The historical home El Retiro was beautiful. We paid the extra $10 per person to do the tour, and…read morewe loved it. The tiling of the home gives me true future home ideas. The tour guides were super sweet and helpful. The house had two floors and was nice and warm when we visited, which was very cold that day. I was able to take home two recipe cards that I can't wait to try. Definitely wish I lived in this home.

I don't know why it took me so long to check out this place. Maybe because I already had an annual…read morepass and I have to pay more to get in. What a pleasant surprise. This was a cool place. To be so rich that you come only in Jan & Feb to enjoy the Florida weather. This place is still functional. There outlets, & working elevators. I love the architecture of this building. I love how it was decorated for the holidays. This is now a museums. Back in the days Bok tower used to hosted dinners, a huge Christmas decorations celebrations. Now it's an official museum so it's only to walk through. $5 for members & $7 for non members. Honestly, this is one and done. It's cool but will I go back. For what not sure.

In 1938, Florida Southern College was not much of a campus on a great site overlooking Lake…read moreHollingsworth in Lakeland. The President of this little college had the audacity to send a telegraph to one of the world's greatest architects, Frank Lloyd Wright, and asked him to design buildings. Wright accepted the challenge. He envisioned buildings rising "out of the ground and into the light, a child of the sun." Wright designed 18 structures between 1938 and 1958 (he died in 1959), 12 were built despite sometimes limited funds (not many millionaire alumni like ivy league schools), WWII, etc. THESE ARE WORTH SEEING ! The AAA book stated that one hour basic tours depart at 10, noon, and 2. We planned for noon, but phoned ahead and were informed that the one hour tours ($20) would be offered that day at 10 and 2 (they also offer an in depth tour that lasts more than two hours and costs $35). It is best to make reservations. In 2013, FSC opened this education center and gift shop and built a Wright Usonian House next to it. Wright had imagined many of these Usonian houses along the lake for faculty. Our guide was a beautiful, brilliant African-American Senior English major (Kasha?). We were two and four others joined our tour group. We walked around the campus and entered a few of the Wright structures. Our guide was very knowledgeable concerning Wright in general and these buildings in particular. She answered our many questions. After walking around for an hour (this tour may not be for people with ambulation issues) we ended up at the Usonian house (next to the gift shop) where she elucidated the details of this little masterpiece and then set up a video about Wright and FSC to complete the story. If you happen to be in central Florida and have even a mild appreciation of advanced 20th century architecture, go see the Wright buildings at FSC.

Jack was a fantastic tour guide. By all means go for the in-depth tour. Amazing collection of…read moreFLW structures. Tour history includes the pre- and post-FLW tenure as architect of the school, as well a restoration efforts. The in-depth tour takes you inside several of the FLW structures. Even non-FLW buffs will live it.

This facility is part of the City of Lakeland Parks and Recreaton…read more The LHS Class of 1972 held their 40th Class Reunion here. It's a beautiful building built in the 1920's. It has a fantastic veranda that overlooks Lake Mirror.

Recently attended a wedding here, very nice and spacious venue. Was decorated nicely with flowers…read moreand twinkle lights. Holds a lot of people. Nice views for photos! Indoor venue but has an outside patio attached.

Free admission sponsored by Wawa August 30-31. Very cool homage to native Florida wildlife -…read morehundreds of plants - 48 of them rare. Originally planted by landscape artist Olmsted in 1920s. Bok Tower has 60 tons of carillon bells and is covered with depictions of FL birds, animals, plants, and humans. Built by Bok in Art Deco style of the period, it was designated a National Historic Landmark by Calvin Coolidge.

This is perhaps the best botanical garden in the world--we haven't gone to any outside of Florida…read morethough so take that how you will. We got engaged here! 8.28.26! So take that how you will! The tower itself is a masterful design, everyone is friendly and will answer any questions you have! The cafe is stellar and the wine and tap selection will appease anyone who partakes! This was our third time going, so many gift shop goodies and plants we've taken home!

Not something I would drive out of my way for but if you're headed to Bok tower Gardens it's not…read moretoo far out the way. We decided to give the haunted street a try after seeing it on social media. When you drive up you see The elementary school next door has Casper's their mascot which I loved! We got to the line read the sign and pulled up to the line. I put the car in neutral and guess what..nothing lol which I didn't have high hopes but it was cool to check out the area.

Nothing special. I thought it was going to be slightly more exciting, your car just rolls…read moredownward... because you're on a hill. That's pretty much it. It's quick and a bit underwhelming, but the town's backstory is kind of cool and it's free, so why not check it out if you're already nearby

I am so excited about this WWII D-Day Commemorative Weekend Event - June 12, 2020, from 10:00 -…read more4:00 pm. This FREE event is to commemorate the D-Day landings by U.S. troops on the beaches of Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, which marked the beginning of the end to Hitler's "Fortress Europe" during World War II. This year is the 76th anniversary of the D-Day invasions. Reenactors will be on hand wearing their period uniforms, showing their equipment, and the weapons they would have carried. The troops on both the Allied and the Axis sides will illustrate what they would have looked like and talk about the role they are depicting. They are very knowledgable about the history and the characters they portray. There will also be a weapons demonstration, including a show of the airplanes and World War II period vehicles - I believe someone owns a jeep and he lets the kids ride around with him for fun! This is a kid-friendly event too. Make sure to stop inside the museum and talk with the currators. They don't have a web site directly, but you can contact them on their Facebook page.

