November 2010

This military installation, constructed in 1862, allowed both Confederate and Union troops to guard the interior of eastern Florida.

Located near the mouth of the St. Johns River, this site was an important military position during the Civil War, allowing access to the inland areas of Florida's east coast. There was never an actual fort on Yellow Bluff, but an encampment that was fortified and equipped with large guns for protection. Constructed in 1862, the site was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War and at its peak it housed over 250 soldiers. The site has a T-shaped earthworks and covers about 1.3 acres. Located on Yellow Bluff peninsula on the north side of the St. Johns River (on New Berlin Road).

The museum opened to the public on March 11, 1995 in the north end of the historic Winter Park Farmer's Market. at 200 West New England Avenue and is dedicated to exhibiting artifacts, photographs and other historically important materials that relate to the cultural growth of our community. We operate the museum free of charge; a suggested donation of one dollar per person is appreciated. Major exhibitions change yearly. Exhibits are designed to depict specific time periods, people and events in Winter Park history. Other museum services include the Museum gift shop, research assistance and educational outreach programs.

Late 19th-century Tampa was the site of buzzing economic and social activity, and this vibrant Gilded Age Society is documented in the Ybor City Museum State Park. Exhibits cover the workings of the cigar industry and the history of social clubs in the city. Also on site is the Casita, a cottage that housed cigar workers at the turn of the century.

Key to conquering the frontier character of Florida through much of the 19th century was the development of an efficient and extensive railroad system. The Winter Garden Railroad Museum chronicles the development of train transportation in the state.

The Central Florida Railroad Museum is located in the former Tavares and Gulf depot. One of Florida's virtually undiscovered gems, the museum has the finest collection of Florida railroadiana anywhere -- including a collection of dining car china.

The History Center houses our family research center and administrative offices, truly the core of the operation! Here, the focus is on education and research. We offer educational field trips specifically designed for grades 4 and 5. Created by a team of experienced elementary school teachers and museum volunteers, all activities are designed to meet Grade Level Expectations for Florida Sunshine Standards.

Native American artifacts attest to the extensive civilization that existed here before the arrival of Europeans, while railroad memorabilia fast-forwards to the development of a comprehensive United States transportation system on the peninsula.

The Heritage Museum, a wonderful three-dimensional walk through Winter Garden’s glorious past! Established in 1998 and housed in the 1918 Atlantic Coast Line Depot in downtown Winter Garden, includes a large collection of local citrus labels, Native American artifacts, photographs, and railroad memorabilia dating from the days of pioneer settlement to the present in West Orange County. The museum is also a repository for the archives of the history and restoration of Lake Apopka, one of the largest lakes in the State of Florida.

Highlights of recent seasons include "Points of Interest: The Lawrence and Houseworth Albums" featuring over seventy rare stereoviews from The Society’s permanent collection and "California: This Golden Land of Promise", an exhibition of landscape paintings on loan from the Irvine Museum. Other notable exhibitions include "From Ore to Opulence: California Silver in the Gilded Age", "Territorial Ambitions: Mapping the Far West, 1772-1872", and "The King’s Orphan: Drawings of an Early Swedish Visitor to California", all of which drew upon the museum’s collections that were amassed over the last century and a half.

This 19th-century home holds an extensive collection of French antiques.

The Wesley Mansion, dating from the 19th century, features an extensive assortment of original Louis XVI antiques and is sure to attract all those who take interest in the precious items that characterized the interiors of Victorian-era homes.

In telling the stories of the land, the buildings, and the people, visitors can gain insight into an ever-evolving city where the past and the future come together to create San Diego. In the Gaslamp Quarter is the William Heath Davis Historic House Museum, the district's oldest surviving structure. The museum has been home to many fascinating people, including pre-civil war soldiers, a German Spy and Alonzo Horton, founder of San Diego. Each room represents a historic period of the home and is filled with fascinating and amusing stories about the former inhabitants Visitors can also find many other attractions in the historic district, including many other Victorian style commercial buildings constructed in San Diego during the years between the Civil War and World War I.

The Waterhouse Residence Museum evokes the glamour and spectacle of Orange County in the 1880s, a time when the Gilded Age had all of Florida in thrall.

The Carpentry Shop Museum features the historic 19th-century tools with which William Waterhouse originally constructed his residence.

Travel back to the era of Calling Cards, Corsets, and Courting Sofas with a visit to Maitland Historical Society's beautifully constructed Victorian era home. Your tour of the Historic Waterhouse Residence Museum is guided by a trained docent and will allow your class or group to see what life was like in the 1880s. Your visit is enhanced with a trip to William Waterhouse's Carpentry Shop where he kept the tools that built the Waterhouse Residence and other Maitland buildings. You'll get to see how the tools worked and find out about Mr. Waterhouse's chosen occupation.