The city of Orlando is a major city in central Florida and is the
county seat of Orange County,
Florida. According to the 2000 census, the
city population was 185,951. A 2006 U.S. Census population estimate gave the city
population as 220,186 [1], making it the sixth largest city in Florida. It is also the
principal city of Greater Orlando. The Orlando-Kissimmee MSA is Florida's third-largest
metropolitan area, behind Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach and
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater.
Orlando is also home to the University of Central Florida, which is the
second largest university in Florida and has the 6th largest campus
in the nation.
The city is best known for the many tourist attractions in the area, in particular the nearby Walt Disney World Resort, which is located in Lake
Buena Vista about miles ( km) south of Orlando city limits via Interstate
4. Other notable area attractions include SeaWorld and Universal Orlando Resort. The region sees an estimated 52 million tourists a year. Orlando has
the second largest number of hotel rooms in the country (after Las Vegas, Nevada), and
is one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions with the Orange County Convention Center, the country's second largest in square footage. It is
also known for its wide array of golf courses, with numerous courses available for any level of golfer. Despite being several
miles away from the main tourist attractions, downtown Orlando is undergoing major redevelopment with a number of residential and
commercial towers.
It is now official that Orlando will build a new performing arts center, Orlando
Arena, and a refurbishment of the Florida Citrus Bowl after the final vote was
complete on July 27, 2007 with the final results being 5 to 2, in
favor of the 1.1 billion dollar project. Its symbol is the fountain of Lake Eola. The current mayor is Buddy Dyer.
History
Some historians date Orlando's name to around 1837 when a soldier named Orlando Reeves
allegedly died in the area, during the war against the Seminole Indian tribe. It seems,
however, that Orlando Reeves (sometimes Rees) operated a sugar mill and plantation about 30 miles (50 km) to the north at Spring
Garden in Volusia County, and pioneer settlers simply found his name carved into a tree and assumed it was a marker for his grave
site. They then referred to the area as "Orlando's grave" and later simply "Orlando."
During the Second Seminole War, the U.S. Army established an outpost at Fort Gatlin, a
few miles south of the modern downtown, in 1838. But it was quickly abandoned when the war came to an end.
Prior to being known as its current name, Orlando was known as Jernigan, after the first permanent settler, cattleman
Aaron Jernigan, who acquired land along Lake Holden by the terms of the Armed Occupation
Act of 1842. But most pioneers did not arrive until after the Third Seminole War in the
1850s. Most of the early residents made their living by cattle racing.
Orlando remained a rural backwater during the American Civil War, and suffered
greatly during the Union blockade. The Reconstruction Era brought a population explosion, which led to the city's incorporation in 1875.
The period from 1875 to 1895 is remembered as Orlando's "Gilded Era," when it became the hub of Florida's citrus industry. But
a great freeze in 1894-1895 forced many owners to give up their independent groves, thus consolidating holdings in the hands of a
few "citrus barons" which shifted operations south, primarily around Lake Wales in
Polk County.
There are a couple of notable homesteaders in the area. First is the Curry family. On their property in east Orlando there was
the Econlockhatchee River and every time it had to be crossed the settlers would
"ford the river". This leads its name to one of Orlando's roads, Curry Ford Rd. Also, just south of the airport in the Boggy
Creek area was 150 acres of property homesteaded in the late 1800s by the Ward family. This property is still owned by the Ward
family and can be seen from flights out of MCO southbound immediately on
the south side of SR-417.
Orlando, as Florida's largest inland city, became a popular resort during the years between the Spanish-American War and World War I. The city was also host
to several sanitariums, which serves as the basis for its hospitals today.
In the 1920s Orlando experienced a large housing boom. Land prices soared. During this period several neighborhoods in
downtown were constructed leaving behind many bungalows. The boom ended when several hurricanes hit Florida in the late 20s and
by the depression.
During World War II, a number of Army personnel were stationed at the Pine Castle AAF.
Some of these servicemen stayed in Orlando to settle and raise families. In 1956 the aerospace/defense company Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) established a plant in
Orlando. Pine Castle AAF was transferred to the United States Air Force, and in
1958 it was renamed McCoy Air Force Base after Colonel Michael N.W. McCoy.
