This is not your typical tourist trap. It's a unique home that attracts the curious. The owner/tour…read moreguide is a perky lady who is renovating the house back to its original splendor and adding her own personal creativity. She talks about the history of the house and her encounters with the spirits of the original owner. Lots of antiques throughout and a few quirky collections. A diamond in the rough with the mystique of an opal. There is an assistant tour guide, Joan of Bark, who is the sweetest, most laid-back pup. Take some time to enjoy this unicorn.

The best house tour I have ever been on! Super cool to hear so many details from the owner of the…read morehouse and hear about her personal experiences in the restoration process.

I love buildings from Florida's 1920's land rich years, but this is the first historic gas station…read morethat I have come across. The masonry vernacular designed Key's Service Station is a historic Standard Oil 1926 gas station on the corner of Broadway and Drury Avenue. The automobile boom of the 1920's opened Kissimmee to a new influx of residents and tourists. In 1967 the gas station was purchased by Al and Ben Key for use as a men's club. In 1998 the city purchased the station with plans to widen the road and demolish it. As the project progressed it was no longer necessary to destroy the building and the Community Redevelopment Agency stepped into to restore the gas station with grants from the county and state. Out front is a replica of a 1926 gas pump. The former service station now has new life since 2005 as the downtown welcome center selling local arts and crafts and providing free information for visitors.

Establishment right in center of town building maintain and just reminds ppl of the local stations…read more& welcome everyone to Downtown Kissimmee. Visitors find this location to get photos done have even filmed music videos here. There's an enormous silver horseshoe mounted on the left side. It's a historical spot & location.

What an outstanding experience to tour this campus! The…read moreguide Jack C is simply amazing. Me & Barby took the one & one half hour tour & really enjoyed it. We found free parking on College St one block away. It cost about $30 & you can get a AAA discount. They give you a small audio ear piece & you can hear Jack in your ear as you walk from building to building. If you're a FLW fan, this is a singular experience.

I'm just here to add to the chorus of voices offering praise for this comprehensive and enjoyable…read moreFLW extended tour. The guide we had was knowledgeable and a great storyteller. I also appreciated some of her strong opinions about the architecture and the architect. Our tour had many delights along our walking/exploring journey. We went a little long, which everyone appreciated, and I was not tempted to look at my watch once. (Pro Tip: The Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art (The AGB) at Florida Southern College is extraordinary, and you will find several local-flavor restaurants nearby.)

The Monument of the States is one of those must-stops if you're ever in the Kissimmee area. It's…read moresuch a unique and meaningful landmark, built as a symbol of unity after the attack on Pearl Harbor. What makes it even more special is that it's made from stones sent in from all over the United States (and even a few from other countries), which gives it so much character and history.

Came at night so puctures don't show. It's an interesting piece of art if you're in Kissimmeeread more

The café and museum are both amazing! Our tour guide Dave was very informative and cracked some…read moregreat jokes! Learning about the history of chocolate was very interesting and the chocolate statues are incredible! The tasting at the end of the tour is the cherry on top! Definitely recommend!!

The cafe has a nice atmosphere, rare chocolates, and very accommodating staff members. The tour was…read morea fun and detailed experience that I may do again next time I come to Florida. Also Dave was great :)

I love watching around downtown and I only live 10 minutes walking distance from there.I love…read morelooking at the shops and eating at the main st pizza. The owners are pretty nice and the pizza is great.

It is is believed Kissimmee is a modern spelling of an ancient tribal word. The city was founded as…read morea small trading post on the northern bank of Lake Tohopekaliga then known as the community of Allendale. After the Civil War, the area was purchased along with four million acres of marshland and plains for 25 cents an acre by Hamilton Disston, the owner of Disston Saw Company in Philadelphia. By 1882 a one room school house opened on Main Street and Kissimmee was incorporated as a city one year later in 1883. Today you can head down US-192 through the welcome gate into historic Kissimmee. There are many historic buildings and attractive old trees. Many of the buildings have murals on them as part of the Osceola Art, ARTisNOW, a public murals project. One of the oldest businesses on Broadway is Makinson Hardware. It was established in 1884 and is reported to be the oldest retail hardware stores in Florida still in operation. The historic downtown is filled with an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and businesses. Restaurants include Abracadabra Ice Cream Factory, 3 Sister's Speakeasy, Big John's Rockin BBQ, Broadway Pizza Bar, Buchito, Neptuno's Bar & Grill, Pa'l Callejón, Willy's Wieners, and 2v Brothers Steakhouse. Shopping destinations include Echoes of Yesterday Antique Mall and Lanier's Historic Downtown Marketplace, Other places of note in the downtown is the Monument of States constructed in 1943 after the attack on Pearl Harbor to inspire American solidarity by incorporating a rock sent from each state. Another place is the The Osceola County Courthouse which opened on May 6, 1890 and is Florida's coldest continuously operating courthouse. Kissimmee has many open space and parks along the shoreline of Lake Tohopekaliga with walkways and green spaces which are opportunities for relaxing. Kissimmee Lakefront Park has a fishing pier, walking paths, picnic pavilions, a playground, and lots of shade trees. It is used to host many events throughout the year. To make the downtown more visitor friendly the Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency has completed projects on the streets of downtown, Main Street, Broadway, Dakin, Monument, Darlington. You can park for free on the street or at the upgraded Pleasant Street parking lot and Toho Square parking garage. The historic Key's Service Station on the corner of Broadway and Drury Avenues has been restored and repurposed as the Kissimmee Mainstreet Welcome Center. On the first Friday of each month is the Kissimmee Valley Farmers Market, where the community can shop from local farmers and artisans between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

