Winter Garden Florida

Once a sleepy citrus community, Winter Garden has blossomed into an inviting, yet burgeoning community that still retains its small town charm. One of the elements that makes the area so attractive, both to residents and businesses, is its transportation system. Winter Garden is located on the southeast shore of Lake Apopka, about 14 miles west of downtown Orlando, which offers easy access to the Orlando International Airport , railroad service through downtown Winter Garden , the convenience of Highway 50, the ease of East-West Expressway and the Florida Turnpike. The Western Beltway (SR429) now provides a western bypass around Orlando and connects Winter Garden with the communities and attractions to the north and south.

Downtown Winter Garden offers a slice of small town life on "Plant Street" with the redeveloped stores, restaurants and businesses capturing the charm of old Florida. The community celebrates their history and charm with an Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social (held in picturesque Newton Park on Lake Apopka) and 4th of July Celebration. Once renowned for its vast citrus industries, Winter Garden is beginning to attract other businesses, including computer and investment companies. Real estate prices are appreciating quickly in Winter Garden and new homes are being built all around.

Winter Garden Parks

The city also has two large parks, a public boat ramp on Lake Apopka, playground and picnic areas, and three recreational complexes for your children to enjoy little league baseball, football, softball, tennis and swimming.

Tanner Hall

The newly remodeled Tanner Hall is one of the premiere rental facilities in all of Central Florida for wedding receptions, parties, meetings and other special events. Located at 29 W. Garden Ave, it lies on the shores of scenic Lake Apopka. Floor-to-ceiling windows enhance this picturesque setting and give a breathtaking view of the lake and the beautifully landscaped Newton Park. An entry foyer leads you in to the main room which is 4950 sq. ft. with a building capacity of 300 people, but is best suited for up to 225 seated. There is a patio that stretches the entire North side of the building allowing guests to further enjoy the lake view from the outdoors.

Historic Edgewater Hotel

This Winter Garden landmark features a manually operated Otis elevator, an attraction all in itself when it was installed in 1926. The building also features a sprinkler system throughout its 30,000 square feet that dates from the opening of the hotel. The Edgewater Hotel officially opened in January 1927 under the management of Ralph Hartman and quickly became the Sunday afternoon destination for local residents attracted to the modern facilities.

In the 1930's, Winter Garden had garnered a reputation as a premier bass fishing destination, owing to the abundant population of fish in nearby Lake Apopka. In 1936, local businessmen leased the hotel and installed a large fireplace in the lobby and equipped each floor of the facility with a fish cleaning station, consisting of a sink and refrigerator. They marketed the facility throughout the United States (Field and Stream magazine) as a full service fishing lodge.

West Orange Trail

Just a few miles from metropolitan Orlando and Walt Disney World, the West Orange Trail is a central Florida attraction of a different sort. This world-class rail-trail, which travels right through the heart of Winter Garden, offers a rewarding experience and excellent facilities for the visitor. Among the highlights along the trail are a xeriscape/butterfly garden about a mile east of the Oakland Outpost, the Winter Garden Historical Museum and some picturesque views of Lake Apopka. The trail also provides access to and from Clarcona Horseman’s Park, offering equestrians a staging area for their visit. The constant changes in scenery and the relaxed atmosphere of the towns along the way make this a great ride. This trail will eventually be a part of the 200 mile planned regional connection known as the Central Florida Loop.

The growth of Winter Garden has been rapid and current estimates put the population at 21,000 by the year 2010. In order to keep up with the explosive growth, many new real estate housing projects are in the works - from charming condos, villas and townhouses to luxury estate homes. One of the newest real estate developments in the Winter Garden area is the brand new Horizon West, which will be filled with traditional neighborhoods, shopping, entertainment, as well as quick and easy access to area theme parks and major transportation corridors. The Horizon West planning area is located south of John's Lake, west of Windermere to the Lake County line. Horizon West includes nearly 38,000 acres that were citrus groves until the devastating freezes of the 1980s, which created an incentive to do appropriate master planning for the area's urbanization over time. Horizon West has won numerous state and regional awards for planning, including recognition from the state of Florida as a Sector Plan, which exempts the Horizon West area from the Development of Regional Impact regulatory process. Horizon West provides a meaningful alternative to the leapfrog development pattern of sprawl by creating self-sustaining villages that provide housing close to regional workplaces and community services.Some of the newer real estate developments are Independence, Summerport, Stoneybrook, and Isle of Lake Hancock.

