Selections from the vast and varied collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida illustrate Central Florida’s fascinating past.
Explore our past
As an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the History Center presents limited-run exhibitions of great depth and insight.
On display now
Convenient parking options include the Central Boulevard garage across from the Orlando Public Library, the History Center’s neighbor.
How to find us
Around the Museum Blog
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22
Aug
Orange County Library System Shares Orlando’s History
Read more about Orange County Library System Shares Orlando’s HistoryBy Scottie Campbell You would have to live under the Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain in Lake Eola to not know that the City of Orlando is celebrating its 150th year. The Orange County Library System has marked the occasion with a trio of blog posts exploring different aspects of
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12
Aug
Back to School
Read more about Back to Schoolby Rick Kilby from the Summer 2014 edition of Reflections Magazine As students throughout Central Florida return to school, here’s a sampling of then and now images from a few of Orlando’s historic schools.
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23
Jun
The History and Transformation of Baldwin Park in Orlando
Read more about The History and Transformation of Baldwin Park in OrlandoBy Brendan Bunting O’Connor from the Spring 2025 Edition of Reflections Magazine Baldwin Park, located just minutes from downtown Orlando, is a vibrant and picturesque community that combines modern living with a deep sense of history, and just a dash of Stepford-like planned-community plastic falseness. One of the things that
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17
Jun
Jonestown’s Silent Remembrance: Uncovering the History of Orlando’s First African American Community
Read more about Jonestown’s Silent Remembrance: Uncovering the History of Orlando’s First African American CommunityBy Sarah M. Boye, from the Spring 2025 Edition of Reflections from Central Florida On a breezy fall day, a group of tour attendees stood solemnly by the grave of Osborne Brooks in Orlando’s Greenwood Cemetery, listening as the tour guide explained his family’s connection to the city. Like many
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28
May
Will Wallace Harney: Central Florida’s Pioneering One-Man Chamber of Commerce
Read more about Will Wallace Harney: Central Florida’s Pioneering One-Man Chamber of CommerceBy William S. Morgan V. from the Spring 2025 Edition of Reflections from Central Florida In the tumultuous years following the Civil War, a man arrived on the Central Florida frontier with a vision of how its untamed wilderness might be transformed. Where others saw only dense forests, swamps, and