Orlando is close enough to Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and Kennedy
Space Center for residents to commute to work from the city's suburbs. It also allows easy access to Port Canaveral, an important cruise ship terminal. Because of its
proximity to the "Space Coast" near the Kennedy Space
Center, many high-tech companies have shifted to the Orlando area.
Perhaps the most critical event for Orlando's economy occurred in 1965 when Walt Disney
announced plans to build Walt Disney World. Although Disney had considered the
regions of Miami and Tampa for his park, one of
the major reasons behind his decision not to locate there was due to hurricanes. Orlando's inland location (although not free
from hurricane) would not expose it to an increased threat like coastal locations. The famous vacation resort opened in October
1971, ushering in an explosive population and economic growth for the Orlando metropolitan area, which now encompasses
Orange, Seminole,
Osceola, and Lake counties. As a
result, tourism became the centerpiece of the area's economy and Orlando is consistently ranked
as one of the top vacation destinations in the world, now boasting more theme parks and entertainment attractions than anywhere
else in the world.
Another major factor in Orlando's growth occurred in 1970, when the new Orlando International Airport was built from a portion of the McCoy Air Force Base. Four airlines began providing scheduled flights in 1970. The military base
officially closed in 1974, and most of it is now part of the airport. The airport still retains the former Air Force Base airport
code (MCO). In addition to McCoy
Air Force Base, Orlando also had a naval presence with the establishment of the Orlando Naval
Training Center in 1968. Providing training to recruits as well as being a base for selected post basic training programs,
the base had a prominent presence in the area. In 1993, the Base Realignment and
Closure Commission ordered that the base be closed. The base continued in a diminished capacity until the base closed for
good with the last graduates of the base's Naval Nuclear Power School leaving
in December of 1998. The former base has been developed into tracts for upscale housing called Baldwin Park.
The SunTrust Center, the tallest building in Orlando at 441 ft. (134 m), was built in
1988. The next tallest buildings are the Orange County Courthouse (1997, ft ( m)./127 m), the Bank of America Center (Formerly Barnett Plaza, 1988, ft
( m)./123 m), Solaire at the Plaza (2006, ft ( m)./109 m) and the Orlando International Airport ATC Tower
(2002, ft ( m)./105 m). The VUE at Lake Eola, currently under construction, will become the second-tallest building in
Orlando upon completion at 426 ft. (130 m) tall, but with 35 stories it will have more stories than the SunTrust Center.
([2][3]
The SeaWorld SkyTower, at 400 ft. (122 m) tall, is the tallest tower in Orange County that's
not in Orlando proper. There are also several tall transmission towers in Orange County, the tallest of which is the
WFTV transmission tower in Christmas at 1,617 ft.
(491.6 m) tall.
In the hurricane season of 2004, Hurricanes
Charley, Frances, and Jeanne battered
the Orlando area, causing widespread damage and flooding and impeding tourism to the area.
Topography
Orlando is located at 28°32′1″N, 81°22′33″W (28.533513,
-81.375789).1 According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 261.5
km² (100.9 mi²). 242.2 km² (93.5 mi²) of it is
land and 19.3 km² (7.5 mi²) of it (7.39%) is water. Orlando is, on average, feet ( m) above sea level.
Climate
Typical afternoon summer thunderstorm over central Orlando
Orlando has a warm and humid subtropical climate, and
there are two major seasons each year. One of those seasons is hot and rainy, lasting from May until October (roughly coinciding
with the Atlantic hurricane season). The other is a cooler season
(November through March) that brings more moderate temperatures and less frequent rainfall. The area's warm and humid climate is
caused primarily by its low elevation and its position relatively close to the Tropic of
Cancer, and much of its weather is affected by the movement of the Gulf Stream.
During the height of Orlando's very humid summer season, temperatures rarely fall below 70 °F (21 °C), and daytime highs
average in the 90s (32-37 °C). Although the city rarely records temperatures over 100 °F (38 °C), extreme humidity often pushes
the heat index to over 110 °F (45 °C). The city's highest recorded temperature is 102 °F (39
°C), set in 1998. During these months, strong afternoon thunderstorms occur almost daily. These storms are caused by air masses
from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean
colliding over Central Florida, and they often bring high wind, damaging hail, heavy rainfall (sometimes several inches per hour), and
violent lightning.
