Jacksonville is the largest city by land mass in the U.S. (874 square miles), and the venues and group offerings in town reflect the size and diversity of the destination. The following are a few highlights from a fall media visit to Jacksonville and the historic nearby towns of St. Augustine and Ponte Vedra.
• EverBank Field, home to the Jacksonville Jaguars football team and the world’s largest scoreboards, was massively renovated in 2014. New stylish venue facilities include the exclusive Cleveland Deck with cabanas, a pool deck and bar, all located right above the endzone.
• Right on the banks of the St. John’s River, the Cummer Museum is home to 5,000 works of art and welcomes 130,000 visitors annually. Booking times and capacities are limited, but the Cummer’s perfectly manicured gardens are beyond compare.
• The World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine has everything you would expect to honor the game, including 25,000 square feet of museum space, two putting greens, a golf simulator and 13 different venue options. The adjacent Renaissance World Golf Village Resort offers 101,000 square feet of meeting space.
• If your attendees can’t get enough golf, the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort on Ponte Vedra Beach boasts 61,000 square feet of meeting space and 510 guest rooms set on 63 acres, but the main draw is the hotel’s 99 holes of championship golf and proximity to TPC at Sawgrass and its famous 17th hole island. Must-do items include grabbing a meal at the beachfront 619 Ocean View restaurant, getting your swing analyzed at the Tour Academy and getting pampered at its 25,000-square-foot spa. The property’s 80 villas make great breakout spaces and group accommodations.
• The historic Florida Theater, operated by the city of Jacksonville, once hosted Elvis (amid much local controversy) and can host your group, too! The jaw-dropping six-story dome ceiling above the 1,918-seat auditorium is decorated with ornate tile work, and the theater’s lobby areas are popular for receptions.
• The Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center is architecturally beautiful, located inside the former Jacksonville train terminal, named for the former mayor and city leader. At its peak in 1912, the depot saw the arrival of 92 trains a day. Repurposed as a convention center, it now offers 265,000 square feet of function space.
