Jax On the Cheap
Ways to stretch your pennies and have a good time doing it.
Renovations to Jacksonville’s iconic Friendship Fountain are done, making the riverfront park an ideal spot to enjoy a picnic or stroll along the Southbank. Improvements include grassy areas, additional seating, new lighting and trees and the stunning fountain right in the center of it all. If you are there at night, colorful lights accentuate the water fountain, creating a must-see destination. Free. 1015 Museum Cir., jaxfountain.com.
For just 50 cents, you can’t beat the Skyway. Kids particularly love being high above the river and Downtown. Trains run every five minutes or so from the Convention Center station with stops including Hemming Plaza and Central station. And don’t miss the short ride over the St. John’s to San Marco for a great view of the city skyline. Jtafla.com.
Enjoy scenic boat rides on the St. Johns River Taxi for only $4 for adults and $3 for kids and seniors. The pontoon boat makes its loop every Saturday from 10AM to 4PM, starting at Friendship Fountain, then cruising to the Jacksonville Landing. It then sails to the Riverside Arts Market before starting all over again.
While you’re at RAM, hop out and enjoy the live music under the bridge every Saturday through December. Stroll around and visit the artists’ booths, farmers’ stalls and food vendors, plus street performers, jugglers and other artists. 10 AM-4 PM. Free. 715 Riverside Ave., riversideartsmarket.com.
The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum is one of 10 around the country that preserves and displays the writings of authors, scientists, composers, philosophers, and leaders through world history. Exhibits rotate quarterly; currently, “Arthur Conan Doyle, Houdini and Spiritualism” is on display. In September, “Darwin” opens as the featured exhibit. Free. 101 W. 1st St. karpeles.com.
The hottest museum in town has to be the Jacksonville Fire Museum. See the evolution of the city’s Fire and Rescue Department through old pictures, fire trucks, and other memorabilia at the museum, which, by the way, is housed in a 1902 fire station that was built in part with bricks salvaged from buildings destroyed by the Great Fire of 1901. Free. jacksonvillefiremuseum.com.
The Jacksonville Maritime Museum Society has a new name and a new home. Newly re-christened the Jacksonville Maritime Heritage Center, the museum offers visitors a chance to sail through the River City’s maritime history at its new location at The Landing. Tuesday-Friday, 11 AM-5 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 1-5 PM. Free. jacksonvillemaritimeheritagecenter.org.
In the heart of LaVilla is a brightly colored building, home to the Sally Corporation. Sally is famous for its dark rides and realistic animatronic people, characters, animals and other critters. Gather a small group and take a free tour of Sally. Tours are by reservation only and the minimum age is 7 years old. Tours are on hiatus in July and August. sallycorp.com.
Jacksonville kicks, throws, dunks and hits with the best of ‘em, both on the court and on the go. Check on everything sports with free apps from the Jacksonville Jaguars, Jacksonville Sharks and Jacksonville weather, sports and more. And in the world of technology, no news no longer means good news—it means you’re behind. Knowledge is free with Jacksonville.com, ActionNewsJax.com and Jacksonville Business Journal apps.
Because gas prices and parking charges can be a nightmare, take a trolley through two of Jacksonville’s most popular neighborhoods. The Riverside Trolley covers approximately five miles, making stops at FSCJ Kent Campus, The Landing and Memorial Park. The Beaches Trolley makes nearly 40 stops on a five-mile stretch between Atlantic Beach and South Jacksonville Beach. Service dates and times vary for both routes, and regular fare is $1. Passengers 60 and over ride free. (630-3100), jtafla.com.
For more than a decade, Jacksonville Magazine has partnered with a number of professional organizations in an effort to bring our readers the city's most respected service providers practicing in a variety of professions, including doctors, lawyers, wealth managers and dentists. 
Nearly 2,000 Readers cast a ballot in this year's poll. Here are their selections of over 100 people, places and things we love (or love to hate) in the Bold New City of the South, including hair salon, bar eats, organic foods, dance club, pet stuff and more. 
