For a small, free museum on local history, the depth of information was very impressive! There were…read moremany interesting exhibits related to local history, city planning, the railroads, riverboats, agriculture, business, and sports achievements. The founder of the City of Sanford was Henry S. Sanford. Sanford was a distinguished diplomat and businessman. After he passed his personal papers were donated to the city by his daughter, Carola Sanford Dow. The Sanford Museum opened in 1957 as The Henry Shelton Sanford Memorial Library and Museum. The building was expanded in 1974 and again in 1993. On display are Henry Sanford's personal items that include European and American paintings, furniture, objects and books from 1820-1890. The Chase Gallery was added to the museum in 1993. It is named in honor of Sydney O. and Margaret Chase. The gallery has many exhibits pertinent to local history. Topics covered include: steamboats, The Senator which was a champion bald Cypress tree, businesses from the town's history, Native American history, African-American history in Goldsboro, early police and fire departments, the Great Freeze of 1895, Swedish immigration in Upsala, Naval Station Sanford, 19th Century funeral practices, and local sports history. My favorite exhibits were on Old Bob, the funeral horse who transported bodies to Lakeview Cemetery for 28 years before being laid to rest there, the Native American history that included a dug out canoe found in Loch Low believed to be from the year 800, and the recreation of the library from Henry Sanford's home in Derby, Connecticut. At the museum you can learn how the town of Sanford sprang up from Fort Mellon during the Second Seminole War and how after the Great Freeze it became strongly identified with celery. I had previously visited the Seminole County Museum which was helpful in understanding some of the exhibits here. The lady who was working on the day I visited said the two museums sometimes work collaboratively. The Sanford Museum has lectures and events and you can find out more about dates and times on their website. They can also point you in the direction of significant historical sites all throughout town. If you want to know more about the history of Sanford, this is the perfect place to start. Don't forget to stop by their small but carefully curated gift shop area where you can pick up maps and brochures and they sell unique items like celery earrings and Sanford key chains.

Took in the museum this afternoon. Small but well appointed. Nice local history. Never knew…read morecelery was so important in the towns growth..

Architect and…read morecarpenter There are skilled carpenters and there are talented architects, seldom is one person both. William Waterhouse was one of these rare and special individuals and built a very cool house that reflected his unique abilities. The Waterhouse family decided to come down from New York to spend some time in the Maitland area of Florida in the late 19th century. Wasn't much down there at that time so Mr Waterhouse decided to build his own house. Since he was an accomplished architect he designed the home in the New York style that he was familiar with and since he also hapened to be a skilled carpenter he built the house himself from the abundant local pine. In 1884 the house was finished and the family moved in and lived, entertained and become prominent in the community. The house is impressive and cool but certainly not extravagant. The Waterhouse family would probably be called upper middle class today, well off but certainly not filthy rich. The house was of course changed over the years but was finally restored to reflect it's original character and even filled with antiques from the period. Tours are available with wonderful docents for only three dollars. You not only get to see the cool house, wonderful period furniture and antiques but also the workshop filled with old tools from the time the Waterhouse family lived here. The docent we had was great, she knew everything there was to know about the house, Waterhouse family and the local area in the time the home was built. Patiently answered our questions and gave us a great tour and history lesson. Since the house is right on the grounds of lovely Lake Lily Park after seeing the house you can spend some time walking around the park. A great way to spend a few hours while in Maitland.

Nice little 30 minute tour of this old house built by people that moved here over 100 years ago…read more The house remains almost the same except for a few details, the tour is nice and explains a lot about the house and the people that lived here. Tour is cheap only $3.00 and worth the money,so if you are near lake Lilly come check out it. Its Only open till 4pm so come early. Good tour if you are bored and around the area.

For a history museum, the Museum of Seminole County History is pretty awesome. As soon as I entered…read moreI was greeted by Museum of Seminole County History Coordinator, Bennett LLoyd. He is so friendly and engaging, not to mention a fountain of great historical information. The museum is two buildings. The front building is located in the 1926 old folks home that was created to care for the elderly who didn't have anyone to help them. In 1965 this building was converted into offices for the County Agricultural and the Home Demonstration Agent. They moved out in 1980 and the building sat vacant. In 1982 the County Commission approved the establishment of a Historical Museum that officially opened in this building in 1983. In June of 1999, the Museum was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum added a new exhibits back building in 2003. The Museum of Seminole County History is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Seminole County and that of Central Florida. You start your visit in the Old Folks Home. There is a gift shop area in the front and you can also make a donation to the museum here. Exhibits throughout the museum include Native American history, Spanish exploration, American Revolution, Civil War, army forts, pioneer life, early transportation, early medical practices, the development of Central Florida towns, a replica of the Martha Gwynn Fox Room, police and fire department, and the Seminole Correctional Facility. The back building has a replica of a log cabin, buggies, early farm tools, and sculptures made by local artists from bald cypress wood from the Senator, the oldest and largest bald cypress tree in the US. The tree was in Big Tree Park until an arson fire in 2012 destroyed it. Some of the wood was salvaged for these sculptures. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to this history museum. The comprehensive displays were well thought out and interesting. I was able to pick up pamphlets and printouts that led me to other historical cities and sites. If you have any history questions Bennett Lloyd and the Museum of Seminole County is a great resource that can launch you into a deeper understanding of the people and events that shaped this part of Florida.

