What To Do in Jacksonville Prior to Tip-Off

In anticipation of the Harvard men’s basketball team’s second-round NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, The Back Page takes a look at five of the other things to do in Jacksonville while waiting for the Crimson to tip off.

1. Beaches: On the eastern coast of Florida, Jacksonville has no shortage of beaches, replete with gorgeous white sand and makeshift volleyball nets that accompany them. The city’s three main beach areas are Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Atlantic Beach—totaling 22 miles of beach in all. Given the brutal Northeast Cambridge weather, Harvard fans can take solace in the warm, paradise-like climate.

2. World Golf Hall of Fame: Jacksonville doesn’t have the greatest domestic sports reputation, as anyone vaguely acquainted with Blaine Gabbert will tell you. However, it is as prominent a golf town as any, close to the PGA Tour office, the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium course where the Player’s Championship is held, and the World Golf Hall of Fame. For those interested in golf’s darker side, Jacksonville is roughly an hour from Tiger Woods’ mansion—although you’re unlikely to see the club that wrecked his Escalade in this museum.

3. King Street District: For late night activity, the best place to visit in Jacksonville is the King Street District, which boasts the majority of the city’s (moderate) nightlife. Dahlia’s Pour House and the Blind Rabbit win prizes for the most inventive names.

4. Flagler College Cafeteria: Jacksonville is home to arguably the world’s nicest cafeteria outside of Mather House. No, really. Flagler College is reportedly home to 79 Louis Comfort Tiffany stained-glass windows, the world’s largest connection of its kind that is still in its original location.

5. Cumberland Island: For those looking to get off the mainland, Cumberland is a small island not far from downtown Jacksonville up I-95. It is both historic and reportedly beautiful and can be reached by ferry from Fernandina Beach, 35 miles north of Jacksonville.