The Lake of the Hills Community Center is a historical landmark in Polk County on the northwestern…read morecorner of Lake Starr. A community social club formed in 1904. Early developer W. J. Howey created a land company that purchased several hundred acres around Starr Lake and in Lake Wales for home development. The railroad brought wealthy northerners to the winter community of Mountain Lake estates where the Bok Tower carillon was built. Howey believed they would also flock to his community and in anticipation of their arrival he set aside two acres for a recreational community site in 1914. In 1929 members of the local community built a one story stucco building. At first you had to be a Howey land owner to join the club but soon membership was open to anyone. On March 24, 2000, the stucco building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014 over 100 people attended a 100th Centennial Celebration and the name was changed to Lake Of The Hills Community Center. Today the Community Center is a gathering place hosting several social events throughout the year, including ice cream socials, spaghetti and covered dish dinners, meetings, monthly programs, and it is a host site for the annual 39-Mile Scenic Highway Yard Sale which is how I arrived here. The building can be rented for private events. As a fan of historic architecture it was a treat to visit this gem and see the old photos and history on the wall. The view of Starr Lake from the clubhouse is gorgeous. I love the old fashioned feel of this sweet community center that has been a stalwart of Lake Wakes for over a century.

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.

The 1924 Caldwel-Temple Building is a 12,736 foot office building located in the commercial…read morehistoric downtown district of Lake Wales. This area of the downtown contains many examples of buildings from Florida's land boom years in the 1920's. This is an example of a two story building has three parts. In the 1920's the building contained the Draper Furniture Company, a casket manufacturer, and a Masonic lodge. At the time it was built it was the largest building in Lake Wales. In 1999 the building was purchased by the Jahna company that manufactures concrete roof tile. Jahna had ties to Lake Wales because it was where the company founder Emil Jahna Sr. brought his family in 1925 from Sarasota, Florida to open Ridge Stone and Tile. At first they operated out of a three room house remodeled into an office in 1961. In 1980 they built a larger office next to the original corporate location on Tillman Avenue where they operated for the next 20 years. In 1999 the Jahna Company purchased the Caldwell-Temple Building building, renamed it the Jahna building, restored it with help from the Lake Wales historical Society, and made it their corporate office. In 2001 E.R. Jahna moved their offices to the building.

I was in Frostproof for the 30 Mile Scenic Highway Yard Sale, In search of a boost of caffeine I…read morestumbled on Mister Chris' Coffee Gallery which is located in the historic Atlantic Coast Line Train Depot in downtown Frostproof. The railroad came to town in 1911 and the station was built in 1912. The railroad helped to transport citrus from farmers all across the Lake Wales Ridge. To care for this restored landmark Mister Chris roasts coffee from around the world and ships it across the Continental United States. Today the depot is in the two acre Freedom Station Park. The park is a venue that can be rented and it also stages events such as Wall Street Market in Freedom Station Park and the "Mister Chris' Community Campfire series. This unique coffee shop combines history, music, art, and coffee, all the things I love. As you sip your coffee there are six rooms to explore: Hall of History, the Brew Ha Ha, the Study, the Paris Cafe, the Music Room and the Workshop which is the brew bar, gift shop and entertainment area. The workshop is located in what was once the depot cargo area. Chris has a collection of teapots, Beatles memorabilia, train stuff related to the depot, antique furniture, albums, collectibles, art, and on and on. I put my coffee down in a table and was startled to see a fish swimming under it. I didn't realize it was a fish tank table. There are surprises around every corner. Mr. Chris is a trusting soul. Coming from South Florida I couldn't believe he leaves all of his things out for people to look through and enjoy. This is such a wonderful business. I would come here every day if I could.

Such a great place! Loved the decor and atmosphere. There was live entertainment tonight and she…read morewas pretty good. We only had a cup of coffee which was good. I look forward to returning the next time I visit Frostproof.

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

Found this randomly whilst looking at the historical part near and it thought it was such a cool…read morespot for a picture. The whole theme behind this hill is also pretty cool. We obviously did what the sign told us to do which was let the car go backwards on its own and it was super fun!

One of the fun and free things you can do in downtown Lake Wales is take a free mural tour. Some of…read morethe murals represent historic moments in the town's history while others commemorate pioneers and local flora and fauna. The 20 by 80 foot Wells Fargo Mural was created in 2011 and funded by the Wells Fargo Bank. It is on the north side of their building. The mural is a composite of digital photographs chosen by the Lake Wales Historical society of historic buildings, homes, people, industries, and landmarks in town. Images were transferred to vinyl sheets which were then applied to wood vinyl attached earlier to the wall. Featured on the mural is Bok Tower and Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect for Bok Tower Gardens. There is also the Walesbilt Hotel, Spook Hill, citrus trees, and the railroad. In front of the mural is a key explaining the significance of each image, The Wells Fargo Mural is a great reflection of the historical tapestry of Lake Wales.

