This is an area of Lake Eola that is located on the Rosalind Ave side of the park. It is close to…read morethe pedaling swan rentals, bathroom and a restaurant. People enjoy coming here and take pictures. Kids enjoy playing here over the muse. It is really cool to see them enjoy it. This is free of charge.

The Muse of Discovery is one of 9 sculptures that are part of See Art Orlando, a permanent…read morecontemporary collection of art that was unveiled by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and the See Art Orlando Board of Directors on November 18, 2013. The art project was launched by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and art lover Jennifer Quigley. They hoped that adding public art to downtown Orlando would bring pride, boost the economy, and strengthen the city's cultural core. The Muse of Discovery is the lovely lady of Lake Eola. Of all the public art around Lake Eola, she is my favorite. You can find her at the front of Lake Eola on Rosalind Avenue between Washington and Robinson. The Muse of Discovery is sculpture made from earthwork and limestone that portrays a reclining woman gazing at her opened hand as a blanket of grass covers her body. Created by artist Meg White you are invited to "sit in the hand of the Muse and discover your hidden potential as she whispers to you." The sculpture is meant to evoke one of the ancient Muses of Greek myth, the goddesses of creativity. This sculpture was donated to the city by Wayne M Densch Charities. I love the interactive nature of this piece. You are invited to sit in the hand but if you ever visit in person, you will most likely see her with children dangling off every part of her. Everyone want their picture taken with The Muse. When you see a photo of the Muse of Discovery, it is instantly recognizable as downtown Orlando, Florida.

Lake Eola in downtown Orlando has a lot of wonderful public art surrounding it. One such…read moreinstallation is the sculpture, Fantasy Swan sculpted by Thai artist S. Hardthalae and donated to the City of Orlando on October 18, 2008 by local resident and author Angi Perretti. You can find it where you cross over the foot bridge just before the Chinese Ting. it is usually surrounded by a gang of bossy geese giving people the shake down. Inspired by the City of Orlando's establishment of Lake Eola as a Swans of the World Habitat, Peretti authored the book "The Identity of AngiArts: A Muse for Artistic Inspiration." which is an original fantasy story about magical princess Angilika who along with her pet swan travels through time and galaxies to fulfill her divine prophecy "to instill artistic inspiration into the hearts of all peoples of all cultures in the third millennium and beyond." The sculpture in the water area depicts a girl and a swan and is a moment in the story where a magical spell on the pet swan ends and it is transformed into a black necked swan. On the bridge there is a bronze book telling the story in 175 words. In addition to the sculpture Peretti also donated a pair of black necked swans to live in Lake Eola. I love how the statue reflects the beautiful real swans living on Lake Eola. I could sit and watch their elegance for hours. Like the story, it is truly a magical experience to see them in person.

Thos piece of art is by sculpture S. Hardthalae and was donated to Orlando, Florida by Angi…read morePerretti. The work pays tribute to a princess who was "granted superpowers from the art gods and travel through time warps and galaxies with their magical pet swan" and the story ends with the words "Let the magical aura of this sculpture evoke a moment for your soulful inspiration that shall move your hearts to joy. The end to this story now begins inside your own soul." A a beautiful sentiment and a perfect a perfect addition to this wonderful place in Orlando known as Lake Eola Park. Lake Eola Park truly a great oasis of art, birds, and green space on the edge of downtown Orlando. This sculpture and the foot bridges are just a perfect enhancement to an already wonderful place. I have to give the sculpture and the sculpture's sentiment five stars.

The Alligator Wrestler statue in Heritage Square Park is a beloved spot for visitors to take a…read morephoto. It's whimsical subject matter and depiction of history makes it is one of my favorite public artworks in downtown Orlando. You can find it at the entrance to the Orange County Regional History Center. In 1857, Orlando's city limits were platted in Heritage Square Park. Alligator Wrestler pays homage to Orlando's lawless, cow town past rooted in cattle ranching, agriculture, and citrus. Originally known for cattle, Orlando evolved from a small trading post in the 1830's into a bustling cattle and citrus center by the 1890's. In the early 2000's, Alligator Wrestler was sculpted by artist Scott Shaffer, a Colorado-based sculptor known for detailed, realistic wildlife and nature-themed bronze work. This sculpture was inspired by a famous 1884 photograph depicting legendary local figure Bunk Baxter wrestling an alligator. According to legend, Bunk would come to Orlando on Saturdays in the mid 1880's and wrestle an alligator in the middle of a dirt road, which would become Orange Avenue. A picture of Bunk and his alligator companion became an iconic image of Orlando's colorful, wild past. Now Bunk and the alligator are a part of many people's treasured memories of visiting modern day Orlando.

I have driven by this statue literally fir decades and this is the first time that I saw it up…read moreclose and personal. This statue reminds us all that there was a Florida before the theme parks and it was a wild and often dangerous place. It is not a huge statue by any means, pretty much life-sized, but it does make a statement and show us what Florida was like before we built it up. Our history is important to us and we must remember it.

Freewheelin is a statue by Gray Lee Price that perfectly captures a moment of youth when the world…read moreseemed boundless and in our innocence, we felt freedom in the wind. The statue is located in the Chapin Station and Neighborhood Park and is appropriately enough by the children's playground. Public art is an important part of a community. It gives a community a personality beyond the asphalt and steel. Public art, like all art, should make us think and feel. This is a great addition to the community.

