Visit a Museum During Your Orlando Vacation

By Janice McSherry
Mention the words “Orlando Vacation” and everyone thinks of Disney World, Universal Studios and the other usual theme parks and tourist attractions. However, you don’t have to limit your enjoyment of Orlando to the theme parks, the city also boasts some world class museums and cultural events that you can visit to enhance and enrich your stay. Let’s take at some of the museum and cultural possibilities in Orlando.

Central Florida Railroad Museum

This is a great place for railroad buffs.  This museum houses a collection of railroad artifacts and memorabilia from the great railroads of Central Florida. If you are interested in visiting then here is the information that you need: Address: 633 Osceola Avenue, Winter Park, Florida 32789,  Telephone: 407-647-6294, Fax: 407-647-0410, info@polasek.org

Museum of African American History 

This museum is the legacy of Dr. William Wells, a well-known African-American physician in Orlando in the first half of the 20^th century. Wells opened the South Street Casino and hosted touring black bands. At that time Orlando was segregated and he opened the Wells’ Built Hotel to accommodate the musicians. Many musical greats including Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Cab Calloway and Ray Charles played at the Casino and stayed in the Hotel.  While the casino no longer exists, the hotel has been preserved and turned into a museum with memorabilia of Orlando’s African-American community as well as African art. You can find the museum at 511 West South Street, Orlando 32801, (407) 245-7535, just west of I-4 near Church Street

Harry P. Leu Gardens 

If you want to step back in time and enjoy scenes from “Old Florida” then you should make it a point to visit the Leu Gardens. Here you will find winding paths, shaded by oaks and camphor trees as well as forests of camellias. You can take a guided tour of the Leu House Museum, a restored late-nineteenth century mansion that began as a simple Florida farmhouse. The Garden House also gives a panoramic view of Lake Rowena. Here is the visiting information for the gardens: 1920 N. Forest Ave., Orlando, FL 32803-1537 Telephone (407) 246-2620, Fax (407) 246-2849

Morse Museum of American Art

The full name of the museum is The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. Here you will find a comprehensive collection of  the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany as well a major collection of American art pottery and representative collections of late-19th and early-20th century American paintings, graphics and the decorative arts. The contact information is as follows: address and phone number: 445 North Park Ave, Winter Park FL (407) 645-5311, (407) 645-5324 for recorded information

Mennello Museum 

The full name of the museum is the Mennello Museum of American Folk art and the main emphasis is on preserving and exhibiting the paintings of Earl Cunningham (1893-1977). The Museum also offers special exhibitions, publications, and programs that celebrate outstanding traditional and contemporary Amercian folk artists. Here is the contact information: 900 East Princeton Street, Orlando, Florida 32803, 407.246.4278 (tel), 407.246.4329 (fax), mennello.museum@cityoforlando.net 

These are just some of the cultural centers and museums that you can visit to change the pace of your vacation and to get acquainted with the underlying cultural heritage of Central Florida.