During the winter season, humidity is lower and temperatures are more moderate, and can fluctuate more readily. Average
nighttime lows in January are around 50 °F (10 °C), and average daytime highs are about 72 °F (22 °C). Temperatures rarely reach
below 32 °F (0 °C), though the city can drop below freezing once or twice a year. Because the winter season is dry and most
freezing temperatures occur after cold fronts (and their accompanying precipitation) have passed, Orlando experiences no real
snowfall. Although no measurable amount of snow has ever fallen (though areas just west recorded up to 2" in 1977), trace amounts
were officially observed on December 23, 1989, and trace
flurries of ocean effect snow were also reported in nearby coastal Brevard County on
January 24, 2003. [4]
The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.1 in. (128 cm), most of it occurring in the period
from June to September. The months of December through May are Orlando's driest season. During this period (especially in its
later months), there is often a wildfire hazard. During some years, fires have been severe. In 1998, an El Niño condition caused an usually wet January and February, followed by drought
throughout the spring and early summer, causing a record wildfire season that created Greater Orlando's first instances of
unhealthy air quality alerts.
Orlando has a considerable hurricane risk, although it is not as high as it is in
South Florida's urban corridor or other coastal regions. Since the city
is located 40 miles (64 km) inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles (97 km)[citation needed] inland from the Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes usually weaken before arriving.
Storm surges are not a concern since the region is 100 ft (30 m) above sea level. Despite its relatively safe location, the city
does see strong hurricanes. During the notorious 2004 hurricane season,
Orlando was hit by three hurricanes that caused significant damage, with Hurricane
Charley the worst of these. The city also experienced widespread damage during Hurricane
Donna in 1960.
| Month |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Year |
| Record high °F (°C) (year) |
87 (31) (1991) |
90 (32) (1962) |
92 (33) (1994) |
96 (36) (1968) |
100 (38) (1962) |
100 (38) (1998) |
102 (39) (1998) |
100 (38) (1980) |
98 (37) (1988) |
95 (35) (1986) |
89 (32) (1992) |
90 (32) (1978) |
102 (39) (1998) |
| Average high °F (°C) |
72 (22) |
73 (22) |
77 (25) |
83 (28) |
88 (31) |
91 (32) |
92 (33) |
92 (33) |
89 (31) |
84 (28) |
77 (25) |
73 (22) |
83 (28) |
| Average low °F (°C) |
50 (10) |
51 (10) |
55 (12) |
61 (16) |
67 (19) |
71 (21) |
73 (22) |
73 (22) |
72 (22) |
65 (18) |
56 (13) |
51 (10) |
62 (16) |
| Record low °F (°C) |
19 (-7) (1985) |
26 (-3) (1996) |
25 (-4) (1980) |
38 (4) (1987) |
48 (9) (1992) |
60 (16) (1984) |
64 (18) (1981) |
64 (18) (1957) |
56 (13) (1956) |
43 (6) (1957) |
29 (-2) (1950) |
20 (-7) (1983) |
19 (-7) (1985) |
Average rainfall
in. (cm) |
2.1 (5) |
3.1 (7) |
3.5 (8) |
2.6 (6) |
3.0 (7) |
6.5 (16) |
8.1 (20) |
7.2 (18) |
6.8 (17) |
3.9 (9) |
1.7 (4) |
2.1 (5) |
50.6 (128) |
Record rainfall
in. (cm) |
6.4 (16) |
6.8 (17) |
10.5 (26) |
6.2 (15) |
8.6 (21) |
18.3 (46) |
19.6 (49) |
16.1 (40) |
12.2 (30) |
14.1 (36) |
6.4 (16) |
4.7 (11) |
68.7 (174) |
| Source: Weatherbase |
NOTE: The record high of 102 °F (39 °C) was recorded at Orlando International Airport, and is available from
AccuWeather.com. (historical data from July is
only visible in July and August unless you buy into their premium services) WeatherBase only uses historical data recorded at
Orlando Executive Airport. Both airports have official National Weather Service
recording stations.
