5 Ways to Spend a Saturday in Winter Park
Minutes north of downtown Orlando is the upscale suburb of Winter Park, Florida.
Starting out as a frontier settlement in the 1850s, it evolved into a winter resort for the well-to-do by the end of the century. Real estate tycoons created a town plan that’s still evident today.
Winter Park Farmers’ Market
150 N New York Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
Kick off your Saturday exploration supporting local by spending time at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market. Held each Saturday in the Central Park West Meadow at the corner of New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard, this market is one of the most popular weekly markets in the Orlando area.
Open 8am to 1pm, the market serves as a popular gathering spot with dozens of vendors to choose from.
From locally-grown produce, plants, and freshly-baked goods, this market never disappoints.
Museums
The city of Winter Park prides itself on being the cultural epicenter of Central Florida and nowhere is that more evident than the top-notch museums it offers in the downtown core.
Visitors can easily spend a half-day or more taking in the art and history of the museums, a fun and educational way to cool off on a hot Florida day.
The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
445 N Park Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
Louis Comfort Tiffany - Library of Congress
Louis Comfort Tiffany (February 18, 1848 – January 17, 1933) was born into the famous Tiffany family we know today as makers of fine diamond and sterling silver jewelry, a company founded in part by his father.
Under Louis’s artistic direction, Tiffany & Co. became the American luxury brand synonymous with taste and style.
The pursuit of beauty was always a life-long mission for Tiffany.
His quest started with painting and continued with innovative interior design.
Tiffany was responsible for creating the look inside Mark Twain’s Victorian Gothic Revival mansion in Hartford, Connecticut. The home included examples of what Tiffany is best known for today - stained glass.
Tiffany windows survive in places of worship and other buildings throughout North America.
But the largest concentration of work by the prolific designer anywhere can be found inside the Morse Museum.
From Tiffany-leaded glass lamps made by the thousands to unique windows made for exhibition, seeing this American master’s works so up-close is truly awe-inspiring.
Other galleries include a major collection of American art pottery and collections of late nineteenth and early 20th century American paintings, graphics and decorative art.
Cornell Fine Arts Museum
1000 Holt Ave Box 2765, Winter Park, FL 32789
The Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College features rotating exhibitions, ongoing programs, and an extensive permanent collection that spans centuries.
Most of what we saw the day we visited was contemporary art beautifully displayed in several large galleries.
With exhibits always changing, there’s always something new to see at the museum and, with no admission charge, is well worth an hour of your time.
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
633 Osceola Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
A less than five minute drive from Park Avenue is the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens. Czech-American sculptor and educator Albin Polasek created more than 400 works during his career, primarily American representational art.
He retired to a Mediterranean-style house and studio in Winter Park in 1950 when he was 70.
Many of the home’s original furnishings can be viewed as well as 200 pieces of sculpture and antiquities.
The well-manicured grounds here are breathtaking with many fine examples of the artist’s religious sculptures on display.
Shopping and Dining Along Park Avenue
When plans for the city were drawn up in the late 1800s, founding fathers envisioned a park-like setting that would provide opportunities for local businesses to thrive.
More than a century later, Park Avenue remains the heart of the city.
Block after block offers something for every taste and style.
From locally-owned clothing stores, shops that focus on home design and chains you might be familiar with from your favorite mall, there’s enough variety here for even the most discriminating shopper.
Scenic Boat Tour
312 E Morse Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32789
Set aside an hour to go on a leisurely Scenic Boat Tour on the pristine Winter Park chain of lakes.
Cruises by knowledgeable and entertaining guides are offered daily on an 18-passenger pontoon boat.
The tour floats down two man-made canals full of towering cypress trees, lush ferns and a variety of flourishing sub-tropical flowers.
A number of opulent private homes and sprawling estates can be viewed along the shore.
Boats depart every hour on the hour each day of the year except Christmas.