I wish this place was open more often. I took my dad here and we ended up staying until it closed…read more One of the best displays of the Camp Hale mountaineering training equipment and videos. The volunteers are a joy to listen to with amazing stories and knowledge. Each room has a story to tell. Small but full of information and a nice collection.

Lakeland's Lake Mirror Promenade, now known as the Frances Langford Promenade, was built as a part…read moreof the City Beautiful movement that swept the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Running from from Lake Mirror Drive to Lemon Street, the promenade was the brainchild of Lakeland business leader Thomas J. Appleyard. The promenade was designed by Charles Wellford Leavitt, a student of the landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York City's Central Park and San Francisco's Golden State Park. The two-phase project was completed in 1928. The promenade has a beautiful balustrade with streetlamps around the half-mile perimeter of the small, oval-shaped Lake Mirror. On the west side, a large platform steps down to the water's edge and is guarded by two monumental Corinthian columns. A loggia with five arches, aligning with the end of East Main Street, is the central feature of a 540-foot-long retaining wall that is set against the tall lake bank. The promenade was a feat of engineering, as it was built into the lake. New banks were dug around the shore to create space from which water could be pumped and a wooden superstructure erected to support the concrete walkway. The original plans for the promenade included a tennis court, a new city hall, an auditorium, shuffle board, lawn bowling, and carpet golf, although many of these no longer exist. The design also included a large garden; but due to Florida's 1926 economic crash the plans had to be limited and it wasn't until 2000 when the long planned for garden of Lake Mirror, Hollis Garden was finally constructed. The garden was donated by Mark Hollis, a former president of Publix and his wife who donated one million dollars to the City of Lakeland for the garden. On January 27, 1983, the promenade was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The promenade was dedicated to Lakeland native France's Langford (1913-2005) in 1946. Frances Langford was a popular singer, radio performer, and actress in the 1930's through the 1950's. She was also a boater and fisherwoman. Langford's first singing performance was staged in Lakeland. The classically-trained opera singer had a tonsillectomy in her teens, and she retrained her vocal style to the big band type of music that was popular at the time. Langford was discovered by Rudy Vallee while performing on a Tampa radio station. She worked on the radio with Vallee, Dick Powell, and Bob Hope. Her first film was Every Night at Eight (1935) which featured her singing I'm in the Mood for Love. Her other films included Yankee Doodle Dandy and The Glenn Miller Story. In 1955 she moved to Jensen Beach with her second husband. During WWII Frances Langford worked with the USO and traveled through North Africa and the South Pacific to visit injured GI's. She became known as the GI Nightingale. Her weekly newspaper column, "Purple Heart Diary," told of those visits and urged public support for injured soldiers. Of her time visiting the troops Langford said ""The greatest thing in my life was entertaining the troops." Langford's war-related papers can be found at the Institute on World War II at Florida State University. Today the Frances Langford Promenade offers stunning views of Lake Mirror, the surrounding parklands, and downtown Lakeland as you stroll along the walkway. I love the classic architecture juxtaposed against the modern city. The promenade is home to a number of picturesque gardens, fountains, and statues, including the iconic historic band shell that hosts various events throughout the year. The promenade is especially enchanting at sunrise and sunset, when the soft light reflects off the water and creates a peaceful ambiance. The Frances Langford Promenade is the ideal spot for anyone seeking natural beauty, history, and relaxation.

Is it pronounced promenAID or promenODD?…read more ANSWER: PromenAID.. unless you're a non-pizza crust eating boogee snob. Lake Mirror (I think it should be called Mirror Lake), is the lovely aquatic heart of Downtown Lakeland and the promenade offers and architectural centerpiece to view it from on high or at lakelevel. It's the meeting of human ordered architecture (arches, columns, and stone carved into geometric order) and once natural water feature. There are birds. A fountain. A view. Reflections. Gardens. A view of the Amtrak train station, fire station and former brew pub. All lovely. Historic. There are steps right down into the water. You can walk right in.. Or across the lake if you're Jesus. Dogs chasing birds. Quacking. A nice walk. Birdwatching. Thoughts about life and travel. What's for lunch? This is a great spot for pondering the meaning of it all.

This was a nice excursion to do, we went on a Saturday afternoon. We saw zebras, oxen, gazelle,…read moreostrich's, cheetahs, a peacock, camels, parrots, ducks etc. The land is beautiful, and many of the animals aren't behind a fence so they roam freely. They come pretty close to the cars so you get that up close feel. At the end you can even feed some of the animals (goats, lambs) if you pay extra for that option. It's very family friendly and our tour guide was knowledgeable. As others have said you connect to a radio station and can hear her throughout the tour in the car. You can expect to spend around 2 hours here. Some suggestions that could have made the excursion more enjoyable and efficient would be: -Have everyone sign and fill out forms beforehand -If a car hasn't paid to feed the animals, allow a lane for them to leave so they're not just sitting and waiting on the other cars who did pay to feed the animals -Have more than one exit and entrance (this may not be feasible, but it might help with suggestion 1 Overall we had a great time and I would recommend it. Make sure you have a working radio and air conditioning if it's hot!

We had such a great time! Our tour guide JJ was absolutely awesome, funny, knowledgeable, and…read morepassionate about the animals. You can really feel how much love and care everyone here has for them. We did the drive-through safari and loved every minute of it! Getting to feed the camels at the end was the highlight of the day. Definitely recommend this experience to anyone looking for something unique and fun!