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
The city of Orlando has many neighborhoods in the city limits,[1] some of which are:
- Airport North
- Ashbury Park
- Audubon Park
- Avalon Park
- Baldwin Park
- Bay Park
- Callahan
- Central Business District
- Cherokee Park
- College Park
- Colonialtown North
- Colonialtown South
- Conway
|
- Coytown
- Crescent Park
- Delaney Park
- Eastwood
- Florida Center
- Florida Center North
- Hunter's Creek
- Keene's Point
- Lake Cherokee Historic District
- Lake Davis/Greenwood
- Lake Eola Heights
- Lake Formosa
|
- Lake Lawsona
- Lake Nona
- Lake Richmond Estates
- Metro North
- Metrowest
- Millennia
- North Orlando
- Osprey Ridge
- Park Central
- Park Lake Highland
- Park Manor
- Parramore
- Palomar
- Rock Lake
- Rosemont
|
- Randall/Johnson
- Richmond Heights
- Rio Pinar
- Roosevelt Park
- Siobhan Park
- South Orlando
- Southwest
- Stoneybrook
- Thornton Park
- Vista Lakes
- Ventura
- Wadeview Park[2]
- Washington Shores
- Waterford Lakes
- Winter Run 1,2,3
- Woodlands Village
|
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Orlando is the hub city of the Orlando-Kissimmee, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical
Area, colloquially known as "Greater Orlando" or "Metro Orlando". The area encompasses four counties (Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Lake), and is currently the
27th-largest metro area in the United States with a 2006
Census-estimated population of 1,984,855.
When Combined Statistical Areas were instituted in 2000, Orlando was
initially joined together with The Villages, Florida, Micropolitan Statistical
Area, to form the Orlando-The Villages, Florida, Combined Statistical Area. In
2006, the metropolitan areas of Deltona (Volusia County) and Palm
Coast (Flagler County) were added to create the
Orlando-Deltona-Daytona Beach, Florida, Combined Statistical Area. [5] This new larger
CSA carries a total population (as of 2006) of 2,633,282 [6], and
carries three of the 25 fastest-growing counties in the nation--Flagler ranks 1st; Osceola, 17th; and Lake, 23rd.[7]
The metro area is one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, and the surrounding counties, such as Polk, Brevard and Marion, are also seeing high growth rates.
Suburbs
| Northwest: Apopka, Mount Dora,
Eustis, Tavares, Leesburg, The Villages |
North: Winter Park, Maitland,
Altamonte Springs, Sanford,
Deltona, Longwood, Bunnell, Lake Mary |
Northeast: Casselberry, Oviedo,
Winter Springs, Daytona Beach,
New Smyrna Beach, Palm Coast |
| West: Ocoee, Winter Garden,
Gotha, Windermere, Clermont, Oakland, Bushnell |
ORLANDO |
East: Bithlo, Union Park,
Wedgefield, Eastwood |
| Southwest: Lake Buena Vista, Celebration, Citrus Ridge |
South: Edgewood, Belle Isle,
Kissimmee, Poinciana, Meadow Woods |
Southeast: Saint Cloud, Harmony,
Holopaw, Yeehaw Junction |
Demographics
| Year |
Population |
| 1890 |
2,856 |
| 1900 |
2,481 |
| 1910 |
3,894 |
| 1920 |
9,282 |
| 1930 |
27,330 |
| 1940 |
36,736 |
| 1950 |
52,367 |
| 1960 |
86,135 |
| 1970 |
99,006 |
| 1980 |
128,291 |
| 1990 |
164,693 |
| 2000 |
185,951 |
| 2006 |
220,186 |
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 185,951 people, 80,883 households, and 42,382 families
residing in the city. The population density was 767.9/km² (1,988.9/mi²). There were
188,486 housing units at an average density of 365.4/km² (946.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.10% White, 26.70% African American, 1.43% Asian, 0.34% Native American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 5.41% from other races, and 2.54% from two or more races. 17.79% of the population
were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Non-Hispanic Whites made up 50.8% of the
population.[3]
The city has large Puerto Rican, Colombian,
Venezuelan, Haitian, French, Brazilian, Canadian, German, Arab, Indian, and Vietnamese communities (among others), as well as a growing number of Russian and British (mostly English) residents.
There were 80,883 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples
living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.6% were non-families. 35.0% of all households
were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
2.25 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 18.6% from
45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,732, and the median
income for a family was $40,648. Males had a median income of $30,866 versus $25,267 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,216. About 13.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were
below the poverty line, including 27.0% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age
65 or over.