1st I want to thank my friend Ariel W for providing the captivating historic account of this…read morebeautiful building - well done my friend... Mall vs Arcade - What's the difference? Most of us are familiar with the term "Mall" associated with the modern shopping venues being indoors or outdoors "Arcades" are usually designed as covered passages in which the shops are located on both side and are usually multi-storied, most are from earlier periods and all that I've had the privilege of visiting are architecturally amazing and so nostalgic. I was taken back after discovering this treasure in Lake Wales since most I've experienced are located in larger cities - downtown Cleveland, Ohio comes to mind. The Rhodesbilt Arcade is a beautiful example of the period architect and well worth a walk through, the breeze-way transcends time, if you have a few minutes to spare take a stroll through history and take a seat and daydream about what it must of been like when it first opened. For a town of less than five thousand souls when this magnificent structure was erected it must have been quite the sight and people probably traveled from miles around to see it. Renovations have preserved it so generations to come can enjoy it, just as generations from the past have...

The Rhodesbilt Arcade is a historic building in the commercial historic district of Lake Wales…read more This area of Lake Wales was built during Florida's land boom years in the 1920's. The arcade was erected between 1924 and 1926 and it stretches between Park Avenue and Stuart Avenue. The Rhodesbilt Arcade was built by Jesse T. Rhodes who was nicknamed Good for his craftsmanship and quality of work. In addition to this arcade he built many of the first homes in Lake Wales. Rhodes was born in 1833 in Indiana. He arrived in Florida in 1913 at the age of 30 with his wife Alice in hopes that the warmer climate would help with his poor health. At the time he settled into a Lake Wales, the town was only two years old. He would go on to influence much of the early architecture of the town. This building is designed in a Mediterranean style with a curved parapet, ceramic tile, and arched doorways. The arcade also has hardwood floors, antique tile, and stained glass windows. The two story building is equivalent to today's shopping malls. The interior of the building held store fronts and offices lit by high skylights. Arcades were the most popular type of commercial building in the 1920's. This one still has business and offices operating out of it today. In later years Mr. Rhodes entered the real estate business and subdivided land into commercial and residential tracts. His wife Alice was the first insurance agent in Lake Wales. Mr. Rhodes passed away in 1932 at the age of 48 but his greatest achievement The Rhodesbilt Arcade still stands in downtown Lake Wales. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

This is a historic house located in downtown Bartow at 590 East Stanford Street. Named the Benjamin…read moreFranklin Holland House,, it is also known as The Gables and the Roy Trent Gallemore House. The house was built in 1895 and was designed by architect E.R. Wharton. The two and a half story house is in the frame vernacular style with shingle elements and it is considered one of the best examples of a shingle style home in Florida. There is a one story wraparound screen entrance porch. Benjamin Franklin Holland was known in Bartow as a pioneer and a public servant. He was born in Carroll County, Ga., in 1846. When he was 17 he was a Confederate soldier in a battle at Kennesaw Mountain in Georgia that saw half of his company killed. During the battle he was wounded and by the time he recovered the Civil War was over. To heal from a shattered hand and tuberculosis he moved to Polk county where he married and had three children. He founded Polk's first abstract business and served in three county offices: school board member, county commissioner and county treasurer. One of his children became Florida governor Spessard Holland who grew up in the home. The house was listed on the US Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is a private residence so you can only view it from the street but it is a beautiful home and worth a drive by if you are in the area.