Located in historic downtown Sanford is a mural commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Sanford…read moreFire Department which is the second oldest Fire Department in Florida. Key West has the oldest fire department in the state. The mural was painted in 2023 by celebrated local artist Bruce Merrell. Merrell is a Florida native and he served in the US Army before attending art school. His art career has included graphic design, scenic art for theme parks, and faux finishes and murals. Merrell's work has a strong focus on wildlife and landscapes representing the natural beauty of Florida. You can find this 16 foot by 24 foot mural in Paulucci Park. It was funded by the Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and commissioned by the Public Art Commission of Sanford. The mural took five months to complete. The Sanford Fire Department was founded in 1873 and the mural depicts it's history starting in an old time sepia color before progressing into color. There is a mural key in front of it that gives more information about the significance of each image. Image #11 on the mural is Dr. Hezekiah Ross who became Sanford's first Black firefighter in February 1969. He was also the departments first Chaplain. Image #13 honors the firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty. You can learn more about the history of the Sanford Fire Department at the Sanford Museum which has a nice display and artifacts. You can even dine in the old fire house that has been turned into the restaurant The Station. Both are located close to the mural. Public art and history are two of my interests and I love how this mural brings both together. It also makes a great back drop for a photo so stop by and check it out if you find yourself in downtown Sanford.

The Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, also known as the Centennial Fountain with its nightly…read morewater and light shows in the middle of Lake Eola is probably the better known Lake Eola fountain but that doesn't mean the lovely, more classic Sperry Fountain should be overlooked. It has been a part of Orlando for more than a century and is a reminder of an influential Orlando pioneer. E.F. Sperry (b. 1843) was from Connecticut but moved to this area in 1885 after visiting for a vacation. Less than a year after the move he co-founded the South Florida Foundry and Machine Works which became one Orlando's earliest businesses by providing metal works for iron stairs, balconies, trains, and fencing.The business made him very prosperous and he owned a house and property on the southwest shore of Lake Eola. After selling his business he became civically active by serving on the park commission, as President of the Orlando Citrus Exchange and he was a founding member of the 1912 First Unitarian Church of Orlando. My favorite thing about him was he was the first president of the Men's Equal Suffrage League which helped women the right to vote. He was a man ahead of his time. Mr. Sperry was first elected to the office of mayor in 1914. At this time he donated his Lake Eola property to the city. Along with property donated by Jake Summerlin and J. P. Mussellwhite, it allowed for the completion of Lake Eola Park which is so beloved today. In 1913 Sperry also donated the $2,000 for the fountain that bears his name. Sperry never finished his term as mayor, He passed away two years after his election in 1916. He work was continued by Mayor James L. Giles and three years after Sperry's death the City Council voted to amend the city charter allowing women to vote in Orlando. The Sperry fountain that sits here today is an exact replica of the fountain he donated in 1913.The fountain was prone to mechanical failure and in 2011 the iron fountain was replaced with a bronze one. The actual fountain Sperry donated can be found in Greenwood cemetery today. I love the swans on the fountain that mirror the ones you see swimming on Lake Eola. The real Lake Eola swans were not introduced to the lake until 1922 when they were put there by an Englishman raising them to separate two breeds who were having a territorial dispute. After a walk around the lake it is nice to sit and relax on one of the benches surrounding the fountain. March 2024 will mark the 110th anniversary of the Sperry Fountain.

The Sperry Fountain is located on the edge of Lake Eola Park and is named for E.F. Sperry, who was…read moreelected mayor of Orlando, Florida in 1913 and served until he passed away in 1916. Sperry was also a businessman who founded the South Foundry and Machine Works. This fountain is an exact replica of the fountain that Sperry himself donated to the City of Orlando (as well as land for a public park) back in 1913. The fountain itself is a nice place to chill and I have a few stone benches around if you would like to sit and take the view in. All in all, this is a nice addition to both Lake Eola Park and the city of Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola Park is definitely my favorite park in Orlando. It is because of things like this that make it my favorite park. All in all, I will give Sperry Fountain five stars

This particular mural is located on the side of a shopping plaza (the one with the Winn-Dixie in…read moreit) snd shows a bit of pride on this particular neighborhood. The mural was done by Valeria Malaria (at least according to the signature on the lower right side) and is pleasant enough and again, shows a bit of pride to this neighborhood. If you are in the area, check out this mural.

I was driving around this corner of Orlando looking for a restroom when I spotted this cool…read morepostcard mural, Greeting from Orlando. PS there is a 7-Eleven if you make a left at the light. Thanks Dave W. for adding this public art to Yelp. This mural was created in 2016 by artists Victor Ving and photographer Lisa Beggs as part of their Greetings Tour. It is on the side of Uncle Tony's Donut Shop which is a record store. Greetings from Orlando joined murals in Raymour MO, Sandusky OH, Bend OR, Union County GA, Cooperstown NY and many more. They have worked with over 65 communities across 28 states to paint their modern day postcard inspired murals. Locals were asked for suggestions on what landmarks, nature, history and culture images should be included in the mural. Images of the the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain in Lake Eola, Epcot and the Disney monorail, Milk District, the citrus industry, a tribute to Wet N' Wild and Bar BQ Bar, and Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Magic were chosen. If you look very closely the artists painted themselves in the swan boat in the Lake Eola scene in the letter O. I love a postcard mural. You can use it as a backdrop for your photos and everyone will instantly know where you are. This one really captured the soul of Orlando.

Years past, we might visit Orlando, buy a postcard, write a nice note and mail it to loved ones!…read moreNow, you can just take a selfie or picture here and send it electronically! This spot is hidden in a back alley and, at least while I was there, a car was parked in the way. Still, it's 100% free and fun! Life is good with a postcard!