Orlando is also home to one of the nation's highest population percentage of GLBT people.
According to a study by UCLA, 7.7% of Orlando's population is gay,
lesbian, or bisexual and with 5.7% of the entire metropolitan population, it ranks 9th in the nation.[4]
Languages
As of 2000, 75.43% of all residents spoke English as their first language, while 16.60% spoke Spanish language, 1.93%
spoke Haitian Creole, 1.33% spoke French, and 0.99% of the population spoke Portuguese as
their mother language.[5]
Crime
In 2006, based on the Department of Justice's FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Orlando reported 4,300
violent crimes including 49 murders[6], a record number
since 36 in 1982. Crime in Orlando has been up 329% since 2006. Based on the Morgan Quitno Press 2006 national crime rankings,
Orlando ranked #1 in Florida and #25 in the United states for overall standings[7].
Popularity
Like Florida cities Miami and Tampa, Orlando
has a large and increasing number of Hispanic residents living in the city. Orlando is home to
one of the nation's largest and most rapidly growing Puerto Rican communities (particularly
its metropolitan area). This is reflected by the abundance of Hispanic-themed
restaurants and radio stations. Spanish-language music, such as Reggaeton, is common on
Orlando radio stations. The Orlando Magic
basketball team is the only team in the NBA to have a Latin Night, which
is geared towards the Hispanic population in the area. Throughout the city, many Puerto Rican flags can be found on or near
buildings, including car dealerships. The city's local newspaper, The Orlando Sentinel,
publishes a weekly all-Spanish newspaper called El Sentinel. The Orlando-Central Florida
area is home to the most affluent Puerto Rican families in the United States, followed by
Los Angeles and San
Francisco. Many Puerto Ricans have relocated to Central Florida, mainly to the
Kissimmee area. The short distance from Orlando to Puerto Rico, similar climate and job opportunities have attracted many Puerto
Ricans to choose Kissimmee as their number one immigration destination. Orlando also has many residents of Cuban descent, largely refugees or their children from the Cuban Revolution.
Orlando has an even larger African-American population. The city is located within
six miles (10 km) of the suburb Eatonville, Florida, the first all-black town to be
incorporated in the United States.
A thriving Vietnamese quarter called "Little Vietnam" or "Little Saigon" exists in the Colonialtown district of Orlando.[8] The neighborhood has become a landmark in the city of Orlando and consist of a
countless, and always growing, number of restaurants, groceries, and merchants selling music, videos, collectibles, etc from
across Asia. The heart of the district is the intersection of East Colonial Drive/HWY50 and Mills Ave, also known as the "Vi-Mi"
district. The Orlando Vietnamese community has its roots in war refugees seeking a new life in America after the fall of
Saigon. Notable pro-democracy activists, such as Thuong Nguyen Cuc Foshee, who was just recently released from prison in Vietnam, call Orlando
their home. Several local and statewide media groups serve the Orlando Vietnamese and Asian communities, notably the online and in-print Asia Trend Magazine, and Saigon Moi magazine.
Orlando is also becoming popular with Russian immigrants seeking careers or relocating their families to warmer climates. The growth rate of Russians in
Central Florida is second only to the rising Hispanic population. The Russian community, made up of several countries of the
former Soviet Union, has the Russian language as their common bond. Community and cultural groups are growing in
popularity as is the number of Russian-American marriages.
Arts and entertainment
Taken in August 2005. The famous Universal Globe.
The hip hop music scene, metal scene,
rock music scene, Reggaeton and Latino scene, are all
active within the city and is largely home to the Florida Breakbeat movement.
Orlando has also been called Hollywood East because of numerous cinematic enterprises in the area.[9] Until recently, Walt Disney Feature Animation operated a studio out of Disney/MGM
Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. Feature Animation-Florida was primarily responsible for the films Mulan, Lilo &
Stitch, and the early stages of Brother Bear and contributed on various other projects. Nickelodeon Studios, which through the
90s produced hundreds of hours of GAK-filled game shows targeted at children, no longer operates out of Universal Studios
Florida. The Florida Film Festival in nearby Maitland is one of the most respected regional film festivals in the country and
attracts budding filmmakers from around the world. In addition, the implosion of Orlando's previous City Hall was filmed for the
movie Lethal Weapon 3. Orlando's indie film scene has been picking back up since
Haxan Film's The Blair Witch Project (1999) and a few years later with Charlize Theron winning her Academy Award for Monster
(2003). A Florida state film incentive has also helped increase the amount of films being produced in Orlando and the rest of the
state. Film production news is documented on Green
Room Orlando.
