Orlando for Under $5

For other family activities in the Orlando area--without spending a lot of money--check out these tips from the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc.:

Downtown Disney includes the kid-friendly Marketplace, with paddle boats and a LEGO Imagination Center with playground, plus waterside shops and food. Lake Buena Vista. Free. (407) 939-7727.

Eatonville, America’s oldest African American incorporated community, was home to Harlem Renaissance writer Zora Neale Hurston. Includes historic churches and other buildings and the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, with exhibits by artists of African descent. North of Orlando. Free. (407) 647-3307.

Farmers markets on Saturday mornings offer fresh produce, baked goods, steaming coffee and an assortment. Downtown Orlando, under Interstate 4 at Church Street, and Winter Park (north of Orlando) at New York and New England avenues. Free admission. (407) 623-3200.

Florida state parks, eight of which are within 50 miles of downtown Orlando, offer camping, hiking, canoeing, swimming and fishing. The parks are Wekiva Springs, Blue Springs, Tosohatchee, DeLeon Springs, Tomoka, Hontoon Island, Lake Griffin and Lake Louisa. Admission varies, but all under $5. (407) 884-2000.

Fort Christmas Park recaptures the history of the Seminole Indian wars through replicas of a fort, pioneer homes and exhibits. Also has picnic areas, softball field, tennis and volleyball courts. Christmas, east of Orlando. Free. (407) 568-4149.

Harry P. Leu Gardens, covering 50 acres, claims the largest camellia collection and formal rose garden in the South. Orlando. $4 adults, $1 children (grades K-12), free for younger kids. (407) 246-2620.

Historic Waterhouse Residence and Carpentry Shop Museums are 1884-vintage buildings restored to reflect late Victorian life. In Lake Lily Park in Maitland, north of Orlando. Free. (407) 644-2451.

Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida has multimedia exhibits that illustrate prewar Jewish communities in Europe, Hitler’s rise to power, the concentration camps and the lives of survivors. Maitland, north of Orlando. Free. (407) 628-0555.

Lake Eola Park has swan boats, paved pathways, playground, cafe and fields for picnics. A free family comedy program titled “FunnyEola” is regularly held on the second Tuesday of the month. Orlando. Free; (407) 246-2827.

Orange County Historical Museum has a renovated 1926 firehouse with trucks, plus exhibits of a country store, pioneer kitchen, 1880 parlor and antiques. Orlando. $4 adults, $2 children 6-12, free under 6. (407) 897-6350.

Pointe Orlando includes an FAO Schwartz toy store with a four-story-tall teddy bear, restaurants, outdoor entertainment and about 70 stores. Orlando. Free admission to complex. (407) 248-2838.