Are you looking to rest your wings at The Villages? You’re not alone. 

Businessman Harold Schwartz and his son, Gary Morse, founded the 55+ community in the 1980s. Since then, the resident population has grown to over 145,000 “Villagers” in over 71,000 homes, according to The Villages’ website. And it keeps getting bigger. 

The community is tucked away in Central Florida at a comfortable distance from nearby cities like Ocala and Gainesville to the north, Tampa to the southwest, and Orlando to the southeast. 

But in this community of active and fun-loving residents, you can enjoy an array of activities and attractions throughout and around the town. 

Read on to explore what you can do in The Villages and why it’s hard to be bored there. 

The Villages’ Activities

If you’re wondering what to do in The Villages, the community boasts a wealth of activities, claiming that anything you can imagine is available. 

And if you are interested in something that isn’t available, the community encourages you to start your own club. A full list of resident-run lifestyle clubs outlines just how many activities you can join with local Villagers. 

Residents can also pay a monthly fee of less than $200 to access a wide range of The Villages’ amenities and activities. Villagers who pay this fee enjoy the following:

  • Free golf on dozens of golf courses
  • Recreation centers throughout the community 
  • Parks
  • Nature trails
  • Dog parks
  • Fishing spots
  • And more

Browse The Villages events calendar to find what upcoming activities the community’s recreation centers and other locations offer and when. On this list, you’ll find events for:

  • Dancing
  • Cards and board games
  • Exercise classes
  • Orchestra
  • Trivia 
  • Quilting

….and much more. Organize the list by event type, location, or date to explore your options. 

Take Advantage of the Champion Golf and Country Clubs

If you’re a resident of The Villages, you automatically have membership access to all of the community’s Champion Golf and Country Club facilities, such as Evans Prairie, Cane Garden, and Palmer Legends. 

Each of these 12 country clubs has:

  • Challenging but doable golf courses
  • Convenient golf shops
  • Restaurants
  • Tournaments and events

The Villages community plans to design and construct even more country clubs in the future. 

Participate in Sports and Outdoor Activities

Golf is undoubtedly one of the most popular sports at The Villages. With over 50 golf courses and about 100 miles of golf cart path, it’s what The Villages are known for. It’s the perfect place to live if you enjoy a relaxing swing on the green whenever you desire.

But, if golf isn’t your thing, don’t let the enormous golf courses scare you off. The recreation centers also offer a wide range of sports and outdoor activities to watch or join. 

There are other sports and activities to help you break a sweat in The Villages, including:

Show Your Senior Games Spirit

Every year in April, The Villages hosts the Senior Games, a sports festival allowing residents to compete in various sports at the local, state, and national levels. 

Try your hand in any sport to win a medal or just to have some good-hearted fun with fellow Villagers. You can also cheer on your spouse, friends, or neighbors participating in the tournament. 

Spend Time by the Many Pools

You can find pools in each of The Villages’ neighborhoods (or villages) offering a quiet experience.

If you love swimming, tanning, or the soft sounds of splashing as you recline, there are over 100 pools throughout the community, which tells you just how many villages are in The Villages. 

For a family-centered pool experience, try one of the seven country club pools. The three pools below have some notable features. 

  • Orange Blossom Hills Country Club pool: The largest and most popular pool in The Villages, this pool sits atop a hill and features a hot tub, a waterfall, and beautiful scenic views. 
  • Glenview Country Club pool: Next to the Glenview Tennis Center, this pool is shaped like a huge tennis racket, with the head as the main swimming area and the handle as a hot tub. 
  • Nancy Lopez Championship Pool: This is a grand area for swimming and other pool activities with the family. The Oasis Pool Bar accompanies the pool and offers food and drink.

Enjoy the City Life

The Villages may have started as a small area of land, but it is now a bustling community full of attractions and things to do. Town squares, restaurants, and entertainment centers make The Villages a social and active hotspot. 

Make sure to use The Villages GPS app to navigate the quaint community’s many pockets of life.

Spend the Night in Downtown

Three town squares make up The Villages’ lively “downtown” experience in an old-fashioned setting. Here, residents can dine, shop, go to the movies, listen to live music, and socialize with other Villagers. 

The three town squares are:

  • Spanish Springs Town Square: With landscaping and architecture inspired by the times of Spanish colonialism in Florida, this square in the northeast of town offers yearly holiday and parade events, Broadway and movie theaters, shops, and restaurants. 
  • Lake Sumter Landing Market Square: Cradling Lake Sumter, this waterfront square in the center of town offers a boardwalk, yearlong live music and special events, a movie theater, restaurants, and shops. 
  • Brownwood Paddock Square: This old-timey square in the southwest of town is a warm spot to dine, watch nightly live entertainment at the log cabin stage, shop at The Rustic Rose home decor store, or go to the movies. 

