Orange County Regional History Center

Orange County Regional History Center Award-winning history museum in downtown Orlando with permanent and special exhibitions.

When you give to the Historical Society of Central Florida, you support the success of the History Center. It doesn’t ha...
08/31/2026

When you give to the Historical Society of Central Florida, you support the success of the History Center. It doesn’t have to be a special time of year – you can give all year round. Take a look at what donations, small and large, can make happen.

Help fund supplies for History Alive activities for $25.

Assist with hands-on interactions during school field trips to the History Center for $50.

Fund a classroom to experience History-on-the-Go for $150.

Provide a scholarship to an Adventures in History Summer Camp camper for $275.

To make your donation, visit https://bit.ly/4xxeKtW

History Alive: Famous FloridiansSaturday, September 5, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.Meet the trailblazers who shaped our region...
08/30/2026

History Alive: Famous Floridians

Saturday, September 5, 2026, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Meet the trailblazers who shaped our region in unforgettable ways – from the musicians who lit up Orlando’s South Street Casino to activists and community builders whose legacies continue today. Engage with the evolving story of freedom in our ongoing exhibition How Distant Seems Our Starting Place, join a guided museum tour, and enjoy hands-on activities that highlight the Black Floridians who helped elevate Central Florida’s culture and history.

Guided museum tours: 10:30 a.m., Noon, 1:45 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

Visit https://bit.ly/3UJ4QXn for more event details.

Lunch & Learn: A Deep Dive into Defunct Water ParksFriday, September 4, 2026, Noon – 1 p.m.Central Florida is world reno...
08/30/2026

Lunch & Learn: A Deep Dive into Defunct Water Parks

Friday, September 4, 2026, Noon – 1 p.m.

Central Florida is world renowned for its theme parks, but not all of them can survive the competition. This month, take a deep dive into defunct local water parks, from Disney’s River Country to Water Mania. We’ll rediscover the state-of-the-art slides, giant wave pools, and other fun-filled attractions while also discussing why these parks just couldn’t make a splash!

About the Speaker

Kallie Turner is the curator of education at the Orange County Regional History Center. She received a bachelor’s in Art History from Columbus State University in Georgia and a master’s in Museum Education from Florida State University in Tallahassee. Her career includes experience in art, history, and even circus museums. Through her work, she aims to curate programs that are accessible, entertaining, and educational.

Participate online or in person. Closed captioning is available online.

History Center Members: Free
General Public: $5
History Center Members with lunch: $12
General Public with lunch: $17

Lunch must be ordered by 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 3.

Visit https://bit.ly/4gWEytk to register.

08/29/2026

School might be back in session, but the memories we made at Adventures in History Summer Camp will stay with us forever!

With the help of Presenting Sponsor: Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the Universal Orlando Foundation, our students learned just how cool history can be. 😎

Summer was a whole lot cooler, especially for our Adventures in History Summer Camp program. Students and our education ...
08/28/2026

Summer was a whole lot cooler, especially for our Adventures in History Summer Camp program. Students and our education team went on weekly journeys through Central Florida's expansive past to learn more about our home here in the Sunshine State and how this history has influenced who we are today. From pioneer living to lore and legends, every week offered hands-on creative thinking skills that could be applied not just in the classroom but to everyday life.

We are truly grateful for the support of Presenting Sponsor: Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, and the Universal Orlando Foundation, in helping to enrich this year’s camp experience. Through their generous donations, a total of 362 students participated in Summer Camp, including 70 scholarship recipients, courtesy of the Universal Orlando Foundation.

Thank you for making this Summer one for the history books!

It’s , and Orlando's Dr. Derrick Chadwick Turnipseed certainly knew how to make a bow tie part of a memorable ensemble....
08/28/2026

It’s , and Orlando's Dr. Derrick Chadwick Turnipseed certainly knew how to make a bow tie part of a memorable ensemble.

But the physician pictured here is remembered for much more than his sartorial style. A former Navy flight surgeon who retired as a captain, Turnipseed opened a private practice in Orlando in 1959 and became the city physician in 1962. He also helped organize the Emergency Department at Orange Memorial Hospital, now Orlando Health's Orlando Regional Medical Center, and served as its chief from 1966 to 1970.

Those who knew him remembered an especially caring doctor. His longtime office manager recalled that during hospital rounds, Turnipseed often pulled up a chair to talk with his patients – a simple kindness many never forgot.

So today, we tip our hats – or perhaps straighten our bow ties – to Dr. Turnipseed and to a classic piece of neckwear that never really goes out of style.

School may be back in session, but Florida summer clearly hasn’t gotten the memo. ☀️Floridians have been figuring out wh...
08/27/2026

School may be back in session, but Florida summer clearly hasn’t gotten the memo. ☀️

Floridians have been figuring out what to wear in the heat for generations – though ideas about fashion, modesty, and comfort have
changed quite a bit along the way.

These photos from our collection take us from young women in long white dresses in Pine
Castle around 1890, to swimsuit styles of the 1920s, to a 1960s fashion show at Orlando's Rio Pinar Country Club, where beachwear and dresses shared the spotlight.

Stepping back in time, which look might you have chosen for a late August day in Central Florida?

Next week we will open our next special exhibition, "By Heart and By Hand." This powerful exhibition will feature Black ...
08/25/2026

Next week we will open our next special exhibition, "By Heart and By Hand." This powerful exhibition will feature Black craft artists in a variety of disciplines – from quilting and embroidery to woodcarving, soft sculpture, and traditional instrument-making. Each piece tells a story, illuminating the ways artists preserve the past while shaping new creative futures. "By Heart and By Hand" will be on display September 5, 2026, through March 28, 2027.

History Center Members will be invited to preview the exhibition the night before it opens. Membership information can be found at https://bit.ly/4zz11Eb.

On August 24, 1967, more than half of the public-school teachers in Florida packed Orlando’s Tangerine Bowl, filling the...
08/24/2026

On August 24, 1967, more than half of the public-school teachers in Florida packed Orlando’s Tangerine Bowl, filling the stands and overflowing onto the field. The rally of perhaps as many as 30,000 members of the Florida Education Association (FEA) was in response to Governor Claude Kirk's budget vetoes and what the teachers saw as a lack of adequate school funding. The result of the rally – a threat of large-scale teacher resignations – laid the groundwork for a February 1968 statewide teachers strike – the first in the country. The strike ended on March 8 after the FEA and the State Board of Education reached an agreement and the teachers returned to work.

📷 State Archives of Florida

Friday nights are made for history!Florida has long-inspired stories of mysterious creatures and unexplained encounters....
08/21/2026

Friday nights are made for history!

Florida has long-inspired stories of mysterious creatures and unexplained encounters. From alligators – living links to a distant prehistoric past – to the iconic Creature from the Black Lagoon movies, filmed at Florida’s springs, and the elusive Skunk Ape, tales of extraordinary beings have become part of the state’s folklore. Are these legends rooted in reality, mistaken identity, or pure imagination? You decide.

Explore the History Center after hours with guided tours, cryptid presentations, interactive games, themed drinks, live music, and our signature courtroom trials in the historic 1927 courthouse. This adults-focused evening offers a chance to experience Florida history from a different perspective.

Tickets: Students $10, Members $15, General Admission $20

Check out the event schedule and get your tickets at https://bit.ly/4xX98Je.

Address

65 E Central Boulevard
Orlando, FL
32801

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm
Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Telephone

+14078368500

Website

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