Not a huge metropolitan museum but very informative. The day we visited there was a reenactment of…read morean army campground during the Seminole Indian wars. We watched a shooting demonstration, cooking demonstrations, explored their camp, and listened to explanations of life during that period of history. The kids obviously loved the guns the most!

This is the second time I've been here and I have nothing but praises for this location. It's so…read morepeaceful and relaxing and safe. Surrounded by a beautiful lake and shops, if you wanna sit down and people watch, walk around the lake, just have some food, this is the perfect place to go with the family

The Celebration History Center mission statement describes their goal as, to collect, preserve and…read moremake available documentation and memorabilia about the history of Celebration, Florida. They had the Grand Opening of the Celebration History Center during Founders Weekend on November 14, 2009. The History Center is located in Johnson Hall at the old Town Hall, 690 Celebration Avenue, Celebration, FL. This year they will begin selling Celebration merchandise with the Celebration logo to residents and visitors from around the world.

A very interesting tour overall. The volunteers are insightful and both are also Vietnam veterans…read more The museum only open the weekend and entrance are free(so accept donation since is not funded by the government). If you are nearby the neighborhood, check it out !

Hands down one of the best museums I've ever been too! Decided to go to different museums for a…read moreweek and came across this one. I have a lot of family members in the military and thought it would be interesting to visit. We entered walk around until we were greeted by a member of the crew. Unfortunately don't remember his name but he did give us a tour and he was super knowledgeable and went into depth with everything! He even let us try on some of the stuff and hold certain items, which was such a cool hands on experience. Hands down one of the best and most interesting tours I've ever been on. I highly recommend. I've listed some photos, can't put all the photos I took unfortunately but go visit to take a look yourself!!

The Della Phillips Pavilion is located in the Packing District of Orlando, Florida and is another…read moreexample of the change of this once neglected industrial part of the city. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra as played here several times and it is enjoyable to just chill here and soak up the atmosphere and the lake view. I would definitely recommend here.

Come for the A/C, stay because Ty Burrell just made climate change sound like a sitcom plot…read more Awesome Planet is EPCOT's way of saying, "We're still educational, dammit." Nestled inside The Land Pavilion, this 10-minute film opened on January 17, 2020, replacing the long-running Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (1995-2018). You remember that one -- Timon and Pumbaa lecturing you about recycling while you tried not to fall asleep in the air conditioning. Disney retired it after two decades, deciding it was time to update the message and the visuals (and, let's be honest, cut the fart jokes). History check: before Circle of Life, the theater housed Symbiosis (1982-1994), which was pure 1980s EPCOT -- equal parts earnest science lesson and school field-trip snoozefest. Awesome Planet continues that tradition but with a 21st-century facelift: gorgeous IMAX-style cinematography, sweeping time-lapse shots, and narration by Ty Burrell (yes, Phil Dunphy from Modern Family, which somehow makes saving the planet sound both funny and slightly neurotic). The show is a mix of jaw-dropping aerial shots, underwater footage, and computer graphics that make you realize just how insane Earth really is. It hits the big notes: oceans, forests, deserts, storms, climate change. There's a section where you're basically watching Earth flex its muscles while you're sitting there with a churro wondering what you've done with your life. Is it a thrill ride? Nope. But it's pure EPCOT DNA -- infotainment with enough Disney polish to keep you from checking your phone. And the air conditioning? Let's be real, that's the real five-star feature in Florida summers. "It's a commercial for Planet Earth, but at least it's a good commercial."-- it's slick, beautiful, and makes you want to go recycle something immediately... or at least feel guilty about your plastic poncho. Bottom line: Awesome Planet is short, smart, and surprisingly moving. It's the quiet conscience of EPCOT -- reminding you that the most impressive attraction here isn't a ride, it's the rock we're all spinning on.

Awesome Planet is a show located in World Nature at the Land Pavilion. It's right next to the…read moreGarden Grill restaurant, and you'll see the show off to your right as soon as you enter the Land Pavilion. It's been a few years since I watched the show. It's a 10-minute film featuring the earth and the environment from across the globe! This show is for all ages. The film does use in-theater effects such as wind, scents, and water. It tells the story of life on our planet! If you're looking to take a break from the summer heat, this is a great spot to stop at. It's in a air conditioned building. The images are stunning! There usually aren't many people that queue up for this attraction. The theater is relatively large though with lots of seating! If you haven't watched this film yet, you should check it out while you're visiting Epcot!

The Sunny Day Carousel is a ride located on Sesame Street in the SeaWorld Orlando theme park. This…read moremerry go round is a low impact fun for all ages ride that parents can take the kids on as well. The sesame street characters are bright and friendly looking to invite new ride goers an easy way to enjoy some fun without big thrills that might scare them. The line moves quickly as there are a lot of horses and stationary benches to choose from and it last about 3 minutes. This is a great addition to sesame street!!!