Parks and the outdoors in Winter Haven

8 parks, gardens, beaches and walks in and around Winter Haven.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Legoland Florida
The second Legoland park in the US in addition to Legoland in California. The park primarily caters to children and families and features rides, sculptures/scenes, and shows based on the popular Lego building blocks. The site was home to Florida's first theme park—Cypress Gardens—until 2008 and several elements of the former park remain, including the botanical gardens and it's canals, the water ski show which made Cypress Gardens famous, and the Island in the Sky platform which rises 150 ft to give you a 360-degree view of the park and Central Florida. From Orlando take I-4 east to U.S. 27 (exit 55), head south for about 20 mi, turn right (west) on Cypress Gardens Blvd (S.R. 540) and Legoland will be on the left at the 5th traffic light. If you're staying in Orlando, Legoland operates a shuttle from the Orlando Premium Outlets parking lot ($10/return) leaving at 9AM and returning at the time the park closes.
Hours vary throughout the year$65 (ages 13-59), $55 (ages 3-12, 60+)
Eat
Saigon Garden Vietnamese Cuisine
Vietnamese food. Excellent quality, good service, very clean.
11AM to 9PM every day$7.95 to $12.95 for entrees
See
Street Audubon Center/Lake Region Audubon Society
Great birding location along with nature walk trails. Periodic events held for families.
Eat Not mapped
Andy's/Andy's Igloo
Classic diner with a great variety of food (burgers, chicken, seafood) at very reasonable prices. An entrée and drink costs about $6-8. Also on tap are over a dozen varieties of ice cream, sundaes, malts, milkshakes run around $1-3. On the NE corner of the building is a walk-up window for ice cream treats (in addition to ordering at a table inside). Cash only. No debit/credit cards accepted.
Entrées $5-8; Ice cream/milkshakes/sundaes $1-3.50
Eat Not mapped
Harry's Old Place
A wide variety of fresh seafood served in a rustic restaurant overlooking Lake Ned. Steaks & chicken also available, but most of the menu consists of seafood. Parking is tight, the lot is usually full, and you may have to park precariously on the side of a busy road, but the food is worth it. Seniors are often seen lined up into the parking lot before dinner opening for the Early Bird Specials. No reservations accepted. Menu available on the website (here).
Lunch Tue-Fri 11:30AM-1:30PM; dinner Tue-Thu 5PM-9PM, Fri 5PM-10PM, Sat 4PM-10PM, Sun (Dec-May only) 4PM-8PM, closed between meals$10-15
Buy Not mapped
Sunshine Flea Market
Located on the west side of US 27 about a mile south of the Cypress Gardens Blvd intersection and just a short distance out of town. Typical flea market with a fresh produce section, although some of the vendors purchase from wholesalers and aren't selling the local-grown stuff you'll find at the Farmer's Market.
Do Not mapped
Winter Haven Chain of Lakes Trail
A multi-use trail running from downtown to U.S. 17/92, near Lake Alfred. The trail is great for walking, jogging, biking, or rollerskating. The trail begins at the Chain of Lakes Downtown Trailhead Park (611 3rd Street NW), which has plenty of parking, on the northwest corner of Ave E NW and 3rd Street NW, near the bus terminal and city hall.
Do Not mapped
Lake Bess Country Club
Public 9-hole course. Rentals and lessons available.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Winter Haven (CC BY-SA 4.0).