Nicknamed "The City Beautiful," Orlando, Florida, is well known for being the home of Disney World, which opened in 1971.
Still, it is culturally rich and dates back centuries. Citing local legend, the book "Orlando: City of Dreams," says the city got its name from soldier Orlando Reeves, who died in 1835 during an alleged attack by Native Americans.
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History enthusiasts passing through will find many interesting sites in and around the city. Here are seven examples:
1. City of Orlando Walking Tour: Designed 35 years ago by city officials, tourists can see an assortment of buildings that reflect Orlando's commercial and governmental history. Spanning eight blocks, the tour includes about 60 historic structures built from the 1880s through the early 1940s.
2. Fort Christmas Historical Museum & Park: Visit the full-size replica of Fort Christmas. The original was built in modern day Christmas, Florida during the Second Seminole War. Construction began on Dec. 25, 1837.
The museum and park includes seven restored pioneer homes to show what life was like from the 1870s through the 1930s, when common vocations were homesteading, cattle, citrus, hunting, fishing, and trapping.
3. Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida: This is a center committed to the remembrance of the millions of people who died at the hands of Nazi Germany.
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4. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art: According to the website, the museum contains the "world's most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848–1933), including the artist and designer's jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, leaded-glass lamps, and windows."
The Morse Museum also displays American art pottery, late 19th- and early 20th-century American painting and decorative art.
5. The 1890 Windermere School: Also known as the Armstrong-Parramore House, the historic school is located in nearby Windermere. The building functioned as a school from 1890-1916, then as a community center through 1923. It was donated to the city in 1995 by the Armstrong-Parramore family, who owned the land and building.
It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2003. As a structure, the Windermere building represents a style common to rural Florida in the late 19th century.
6. The Winter Garden Downtown Historic District: Spanning about 100 acres around Woodland, Tremaine, Henderson, and Lake View streets, the area contains 26 historic buildings.
7. Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum: A restored Spanish farmhouse designed by acclaimed architect James Gamble Rogers II, Casa Feliz evokes 19th century Spain. House tours are given three days a week to share Casa Feliz's historic contributions to the community.
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