Today we are visiting some old Florida attractions near Orlando. Becky and I along with our daughter are venturing away from the theme parks for some old Florida fun. Check out the 4 places we went all within 35 minutes of downtown Orlando!
Here’s the 4 old Florida Attractions we’re visiting near Orlando in order:
- Oakland Nature Preserve in Oakland
- Florida Citrus Tower in Clermont
- Southern Hill Farms in Clermont
- The Showcase of Citrus in Clermont
Planning Old Florida Attractions near Orlando
We’re staying in Orlando near International Drive for the weekend. And we already have plans to visit Disney World. But there’s some places I’ve found just outside of Orlando that I want to visit. So, I convince Becky that we should make a day of it. The 1st place I want to visit is Oakland Nature Preserve. It’s just northwest of Orlando in Oakland, Florida. And I heard they have a nice boardwalk trail to Lake Apopka. After that I want to go to an old Florida attraction I visited when I was very little. I’m talking about the Florida Citrus Tower. And here you can still take an elevator up to the observation deck.
After the Florida Citrus Tower, we plan to visit 2 local farms. The 1st is Southern Hills Farm where you can pick your own blueberries, flowers and more. And the last place I want to visit is called the Showcase of Citrus. This is basically a citrus farm, where you can pick your own oranges and other citrus. But why I really want to visit here is the Monster Truck Adventures they offer. So we have our planned stops, each less than 20 minutes from each other. And the whole trip is just over 1.5 hours of driving. We’ll plan to start in the morning and be back late afternoon before dinner. And we’ll plan to eat lunch at Southern Hills Farm which has multiple options. We’ll also plan to bring water, snacks and sunscreen, essential anywhere in Florida when it’s warm.
Oakland Nature Preserve, Our 1st stop of Old Florida attractions near Orlando
The 150-acre Oakland Nature Preserve is between Winter Garden and Clermont just off the Florida Turnpike. We slept in, but make it to the preserve and park by 10:15AM. And there’s 2 things we want to do here; visit their education center and the boardwalk. For more information, see: Oakland Nature Preserve – Home.
Museum and Education Center
The Jim Thomas Environmental Education Center is a beautiful building made of log-cabin construction and other wood. And as we walk up the stairs, our daughter is immediately drawn to some tanks on their porch. A lady who works here greets us and we talk about the frogs, fish and turtles in the tanks. She sees that our daughter is really interested and gets some food to feed the fish. She also tells us the preserve just had their 25th year anniversary. Though there’s a lot of history here.
The lady also shows us a bird house they have here and 2 birds that are making a nest in it. She’s been so nice and wonderful to talk to about the wildlife around here. Inside the building are 2 main rooms separated by a walkway. On the right is a classroom full of students having a field trip here today. On the left is their museum, so we head inside to check it out.
You could spend a lot of time checking out all of the information about the preserve and the wildlife here. I find the terrarium of carnivorous plants native to Florida very interesting. What’s also very interesting is this history of Lake Apopka. Pre-1940s it was a pristine natural lake and the 2nd largest in Florida. But due to agriculture and mining, the lake was reduced by 40% and became polluted. The phosphorus levels in the lake became so bad, it was considered the most polluted lake in Florida by the late 80s. But in the early 90s restoration efforts started. And today, the lake is thriving and back to acceptable levels.
The Oakland Nature Preserve Boardwalk
After about 20 minutes at the education center we take the short path to the start of the 2/3 mile boardwalk. There’s a pavilion at the beginning as it starts on dry land through dense vegetation. And the boardwalk itself is in great condition, and it also has fenced guardrails the whole way.
After a short while it turns to pavement, but then continues onto boardwalk again. A sign here is posted “Don’t feel the alligators” which alarms our daughter. But we assure her we are well protected on the boardwalk. And as we walk we can hear birds in the brush. We try to look for them, but discover some blackberries instead. In fact, we see blackberries all along the boardwalk.
There are also interpretive signs along the way depicting many of the plants we can see. We’re all having a great time just being immersed in the nature all around us. As we walk deeper into the woods, we spot a large eyed click beetle on a post. And we admire the moss-draped oaks that provide some shade from the Sun.
Looking down from the boardwalk, we start to see some water around us. And right before the end, Becky points out a baby alligator before it disappears underwater.
The End of the Boardwalk
After seeing the baby gator, we can see the end of the boardwalk. There’s a large open-air pavilion on Lake Apopka with plenty of seating to enjoy the views. And there’s only 2 other people here, relaxing in some rocking chairs.
As we head toward the pavilion, we can hear the bellow of a much larger gator. And we determine it must be off to the right in the tall grass. We also hear a large bird in the same grass and Becky swears the gator is eating it. The pavilion also has a locked gate out to a dock over the lake.