We last visited these gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead (who also designed Central Park…read morein Manhattan), in early 2024. This time, more flowers were in bloom, and we saw a different variety of birds on the premises. The tower is, of course, the centerpiece of the gardens. We had the pleasure of listening to it sing at least 5 times during our visit. We briefly visited the children's garden, and recommend this if you have youngsters in tow. After we were done in the gardens, we had a nice lunch in the on-site café. Portions are large, so you may want to consider sharing.

These gardens are so beautiful and peaceful. I love walking…read morethrough every path available while smelling nature The food at the restaurant is good and fresh Everything is nice and clean

The Saint Anne Shrine may be one of the most unique religious sites in Central Florida. There is a…read more100 year old shrine in the middle of a residential neighborhood that is across the street from a lake. The history of Saint Anne dates back to the 1920's when a contingent of French speaking Catholics came from Canada to Florida to escape winter. Six miles outside of Lake Wales they built a shrine to St. Anne de Beaupre, Mary's mother and the grandmother of Jesus at their winter retreat. On the south shore of Saint Anne Lake, fellow Canadian and winter resident Napoleon Pelletier helped them to build a white chapel, a towering grotto that was a replica of the site where the Virgin Mary appeared at Lourdes in France, a pedestal with a statue of Jesus Christ. and a tiered monument to Saint Theresa. A moat was added surrounding the grotto and a bridge to cross it was built out of native Florida rock. It didn't take long for the faithful to began to flocking to the shrine. One of the stories say these included French artist, Francies Marsollier and his son stricken with tuberculosis. He pledged to dedicate his life to beautifying the shrine if his son would live. As the son began to heal, Francies painted murals in the church and created sculptures for the grounds. Another story had Napolean Pelletier arriving at the lake with his son stricken with cancer and when the boy was healed by the water of the lake, Pelletier stayed and built the shrine. As word spread of the healing powers of the lake, more people came to visit the shrine including a Catholic Bishop to bless the cross Franciers made. At its height of fame, thousands of people would show up for the Feast of St. Anne on July 26th. During WWII people stopped coming. By the early 1960s, the Catholic Diocese of Orlando de-sanctified the church and tore it down. The sculptures made by Franciers were taken to other churches or lost. In the 1980's a priest attempted to sell the shrine as a housing lot but the neighbors came together to prevent the sale and saved what was left of the shrine. Today you can still see the remains of the shrine by the lake and the grotto. To find the grotto look for the white cross between houses 1233 and 1270. In the grotto area is the grave of Napolean Pelletie. The marker says Napolean was born in Canada in 1857 and he passed away on March 7, 1942. According to the marker he is credited with building and maintaining the shrine while he was alive. Based on the offerings left it looks like the shrine is still being used today. It is so peaceful and serene here. I was the only person on a weekday. If you are visiting downtown Lake Wales it is only about a 15 minute drive out to the shrine.

So beautiful and calming. I call myself fortunate that I live near this beautiful shine. It's a…read moreplace to go when you need peace in your soul.

I love finding a historical marker. They are filled with nuggets of interesting history about the…read moresurrounding area. I found this one while driving through Frostproof on my way to Lake Wales. This is not one of the blue state historic markers. Instead this green marker was installed by the Polk County Historical Society. When the government enacted the Indian Removal Act in 1830, the army was sent to drive all of the Native Americans out west on the Trail of Tears. The Seminoles resisted and the Second Seminole War broke out. Forts like this one in Frostproof were set up all across Florida to aid the US Army in their mission. The settlement in the area now known as Frostproof was established like many in central Florida at the time, as a fort, then called Fort Clinch. Fort Clinch was built on January 13, 1850 on the shore of what was then called Lake Mocha Poka. The fort was a stockade which consisted of six or seven buildings. garrisoned by 1st. Art., 7th Inf. U.S. Army and Florida Mounted Volunteers. Several men who served here went on to prominence during the Civil War. These included George G. Meade who would become a Union Major General, and Confederate Generals A.P. Hill, and Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson. The fort was named after the local Lake Clinch which was named after the popular Seminole War commander Duncan Lamont Clinch (1787-1849). Clinch served in both the 1st and 2nd Seminole Indian Wars. Three forts in total were named after him, this fort in Polk County (1850), Ft. Clinch at the mouth of the Withlacoochee River (1836) in what is now Levy County, and the most famous Fort Clinch (1847) which still stands in Nassau County. This settlement was abandoned only months later on June 8th. By the 1880s, Frostproof began to see its first permanent settlers as homesteaders were attracted to the abundant hunting and fishing in the area.