The Heritage Museum in Winter Garden Florida celebrates western Orange County history and past cultural character. Established in 1998 and housed in the 1918 Atlantic Coast Line Depot in downtown Winter Garden, the museum maintains 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. The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation provides education in the form of a fully accredited school visitation program, theatre programs, historic walking tours, heritage events, historic workshops, displays, written resource materials and presentations.

The Central Florida Railroad Museum, opened in 1983, is located in the former Tavares and Gulf depot built in 1913. The museum has the finest collection of Florida railroadiana anywhere, including a collection of dining car china - the second largest in the USA.

The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation has recently restored the Garden Theatre located at 160 West Plant Street in historic downtown Winter Garden, Florida. The Garden Theatre first opened in 1935 and was the first local theatre built specifically to show the new talking motion pictures. It closed in 1962. Constructed in the Mediterranean Revival style, the interior of the theatre was modeled after a Spanish courtyard with "Romeo and Juliet" balconies, lanterns in the windows over the proscenium arch and palm trees decorating either side. The ceiling of the theatre was dark blue, resplendent with stars.

The newly renovated facility holds 299 audience members and begins showing public performance in February 2008. The Garden Theatre project brings a cultural performing arts center to Winter Garden, a town with unparalleled charm in Central Florida. This achievement is revitalizing the downtown historic district, and bringing a nostalgic sense of community back to the citizens of Winter Garden. The Garden Theatre is opening its doors for the first time in over 40 years. The renovated venue in downtown historic Winter Garden is now converted from a single screen cinema to a 299-seat performing arts venue. In addition to the theatrical productions listed, classic movies and community events will be added to the season. Tickets prices vary $10-$25 and can be purchased through the online box office.

The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! Music by Eric Rockwell, Lyrics by Joanne Bogart
Produced by Jester Theater Company
February 1-17, 2008
This Off Broadway and London hit musical comedy is five musicals in one, each with the same plot but each in the style of a
different famous Broadway composer. Having traveled to Germany last year and performed two sold out runs in Central
Florida, The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! is the first full production in the renovated Garden Theatre.

Garden Theatre Grand Dedication - Produced by the Garden Theatre
March 1, 2008, 8pm
Join the festivities as the Garden Theatre celebrates opening its doors for the first time in over 40 years.

Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling - Produced by The Vine Theatre
March 7-22, 2008
Revolving around Truvy's Beauty Parlor in a small community in northwest Louisiana, Steel Magnolias is a comedy-drama
about the bond among a close-knit group of southern women who gather there.

SPORT - Produced by PB&J Productions
April 4-13, 2008
This athletic-based comedy comes to Winter Garden as a team of adaptable players promote and compete under the corporate
umbrella of "Slastic," the worldwide leader of sporting gear.

Tuesdays with Morrie By Jeffrey Hatcher and Mitch Albom - Produced by Orlando Theatre Project
April 25-May 4, 2008
Based on the bestselling non-fiction book, Tuesdays with Morrie is the autobiographical story of Mitch Albom, an
accomplished journalist driven solely by his career, and Morrie Schwartz, his former college professor.

Moonlight and Magnolias By Ron Hutchinson - Produced by Jester Theater Company
May 9-25, 2008
This comedy, set in Hollywood in 1939 and inspired by real events, is a behind-the-scenes account of the collaboration
between film producer David O. Selznick, director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht. Trapped in their office for
five days surviving on only peanuts and bananas, the three men act out and re-write Gone with the Wind.