Orlando is more than its theme parks, and the quieter side suits a day alone. The city has lakes, a cluster of small museums in Loch Haven Park, a botanical garden and two weekend markets, one by Lake Eola and one in Winter Park. Visit Orlando itself keeps a "Things To Do Beyond Theme Parks" section, which is a fair summary of this page.
Last checked 2026-11-01.
On the water in Winter Park
The Scenic Boat Tour has run guided tours of the lakes and canals of Winter Park since 1938. The tour lasts an hour, boats leave every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily with the last at 4 p.m., and it is closed on Christmas Day. Seats are first come, first served, and the adult ticket is listed at $20 with sales tax included. The dock is at 312 East Morse Blvd (Scenic Boat Tours). Sitting in a boat with a guide talking means nobody expects conversation from you.
Winter Park Saturday Farmers' Market. The city lists it every Saturday morning from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Central Park West Meadow, at the corner of New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard. The market relocates temporarily a few times a year, so read the city page first (City of Winter Park).
Loch Haven Park: museums around three lakes
The City of Orlando describes Loch Haven Cultural Park as 45 acres between Lake Estelle, Lake Rowena and Lake Formosa, home to the Orlando Museum of Art, the Mennello Museum of American Art, the Orlando Science Center, the Orlando Fire Museum and several theatre companies (City of Orlando: Loch Haven Park). Three of them suit a quiet visit alone.
Orlando Museum of Art. Open Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday noon to 4 p.m., closed Mondays. On the third Thursday of every month it opens from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for "Access for All". Adult admission is listed at $20, and the museum is closed on Thanksgiving and the day after (Orlando Museum of Art).
Mennello Museum of American Art. At 900 E. Princeton Street, open Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4:30 p.m., closed Mondays. Adults pay $8. On the second Sunday of every month it holds a Free Family Funday with free admission and docent tours at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m., open to all (Mennello Museum). A guided tour is a way to move through a gallery with a group without having to talk.
Orlando Fire Museum. At 814 East Rollins Street in the park, listed as open Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours by arrangement on 407-246-3468 (Orlando Fire Museum). It is the smallest of the three and fits in half an hour next to a longer museum visit.
Sunday at Lake Eola
The City of Orlando describes Lake Eola Park as sitting in the heart of downtown, with a sidewalk that circles the lake for 0.9 miles. Visitors can rent swan-shaped paddle boats, photograph the Linton E. Allen Centennial Fountain, or see a concert, film or play in the Walt Disney Amphitheater (City of Orlando: Lake Eola Park). A lap of the lake is a set distance that needs no plan.
The Orlando Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park, on the corner of E. Central Blvd and N. Eola Drive. It has been running since 1987 and is dog friendly. Free on-street parking is available within walking distance, and paid garages are on South Osceola Avenue and North Eola Drive (Orlando Farmers Market). Buy something to eat and sit by the water.
A garden for a quiet hour
Harry P. Leu Gardens. A 50-acre botanical garden in the middle of Orlando. Fall hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with last entry an hour before closing. General admission is $15 for adults. The Historic Leu House Museum is temporarily closed (Leu Gardens, admission and hours). A garden has no set route, so you can stay as long as you like.
Where to look next
Visit Orlando names Winter Park, the Audubon Park Garden District, Ivanhoe Village, Mills 50 and downtown's City District as areas to explore on foot (Visit Orlando). Ivanhoe Village is also the Main Street district around Loch Haven, according to the City of Orlando. For an evening, the Orlando Philharmonic performs at Steinmetz Hall in the Dr. Phillips Center, and its Resonate Festival celebrates Beethoven's symphonies (Orlando Philharmonic). Check its calendar for dates. A concert is a social event you can enjoy without talking.
Getting around
SunRail links Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak stations with Winter Park/Amtrak, but it only operates Monday to Friday, so weekend trips need another route (SunRail). That matters for the weekend markets: plan the Saturday and Sunday outings around another way of getting there.
First solo outings
- Easy: Sunday at Lake Eola. Walk the lake and the market.
- Middle: Loch Haven on a third Thursday. Visit the Orlando Museum of Art for its late hours, then the Mennello Museum on the same afternoon.
- Bold: the boat tour. Join the hourly Winter Park tour and talk to the guide afterwards.
For more ideas, see how to eat alone while traveling.
Solo Era for iPhone
Tell a stranger you like something about their work
Solo Era has a people mission at level 2: "Tell a stranger you like something about their work." The boat guide, a museum attendant or a market vendor are places to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.
Where next
Continue with Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida or Miami. Heading north, compare Atlanta. Browse the cities hub, read about a new city on your own or the solo travel guide.
FAQ
Is there anything in Orlando besides theme parks?
Yes. Visit Orlando has a section called "Things To Do Beyond Theme Parks", and this page covers lakes, museums, a garden and two markets.
When is the Orlando Museum of Art open late?
On the third Thursday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Does SunRail run on weekends?
SunRail lists service Monday to Friday only.
When is the Orlando Farmers Market?
Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Eola Park. The Winter Park Saturday Farmers' Market runs Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
How long is the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour?
One hour. Tours leave every hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
How far is the walk around Lake Eola?
The City of Orlando lists the sidewalk around the lake at 0.9 miles.
Sources (checked 2026-11-01)
- Scenic Boat Tours, Winter Park
- City of Winter Park: Saturday Farmers' Market
- City of Orlando: Loch Haven Park
- Orlando Museum of Art
- Mennello Museum of American Art
- Orlando Fire Museum
- City of Orlando: Lake Eola Park
- Orlando Farmers Market
- Harry P. Leu Gardens
- Leu Gardens: admission and hours
- Visit Orlando
- SunRail
- Orlando Philharmonic
Details change; check the venue before you go.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