The Orlando Metropolitan Area is also home to a substantial theatre population. Several professional and semi-professional
houses and many community theaters dot the area including Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, Orlando Repertory Theatre (Central
Florida's only Professional Theatre for Young Audiences), Orlando Theatre Project, Starlight Dinner Theatre, Mad Cow Theatre,
Theatre Downtown, The Osceola Center for the Arts, Winter Park Playhouse, Theatre Winter Haven, IceHouse Theatre, and Seaside
Music Theatre. Orlando also hosts the Orlando International Fringe Theater Festival every summer. Disney also a cast theater
company known as S.T.A.G.E. as well as Encore, a cast choir and orchestra whose annual charity concerts have raised thousands of
dollars. In addition, the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center brings national tours through town on a regular basis. Each spring,
local theaters and downtown venues play host to the Orlando International Fringe Festival, which draws touring companies from all
around the world as well as readings and fully staged productions of new and unknown plays by local artists. Also in the spring,
Darden Restaurants sponsors a Festival of New Plays, hosted by Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival.
Orlando's Culture Coast consists of Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach and New Smyrna Beach and includes many cultural attractions
including the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Southeast Museum of Photography, Ormond Beach Art Museum, plus numerous galleries and
shops located in the quaint downtown districts of Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach and New Smyrna Beach. This area really is like
Orlando's cultural district on the beach.
Area Attractions
- See also List of amusement parks in Orlando
- For tourist information, see Wikitravel:Orlando.
The Orlando area is home to a wide variety of tourist attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando
Resort, and SeaWorld Orlando. The Walt Disney World resort is the area's largest
attraction with its many facets such as the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon,
Blizzard Beach, and Downtown Disney.
SeaWorld Orlando is a large adventure park that features numerous zoological displays and marine animals alongside an amusement
park with roller coasters and water park. Universal Orlando, like Walt Disney World, is a multi-faceted resort comprising
Universal Studios, CityWalk, and the Islands
of Adventure theme park. Orlando has also become one of the fastest growing retail markets in the USA with at least five
major upscale department stores opening last year alone and more than square feet ( m²) of shopping space in Central
Florida. [8]
Shopping Malls
- The Florida Mall is one of the largest single-story malls in the USA at over
1,849,000 ft² with over 250 stores, seven anchor department stores, and the Florida Mall Hotel & Conference Center
tower.
- The Mall at Millenia is a contemporary two-level 1.2 million square-foot
upscale shopping mall, including the world-famous department stores of Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Neiman Marcus. The mall is also
home to Blue Martini, a popular trendy lounge and night club. In addition, adjacent to the mall will soon be home to
IKEA Orlando, opening in November of 2007.
- Orlando Fashion Square Mall is the nearest indoor shopping mall to Downtown Orlando. The mall features 4 anchor
department stores and a 14-screen Premiere Cinema theater.
- Festival Bay Mall on International Drive is home to Ron Jon Surf Shop
Orlando, Bass Pro Shops, Van's Skate Park, and a Cinemark theater. The Ron Jon Surf Park is currently under construction.
- Pointe Orlando is a 2-story outdoor mall on International Drive that features many shops, restaurants, and nightlife
including a Regal Cinemas and IMAX experience.
- Prime Outlets Mall is an indoor and outdoor outlet mall on International Drive. The mall has recently been
re-constructed and caters primarily to tourists.
- Orlando Premium Outlets is an outdoor shopping outlet mall that hosts many desinger stores.
Museums
- The Orlando Museum of Art is Orlando's largest modern art museum. Located in Lock Haven
Park, the museum has ongoing exhibitions of American portraits and landscapes, American impressionist works, and art of the ancient Americas. In 2003, the musuem hosted the world-renowned full
exhibition of the famous glass sculptor, Dale Chihuly.
