10 Superlative Family Vacation Destination Ideas

Biggest “Alligator” Attraction: Swampy, Jungle Adventures Nature Animal Park

Located in: Christmas, Florida

Why you should go: You’d hardly expect to find the world’s largest “alligator” in a town called Christmas, but there he is—200-foot-long Swampy. Visitors to the beast (actually a radically remade house) can pose in his ferocious teeth for a photo-op, but the kitschy fun doesn’t end there—nor do the alligators. Swampy doubles as the gateway to Jungle Adventures, a 10-acre animal park that features three daily alligator feedings and a swamp cruise through a man-made lagoon with gators galore. Many other species are on hand, too, from black bears to boa constrictors, skunks to monkeys. (Admission is $22 for adults, $15 for children ages 3 to 11, for the wildlife show, a Native American–themed expedition, the gator feeding, and a swamp cruise; jungleadventures.com.)

Where to stay: Fairfield Inn & Suites, in Titusville, Florida (from about $129 per night for a studio, including breakfast; marriott.com).