THE 10 BEST Cheap Things to Do in Stuart
Best Budget-Friendly Things to Do in Stuart
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Travelers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travelers across the globe.
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- Things to do ranked using Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, number of page views, and user location.
Points of Interest & Landmarks
Bodies of Water • Nature & Wildlife Areas
What travelers are saying
- Sue DMinneapolis, MN71 contributionsGreat stop for young and older. Educational opportunities to learn about the river, animals that depend on it, how human habits are affecting it and what we can do to. Very clean and accessible. Plan 2-3 hours but you may wish you could stay longer. Great staff, friendly and knowledgeable.Written January 31, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Barb27 contributionsNice unexpected gem on Hutchinson Island. Amazing collection of vintage cars on permanent display. Went to special temporary exhibit on UFOs. Though thought provoking it included a lot of reading without many visuals and certainly repetitive! With that said the museum is certainly worth a visit when in the area!Written March 4, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Marty BielickiStuart, FL16,121 contributionsParking is free, but limited. For all practical purposes, arrived before 10:00AM on weekends and holidays. One can argue it is the “Best” beach in Martin County. Ironically, the beach is not listed on Google Maps.
It is known as “Bathtub” since a reef is close to shore forming shallow waters during low tide. For small children, it is a fun playground. You are asked not to go on the reef since it is fragile.
Bathtub Reef Beach is easy to find. Turn south by the Marriott Resort on MacArthur Blvd. The distance is about 3 miles. You will come across the House of Refuge, the oldest house in Martin County since 1876. The beach is before you enter the Sailfish Point guard gate. No problem if you miss the turn as there is a roundabout before the guard gate.
Martin County spent millions of dollars to refurbish this beach destroyed by storms in 2024. The gazebo that went out on the beach is now gone. For the most part, the refurbishment is much welcomed. There is a new bathroom at the southern end. All they need to do now is to place a shower somewhere near the bathroom.
The St. Lucie Inlet is but a tad more than a mile from Bathtub Beach heading south. It makes for a pleasing walk or run. Across the inlet is the St. Lucie Inlet Preserve State Park.
Sailfish Point complex is unobtrusive to the beach area. This area was known as “Seminole Shores.” The original developer was James Rand who built a pier that lasted for many years, now gone. The peninsula was mostly filed with Australian Pines, now homes and a golf course for Sailfish Point.
In the 1970’s there was an unofficial nudist area down by the inlet. There was even a movie in 1976 filmed along that beach called, “Empire of the Ants.” It was a low budget film.
Just north of Bathtub Beach is a popular area where surfers like to catch waves caused by the reef below.
On a rainy day going to the Elliot Museum and or House of Refuge is not a bad idea.
If you found this review to be “helpful” in any way, please click the “thumbs-up” icon to let me know.Written February 11, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - VillagerRickThe Villages, FL1,054 contributionsThis is a good asset for the town. The boardwalk is along the water, in good repair, and away from any vehicular traffic. Unfortunately we chose a very hot day, so our walk was somewhat limited. We ended it at a restaurant for an early lunch.Written September 17, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Ward DSatellite Beach, FL3,582 contributionsThis is located off the beaten path. It is associated with the Elliott museum and is located about 2 miles or a 5 minute car ride from the main museum. You can buy a combination ticket to see the Elliott and the House of Refuge museum. I think that is the best deal. You can coordinate for a museum staff member to drive you over and back. It was a good deal and very convenient. I would recommend going to the Elliott first and then the House of Refuge. You could drive yourself but there are very few parking spaces at the Refuge. The house is the only one of the original 10 houses built by Florida to helped shipwrecked people along Florida’s east Coast. You enter through the house by the small parking lot. The staff was very friendly. The entrance house serves as a ticket booth, a waiting area and a gift shop all in one. The small set of structures is located right on the beach and offers a lovely view. They have you start at the third house where a volunteer shows a movie and then describes more about the history of the people and the structures. The next house has individual rooms that describe each period in the history of the house. Overall, it was a very nice visit to a structure that is key in describing the true initial Coast Guard history.Written May 23, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Tracey N57 contributionsWent on a Thursday in July. Not many people. Very quiet. Lots of shells to step on. Nice cafe available with good mango margarita slushies.Written August 1, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- debby s3 contributionsHikes are amazing. Love it! The nature trails are so pretty. Walk along the river and immerse yourself in the beauty of nature. Don’t forget to look up and see birds and air plants. Enjoy.Written March 11, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Frank N1 contributionI do enjoy this as an area where the kids can go and forget about life. Offers a few nice shade spots. Has one place to eat. You put on a wrist band (which makes it easy to go in and out grab some drinks I left in the truck.
2 bigger slides which you wait in a line left for one right for the other. If you dont push off hard and fast you go fairly slow. Which I guess help my kids not get to scared.
Definitely a cheaper way to a water parkWritten April 27, 2021This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. - VillagerRickThe Villages, FL1,054 contributionsThis is a small (9 RV sites) Campground on the Saint Lucie Canal (the Panama Canal of Florida). The level cement pads are long enough and wide enough to be comfortable, but somewhat close together - they are off asphalt and access roads - they also provide a covered picnic table. The convenient hookups (water & electric) are modern and functioned properly. There are also 3 tent sites, and 8 boat slips with power & water. No included WiFi, no cable tv, but plenty of OTA stations and a big sky for satellite - Verizon cell service is good. The bathhouse is predictably small, but clean and adequate for the size of the park. There is plenty of shopping in the area, and it is close to I 95 and the Turnpike - the town of Stuart is close by. It would be nice to have a sewer connection, but that is not a dealbreaker - two weeks in n 30 days is the maximum stay.Written September 17, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- VillagerRickThe Villages, FL1,054 contributionsThis is a historic building in a town that has seen a great many changes over the years. The women that greeted us were pleasant to interact with and knowledgeable about not only the city, but also the building. There are a lot of local artifacts and you could easily spend several hours if you were interested in reading. Although many of the artifacts are not labeled, us of a certain age can easily identify them. They also have a modest gift selection with reasonable prices. It is nice that every Wednesday from 10 - noon they offer free coffee and doughnuts - apparently this turns into an impromptu Senior Center with many locals in attendance.Written September 17, 2024This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Petrea969Jensen Beach, FL65 contributionsWe decided to try something new for Happy Hour and were very impressed. The place has lots of room inside by the bar and a nice outdoor seating area.It was fun to walk around and see the vegetables growing and of course the chickens.We each had a glass of wine and a different pizza. We all agreed the mushroom pizza was the best although they were all good.If I had any complaint it would be that they could have an expanded happy hour menu. Definetly a fun place and something different from the happy hour bar scene.Written March 22, 2019This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Maryann B5 contributionsTwo rivers join together for a view of the most magnificent boats. Clean and nice breeze. Bathrooms are cleanWritten August 23, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Jan M3 contributionsOff the beaten path. Clean, no restrooms but outside showers. Just sit and enjoy the ocean breeze. Love it here.Written May 25, 2022This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- Julie MKimbe, Papua New Guinea5 contributionsWe have young children and love coming down here to play on the playground, walk on the oceanfront board walk and just be outside.Written March 10, 2023This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
- EdArizona9 contributionsLarge market with a diversity of items. Many individuals as well as commercial venders. There is food and drinks avsilable. Large selection of antiques and collectsbles. Watch your step as some areas have uneven ground. Good way to enjoy a couple hours in Stuart.Written March 7, 2025This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