- The Morse Museum of American Art, located in nearby Winter Park, houses
the world's "most comprehensive" collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany,
among its permanent exhibits. It includes Tiffany art glass, jewelry, pottery, and the chapel interior designed for the 1893
World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There is also an exhibit on the Tiffany home, and American paintings from the 19th
century. The museum was founded in 1942.
- The Orange County Regional History Center Features exhibits and artifacts from the earliest days of the region to the
modern day. Includes information on everything from the time of the Seminole Indians to the
founding of the city to the Civil Rights era to the Disney period to today.
- Mennello Museum of American Art features a variety of American Art exhibits, mostly from the 20th century. The musuem
is located in Lock Haven Park.
- Cornell Fine Arts Museum, situated on the campus of Rollins College, features
significant loans, recent acquisitions, and items from the Cornell's renowned permanent collection. Admission is free.
- Harry P. Leu Gardens, which is an inner city oasis covering 50 acres
(20,000 m²) and features colorful annuals, palms, an
orchid house, a floral clock and a butterfly garden.
- Orlando Science Center, is a 207,000 square foot (19,000 m²) hands-on
learning center with hundreds of interactive exhibits for visitors of all ages. Images surround visitors on the giant screen of
the Dr. Phillips CineDome. Other attractions include the Body Zone, teaching health and fitness, as well as an observatory. The
center has the largest refracting telescope in Florida.
- Arboretum of the University of Central Florida
is a arboretum and botanical garden located in the heart of the University of
Central Florida main campus in East Orlando.
- The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center of Central Florida is a non-profit museum and education center
dedictated to the Holocaust during World War II.
Other attractions in the Greater Orlando area include:
- Blue Spring State Park, which is the winter home of large numbers of Florida
manatees that come upstream from the St. Johns River to
bask in the warm 72 °F (22 °C) waters of the springs. Canoeing, swimming and fishing are popular activities at Blue Springs.
- Blue Man Group at the Sharp Aquos
Theatre, located in Universal Citywalk, brings the music, humor, and excitement of the Blue Man Group to Orlando in this
new 1,015 seat venue.
- Bok Tower, located in Lake Wales, FL.
- Central Florida Zoological Park, located in Sanford, FL on Lake Monroe. This 100 acre (400,000 m²) zoo is home to a
butterfly garden, herpetarium, and numerous tropical animals. The zoo originally started as a collection in the Sanford Fire
Department, but grew into a regional zoo in 1975. It is currently in the planning stages of expansion and renaming the facility
to "Zoo Orlando at Sanford".
- Church Street Station, a multi-level shopping mall and entertainment
center that once featured an abundance of specialty shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Purchased in the late 1990s by
TransContinental Talent owner Lou Pearlman, it is now virtually defunct, as the area
suffered in post-9/11 tourist-industry slump. The area is being redeveloped
with residential condominiums. Now closed due to bankruptcy and is due to be bought over.
- Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba, in Downtown Disney
West Side, features its renowned blend of acrobatics and special effects with more than 70 artists from around the globe
performing in a custom-designed, 1,671-seat theater.
- Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, an amusement park opened in 1936. This park features
beautiful botanical gardens, 40 rides, 5 roller coasters and a water park. But it is most famous for it lovely southern belles
and world-renowned Ski Shows. Located in Winter Haven, FL.
- Discovery Cove, a resort that is part of the SeaWorld Adventure Park complex. Some
attraction features are tropical fish in a coral reef, snorkeling with stingrays, and interacting with birds in an aviary, as
well as swimming and playing with dolphins during a half-hour session.
- Gatorland houses thousands of alligators and
crocodiles. A few of Gatorland's residents have made wrangling appearances in movies,
television shows and commercial spots. The 54 year old park combines a petting zoo, bird sanctuary, mini-water park, eco-tour and
outdoor entertainment, including daily alligator wrestling.
- Hard Rock Café is the Orlando location of the famed restaurant chain with the typical
HRC music memorabilia. There is also Hard Rock Live, a 3,000-capacity live music venue, and the
Hard Rock Hotel, a resort hotel with a California-style restaurant called "The Kitchen". It is
one of eight worldwide, and one of three in Florida. (Miami and Tampa are the other two.)
- The Holy Land Experience
