Winter Park Things to Do Tips by doug48 Top 5 Page for this destination

winter park welcome center

a good first stop on a visit to winter park is the welcome center. here you can get information on winter park's museums, parks, hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightlife. for those interested in architecture and history the winter park historical museum is a short walk from the welcome center.

Address: 151 west lyman ave.

Directions: one block west of park ave, downtown.

Phone: 407-644-8281

Website: http://www.cityofwinterpark.org/

casa feliz

the robert bruce barbour house also known as casa feliz is a historic home on the grounds of the winter park country club. originally located on lake osceola it was moved to it's present location a couple of years ago by the george saunders company which was quite a feat of engineering. the casa feliz is an interesting example of old florida spanish style architecture. today casa feliz can be rented for private functions. casa feliz is listed on the national register of historic places.
the city of winter park's motto is the "city of homes". for more images of winter park homes and historic buildings see my winter park travelogues.

Address: park ave

Directions: central winter park. north park ave at the golf course.

lake island park

lake island park is located on denning ave. between morse blvd. and fairbanks ave. this nice public park offers baseball and soccer fields, walking and jogging paths, and a childrens play area. located next to lake island park is the famous winter park sink hole. in may 1981 a huge sink hole opened up and consumed part of a import car dealership, a public swimming pool, and a two story house. the winter park sinkhole received national media attention. today the sinkhole has been stabilized and is now called rose lake. i had the opportunity to see the formation of the sinkhole and watched the house totally disappear into it. it was quite a sight.

Address: denning ave.

Directions: just west of downtown, between morse blvd. and fairbanks ave.

Website: http://www.cityofwinterpark.org/

park ave.

located in the heart of winter park, park ave and central park is the most visted part of the city. park ave is lined with upscale stores, restaurants, bars, and outdoor cafes. park ave. has a european flair and is nicknamed little europe. a fun place to visit both during the day or after dark. a fun, safe, and upscale place to visit when in the orlando area. downtown winter park is listed on the national register of historic places.

Address: park ave

Directions: central winter park. from I-4 take fairbanks ave east about 2 miles.

Website: http://www.cityofwinterpark.org/

winter park country club

this historic golf course was built in 1914 in downtown winter park. the legendary golfer sam snead would play here once a year in the 1950's and 1960's i had the opportunity to caddy for him back in 1965 and it was an interesting experience. once a 27 hole course it is now 9 holes. open to the public it is a great course for senior and junior golfers. a historical tidbit, your humble author of this tip was the winter park club champion in 1967. note: no tee times, first come, first serve. pictured is the club house which can be rented for private functions. the winter park country club is listed on the national register of historic places.

Address: webster & interlachen ave

Directions: central winter park. go north on park ave, right on webster ave, then right on interlachen ave.

Phone: 407-599-3339

Website: http://www.winterparkcountryclub.com/

albin polasek museum

the albin polasek museum and sculpture gardens is an interesting place to visit when in winter park. albin polasek was the head of the sculpture department at the art institute of chicago. he moved to winter park in 1949 where he painted and sculpted until his death in 1965. polasek is considered one of america's most prominent sculptors of the 20th century. his works are very simular to the works of the french sculptor auguste rodin. i had the opportunity to meet this interesting artist in the early 1960's and it was the inspiration for my visit to the rodin museum in paris fourty years later. a must see stop for those interested in sculpture and fine art when visiting winter park. the albin polasek house is listed on the national register of historic places.

Address: 633 osceola ave

Directions: central winter park. two blocks east of park ave on osceola (fairbanks) ave.

Phone: 407-647-6294

Website: http://www.polasek.org/

dinky dock

the dinky dock is one of winter park's numerious public parks. it offers a public beach and a picnic area. there is a boat ramp there but you must get a permit from the city to use it. located on lake virginia next to rollins college it is peaceful place to visit in downtown winter park.

Address: ollie ave & osceola ave.

Directions: central winter park. off osceola a couple of blocks east of park ave.

kraft azalea gardens

kraft azalea gardens is located on lake maitland in central winter park. this park offers a spectacular display of flowers in late february and march when the azaleas are in bloom. kraft azalea gardens is a pleasant place to visit any time of the year. picture two is a shot of nesting snowy egrets. this specie of egret is very rare in florida. in the late 1800's they were hunted almost to extinction because of demand for their feathers for ladies hats.

Address: alabama ave

Directions: central winter park. take park ave north past the golf course, right on stoven ave. stoven merges into palmer ave. take palmer east about 1/8th of a mile then left on alabama.

albin polasek museum

a beautiful place to visit in winter park is the polasek museum and sculpture garden. pictured is one of the works of albin polasek.

Address: 633 osceola ave

Directions: central winter park. at the intersection of south park ave turn left on fairbanks. fairbanks changes it's name to osceola at this intersection. go east on osceola about two blocks. the museum is on the left.

Website: http://www.polasek.org/

scenic boat tour

the winter park scenic boat tour is one of the oldest and most popular tourist attractions in winter park. the one hour tour takes you all over winter park via it's lakes and canals. you will see the beautiful lakefront homes of winter park. the captain will talk about the history of winter park and point out homes of famous people who live in winter park. a fun and interesting thing to do when in winter park.

Address: 312 e. morse blvd.

Directions: central winter park. from park ave take morse blvd east to the scenic boat tour dock. morse blvd deadends at the tour parking lot.

Phone: 407-644-4056

Website: http://www.scenicboattours.com/