We see birds flying overhead and ducks in the water. It’s good to see the lake is doing well. Looking on the other side of the pavilion, I even see an osprey fly overhead. After about 10 minutes, we start to head back. On the way here we only passed 1 other person. But on the way back we pass multiple people walking briskly down the trail. This boardwalk is a nice place to get some exercise. Also on the way back, we spot some juvenile eastern lubber grasshoppers, common here in Florida. And toward the end Becky takes our daughter back to the education center to use the restrooms before we leave.
Back at the education center, there’s a sandhill restoration area behind it. From here I spot a gopher tortoise just sitting outside its hole. And once everyone is ready we head back to our car. We spent about an hour and a half here, and we all loved this place. Becky even said she would come back here. And we’re off to our next old Florida attraction.
Florida Citrus Tower, Our 2nd stop of Old Florida attractions near Orlando
The Florida Citrus Tower is an old Florida attraction dating back to 1956. And it’s only about 15 minutes down the road off US 27 in Clermont. This location used to be in between 2 other old Florida attractions; Silver Springs and Cypress Gardens. Silver Springs is now a state park and Cypress Gardens is now inside LEGOLAND Florida. You can read about our latest trips to each at Silver Springs and LEGOLAND. I still love both of these places, and I’m interested to see what the tower is like today. For more information, see: Citrus Tower | Clermont, FL.
I visited the tower when I was a little kid with my grandmother and brother. So, it’s been a long time and I don’t remember much. But when the tower was first built, there were citrus groves all around it. Today, we see mostly buildings as we drive into the parking lot. When we get out of our car we look up at the 226 foot tower. It looks like it could be made out of LEGOs. But actually it took 5 million pounds of concrete and 149,000 pounds of reinforced steel to build!
When we walk inside, there’s a coffee shop with comfy chairs and people drinking lattes while on their laptops. In the back we see a miniature replica with the prices to ride to to the top of the tower. About then, the barista asks if we want to go to the top. However, we find out the elevator is broken. Disappointed, we get an orange crème latte to share and an orange-based drink for our daughter. Unfortunately our stop was less than 15 minutes, but we’ll try to make it back again and provide an update.
Southern Hill Farms, Our 3rd stop of Old Florida attractions near Orlando
Just 10 minutes down US-27, is the turnoff for our next stop. When I think about old Florida attractions in Central Florida, I think of farms. And our next stop is the family-run Southern Hill Farms. Their family has been in the farming business for over 3 generations. And their farm is now open to the public. For more information, see: Southern Hill Farms – Blueberry, Peach, Zinnia, Sunflower U-Pick.
It’s after 12:30PM when we turn onto the dirt road that leads to a large parking lot. After parking I ask Becky if we need some sunscreen. And she says we’re fine. So, we follow people to a paved path where we see a map of the entire farm.
Picking Blueberries
Walking down the paved path, we can see rows and rows of blueberry bushes. But before we can start picking, we get a bucket from a tent. The bucket is large, but it’s $5.00 a pound and you pay for as much as you pick.
There are 8 different blueberry fields here containing 5 different types of bushes. We start at Field 5 closest to us and walk down the row. The bushes are surprisingly tall and plentiful. And we have to look for the ripe blue ones to pick. Though the farther we go into the rows the less people have picked, and the more ripe blueberries we find.
The farm is beautiful and we see butterflies fluttering all around the bushes, even a large swallowtail. But after 20 minutes of picking in the heat, I’m ready for a break. Though Becky is enjoying herself and wants to continue. So, I take our daughter to get a drink and look around their restaurants.
There’s a huge covered area with a row of food trucks and stands to choose from. At the first one, we find a frozen blueberry lemonade, which is perfect for the both of us to cool down. Past the shelter, our daughter sees the Kids Zone with some rides. But it’s $18 for a wristband, so I decide to go look for Becky instead.
We find Becky down one of the rows where she finally comes to meet us. She picked for at least 35 minutes, but now we’re ready to weigh them and cash out. We gathered just over 2 pounds of blueberries and it was under $12.
Picking Flowers then Lunch
Becky wants to pick some flowers before we eat lunch. So, we walk past the food trucks to the flower check-in. Unlike the blueberries, you pay for how many sunflowers you want to pick first. It’s $2 each, so we pay $6 to for each of us to pick 1 sunflower. After paying they give us wristbands to wear and some scissors to cut the flowers. And then we stop for a photo op on a red tractor.
There are specific rows we have to walk down to pick our flowers. Though most of the flowers near the path are already picked, so we have to go into the bushes. These sunflowers are over our heads and you could get lost in them!
Not only are the stalks really tall, but they are the largest sunflowers we’ve ever seen. Becky cuts one off 1st while our daughter looks for the largest one. Cutting the sunflower stalks is not easy with the scissors, however. And for some reason we wind up with 4 total, each bigger than the last… But we’re not done yet.
