We all know Jacksonville is a great city to call home, and now the rest of the world knows why it is an awesome place to visit. Fox News released an article yesterday listing the Top 5 reasons out-of-towners should visit the First Coast. According to the national media outlet, here’s a quick overview of why you may see an increase in tourists soon!

The Beaches – Collectively they’re known as the Beaches, but the three towns that border Jacksonville’s 20-plus miles of white sand are as different as the beachcombers, beach bunnies, and beach bums they attract. For more about our beautiful beaches and Fox News’ low-down on our area bars and restaurants, read here.

The Zoo – Ever been slobbered on by a giraffe, tickled by a stingray, butted by a pygmy goat, or dive-bombed by a lorikeet? These are only a few of the up close-and-personal experiences that await you the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Unlike some big city zoos where the animals seem far removed from visitors, the Jacksonville Zoo attempts to bring visitors as close as (safely) possible to its 1,500 rare and exotic animals with a whole herd of interactive exhibits, zookeeper talks, and animal feedings. You might even catch a glimpse of the zoo’s biggest celebrity, Ali, an elephant that once belonged to Michael Jackson.

Riverside – The historic neighborhood is where the eccentric, artistic, and just plain odd thrive. But don’t be alarmed by the tattoos and piercings; these marauders are friendly. At the center of it all is a colorful shopping and dining district called Five Points. Riverside is also part of one of the biggest historic districts in the South and boasts the largest variety of architectural styles in Florida, including Mediterranean revival, prairie style, Queen Anne, and Tudor style. Some visitors remark that the turn-of-the-century homes and century-old oak trees draped in Spanish moss remind them Savannah or Charleston-minus the marauders, that is.

Art – Art lovers will appreciate Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens for its extensive collection of artifacts from ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece; paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, Jan Steen, Benjamin West, Winslow Homer and Norman Rockwell; and one of the most comprehensive collections of early Meissen porcelain in the world.

Good fish eatin’ – With its weathered exterior, unpaved parking lot, and gators in the immediate vicinity, Clark’s Fish Camp looks-and smells-like your standard fish camp. But it’s the interior of the seafood restaurant, located on Julington Creek in Mandarin, which makes it unlike any other eatery you’ve ever seen before. Rumored to be one of the largest privately owned collections of taxidermy in the country, Clark’s menagerie of preserved animals includes lions, tigers, monkeys, bears, giraffes, deer, bobcats, and a flock of birds that gaze eerily at guests in the bar area and dining rooms.

To read the full article, click here. Do you think Fox News missed any awesome attractions in our city? If so, let us know below.