred. The house was floated across Lake Weir in 2016 to its current preservation site at Carney Island Recreation & Conservation Area, where Marion County maintains it as a historic attraction. Tours are available by appointment through mabarkerhouse.org.

Magnolia Art Xchange

Downtown Ocala art gallery and creative space showcasing local and regional artists. Rotating exhibitions, art events, and a welcoming atmosphere for the arts community.

Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology

Small museum dedicated to Marion County's rich archaeological and historical heritage, with exhibits spanning prehistoric Native American artifacts to early Florida settlement history.

Marion Cultural Alliance at Brick City Center for the Arts

Downtown Ocala's leading gallery space with a new art exhibition every 30 days featuring local and regional artists. Free admission, workshops, and performances — the heartbeat of Ocala's creative scene.

May-Stringer House

History artifacts & memorabilia on display in a Victorian home, with guided tours & ghost tours.

Modernism Museum Mount Dora

Museum showcasing 20th and 21st century art, furniture, and design with rotating exhibitions. A cultural gem in an intimate downtown setting.

Mount Dora History Museum

Housed in the town's original 1923 fire station and jail, this small museum tells Mount Dora's story from the 1870s to today through historical photos, artifacts, and exhibits. Open Tuesday through Sunday, 1-4pm.

NEHS GALLERIES

Ocala Civic Theatre

The second largest community theater in Florida, entertaining and educating since 1950. Live professional-quality musical and dramatic productions year-round.

Old Courthouse Heritage Museum

Built in 1912, this courthouse where Elvis once filmed a movie now houses a local-history museum.

Old Mill Playhouse

Epic Theatres' Old Mill Playhouse is the curated movie option in The Villages — programming mix runs broader than the typical chain, with new-release foreign and indie films, smaller-run titles, and a few blockbusters when they fit. Worth knowing about if you've been hunting for something more interesting than the latest superhero release. Showtimes update weekly at thevillages.com/entertainment/movies/.

Paperfish Gallery & Studio

Penny's Collaboration Art Gallery

Collaborative art gallery in downtown Leesburg showcasing works from local artists.

Rainbow Springs Art, Inc

Nonprofit cooperative art gallery on Walnut Street in Dunnellon representing 25+ local artists working in diverse media, with monthly public art classes and student scholarship programs.

Reilly Arts Center

An intimate venue with state-of-the-art acoustics hosting classical, jazz, rock, and folk concerts. Great sound in a smaller room.

Robert Stebleton Fine Art

Fine art studio in Ocala featuring original paintings and curated art collections.

Shapot Art Studio and Gallery

Working art studio and gallery in Ocala offering original paintings and art classes.

Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center

Hidden gem inside Silver Springs State Park with 12,000 years of Florida history — prehistoric artifacts, rare fossils, and a pioneer cracker village with historic cabins and a one-room schoolhouse. Open to the public on weekends only.

Studio ArtFarm

Artist collective gallery, studio, and class space in downtown Mount Dora offering art workshops for all ages and skill levels, plus a monthly 2nd Friday art walk on Royellou Lane.