Choose From a Range of Restaurants 

There are over 100 restaurants within The Villages and no shortage of good dining experiences. You can find plenty of local restaurants and recognizable chains to satisfy any craving. 

Below are some popular local Villager favorites, including some within the community’s country clubs. 

Looking for more? Here’s a directory for more restaurants in and around The Villages, including chain locations.

Watch a Movie

If you’re a movie lover in The Villages, there are theaters in each of the community’s three town squares for you to frequent. You can watch all of the latest movies and even some classics.

Check out these old-fashioned theaters the next time you have an urge for popcorn:

  • The Rialto Theater in Spanish Springs Town Square
  • The Old Mill Playhouse in Lake Sumter Landing Market Square 
  • The Barnstorm Theater in Brownwood Paddock Square

Watch Live Performances

If you prefer live performances, The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center brings Broadway shows to The Villages in an auditorium with over a thousand seats. Located in Spanish Springs, The Sharon has seen famous performers like Patti Lupone and Michael Bolton and hosted musicals such as Mamma Mia and Beauty and the Beast. 

The Studio Theatre at Tierra del Sol, an extension of The Sharon, seats fewer people but has four productions each year and about 130 performances. Its season runs from September through April.  

The Savannah Center is another performing arts theater near the Glenview Country Club. With over 850 seats, this theater hosts live music performances, national tours, comedy acts, and The Villages’ community shows. 

For tickets to shows at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, The Studio Theatre, The Savannah Center, and more, visit The Villages ticketed performances page. 

Explore Nature

The Villages does a wonderful job of integrating the modern and busy with the natural. Beautiful scenery surrounds and defines the community, and it’s all waiting for you to discover. 

Explore the areas below to reconnect with nature. 

Lakes in and Around The Villages

  • Lake Miona: Near the center of The Villages, Lake Miona Park offers canoeing, fishing, a horseshoe pit, picnic areas, and a fitness trail. 
  • Lake Deaton: Located on the southeastern border of The Villages, Lake Deaton Park offers picnic tables and shelters, birding, a boat ramp, and grills. 
  • Lake Sumter: This artificial lake is home to Lake Sumter Landing, a bustling waterfront town square with a boardwalk. 
  • Lake Okahumpka: This large lake located south of The Villages is home to Lake Okahumpka Park, a 130-acre park with mountain bike and fitness trails, tetherball and volleyball courts, a disc golf course, and other amenities. 

State Parks Near The Villages

  • Lake Griffin State Park: Just 15 minutes from The Villages, Lake Griffin is the perfect place to enjoy a canoe, kayak, pontoon, or hiking tour through the park’s over 600 acres. The park also boasts a 400-year-old live oak tree—Florida’s second-largest live oak.
  • Rainbow Springs State Park: Located in Dunnellon, Florida, Rainbow Springs is home to an adventurous paradise with glowing blue water and gorgeous mossy vegetation just an hour from The Villages.

The Villages’ Own Nature Preserve

The Sharon Rose Wiechens Preserve, located within The Villages to the southeast, is the community’s own 600-acre refuge for native Florida plants and animals. The variety of bird species residing here also makes the preserve an ideal birding location. 

Take a refreshing nature walk to start or end your day here.

Venture to the Nearest Beaches

The Villages doesn’t have direct access to any beaches, but there are two beaches on either coast, each less than two hours away.

  • Cedar Key on the Gulf of Mexico side: The beach at Cedar Key’s City Park is small and quiet, but it’s a pleasant area to lie out in the sun and enjoy the waves among some palm trees.
  • New Smyrna Beach on the Atlantic side: If you’re looking for a more typical beach experience, New Smyrna Beach has several beaches with fine sand and a downtown area with shops, restaurants, and art galleries. 

Take Time to Relax

After a day full of activity, your body will be aching to unwind. Treat yourself to a massage or facial at one of the several spas and massage parlors in The Villages:

Thinking of Moving to The Villages?

With so much to do in and around The Villages, you may be wondering if the community is a good fit for you. You’re already on the right track by researching a neighborhood you’re interested in. 

The Villages retirement community in Florida is accepting and always growing. No matter your interests, you’ll find your people among the community’s clubs and activities. 
To learn more information about the community, more things to do in The Villages, and more about how Villagers enjoy their lives, check out the Talk of The Villages online forum.