South Florida Science Center and Aquarium

The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach turns a couple of hours into a hands-on family outing. Interactive galleries cover everything from the human body to weather and physics, with plenty of buttons to push and experiments to try.

A 10,000-gallon fresh-and-saltwater aquarium, a full-dome digital planetarium, changing traveling exhibits, and an outdoor science-themed mini-golf course round out the visit — enough variety to hold a wide range of ages and attention spans.

It's minutes from Tranquility Palms, and its indoor, air-conditioned exhibits make it an ideal plan when it's raining or simply too hot for the beach.