I go back and pay for our extra sunflower, but Becky decides to also pick some zinnias. There’s a smaller field of these annuals in all different colors. So we stay in the shade with our sunflowers, while Becky picks enough zinnias to fill a jar for $14. Afterwards we carry our flowers to the food trucks and finally eat after 2:00PM. We share a chicken salad wrap and grilled cheese, both with blueberries in them. And we get a slice of cheese pizza for our daughter. It’s all good. And after 2 hours we’re ready for our last stop.
The Showcase of Citrus, Our 4th stop of Old Florida attractions near Orlando
We have to go back to I-27 and then South for our next old Florida attraction. It’s just 10 minutes away to the Showcase of Citrus. Touted as “Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction”, this family owned estate has been in Clermont since 1989. They grow over 50 varieties of citrus you can pick in season. But what drew us here are their monster truck adventures. For more information, see: Showcase of Citrus – Florida’s Fresh Air Attraction®.
Monster Truck Adventure
When we arrive it’s just before 3:00PM, and the next monster truck ride is about to start. So, I run until I find someone to ask if we can still sign-up before it leaves. After getting the OK, they point us to a store at the end of the walk to pay. It’s $25 per adult, $15 per child 4-12 and free for active military with an ID. You can also get an opportunity to feed animals from the monster truck, purchase a feed bucket. So I get the small bucket for $10, and then we rush to board.
We have to climb stairs to a platform to board. And it’s pretty full, but we find seats near the front. There’s bench seats on each side all the way to the back. And it’s open air with a roof over us providing shade. After a quick introduction from our guide, we pull out.
As we drive past orange groves, our guide gives us some more information about their history of growing citrus here. We learn oranges are a winter fruit and it’s too late in the season to pick oranges. But nevertheless, the ride has a nice breeze as we pass a small lake. After about 20 minutes we make it through the orange groves to the 2nd part of our tour. We enter a fenced-area with a sign warning us this is Bigfoot territory.
Here we enter dense Florida woods of slender pine trees, palmettos and more. Our guide tells us to look for multiple “Bigfoots” hidden in the woods. And after about 10 minutes, we exit the woods for the 3rd part of the tour.
Feeding the exotic animals
We cross into a fenced area where we stop. In this section, our guide explains there are rescued exotic animals that we can feed right from the monster truck. And the 1st animals we see are an ostrich and a camel named Joe. Some animals you have to throw the food for them to eat. But Joe will eat right out of your hand. And everyone on board gets ample time to feed both animals multiple times. But that was just the beginning.
As we start moving again, our guide points out antelope grazing in the field. And then we stop again to see some bison and water buffalo coming for food. About this time, Joe has caught up with us and joins in for more feeding. After the animals are fed again, we head toward the woods before looping back through the animal preserve. And we stop one more time to see an emu and billy goat come toward the truck. And on the other side we some zebras separated by a fence.
From the monster truck, we easily throw food over the fence for the zebras. And then we head back arriving just before 4:00PM. Everyone loved the ride and our guide was fantastic. He also tells us to go to the shop afterwards to ask Myrna for free samples of honey they make here. But our daughter still has food in her feed bucket.
After tipping our guide, we head down the stairs and exit. Here our daughter sees farm animals she can feed. She loves it, especially feeding the goats and pigs. But I’m going to look for Myrna.
Back at Showcase of Citrus
After feeding the animals we all head to the restrooms to wash up. Once done, I can’t find Becky so I head to the store to find Myrna. They have a large covered shelter with tables and chairs and all kinds of interesting decor. On one side is a bar and the other is the Honey House & General Store where I head.
In the store I find Myrna, and she’s happy to let me try the 3 types of honey they have. Though the Saw Palmetto is supposed to have healing properties, the Orange Blossom is my favorite. She also lets me sample some orange sangria they also make here. In fact, this store is full of homemade products including jams, jellies, butters and more. Done with my samples I thank Myrna and tell her I’ll be back once I find Becky.
I find Becky and our daughter outside looking at more animals. And I can’t believe they have even have kangaroos. But I convince them to leave the animals to get some samples. So we head back in the store, and after more samples, we buy some honey bears to go. We spent almost 2 hours here today, but our daughter could have stayed here feeding the animals for hours. It’s hard to believe this old Florida attraction is just a short drive from Orlando.
Summary of Old Florida Attractions near Orlando
Today we visited some old Florida attractions just West of Orlando. We left our resort around 9:45AM and visited 4 different places before returning by 5:30PM. It was a full day! But none of us could pick our favorite place. Each had something different and we had fun at each.
The Oakland Nature Preserve was beautiful and much better than we expected. Even Becky said she would love to go back there. And it’s free, though they are looking for donations. The Citrus Tower was also very cool to see in person, but unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to go to the top. So, maybe next time. However, picking blueberries and sunflowers at Southern Hill Farms was lots of fun. Though Becky and I got sunburnt, so lesson here is to wear sunscreen. And ending at Showcase of Citrus was also more fun than we expected. The monster truck ride was awesome, especially feeding the animals. Definitely something we would do again. So take a day away from the theme parks, and explore some Old Florida attractions near Orlando!