Muslim Community Response to the Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Part one of two focusing on religious response to the Pulse nightclub shooting and featuring oral histories from the History Center’s collection.

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Frank Billingsley awarded the 2021 Donald A. Cheney Award

Congratulations to Frank Billingsley, the 2021 recipient of our Donald A. Cheney Award, which each year honors a Central Floridian who embodies a lifelong dedication to preserving the area’s history.

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St. Matthew’s Tavern: Inclusive and Supportive

St. Matthew’s Tavern has undergone multiple transformations throughout the history of the building on North Mills Avenue in Orlando. The building has housed a multitude of gay bars in the past, including the Silver Hammer, Cactus Club, and Paradise.

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Pulse: For the Community

Long before the Pulse nightclub tragedy of June 12, 2016, Pulse had a special place in Orlando’s gay community. The club was hugely beloved. Established in 2004 by Barbara Poma and Ron Legler in memory of Barbara’s brother, Pulse came onto the scene later than the other bars.

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Parliament House: New Future for an Old Favorite

In January 2021, a long-standing bastion of Orlando’s gay community was torn down. For more than forty years, Parliament House had provided a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ people to meet and be themselves at 410 N. Orange Blossom Trail.

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Honoring the Honorable Mable Butler

The recipient of the John Young History Maker Award for 2021, the Honorable Mable Butler blazed a historic career in public service in Orlando and Orange County. She was the first African American woman on Orlando’s City Council and the first African American member on the County Commission.

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One of Disney’s Finest: Remembering Joel Strack

Orlando lost one of its most prominent and beloved gay icons on July 15, 2019. Joel Strack lived his life out and proud during extremely difficult times for gay men in America. He was a hilarious, generous, and hard-working man.

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Engaging in Difficult History

Teaching about 9/11 in this generation presents its own unique challenges. We experience an intersection of history and memory where teachers and parents are remembering their own personal, lived experiences of that day, and students are often learning about this history for the first time.

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My Experience as the First HERstory: Women’s History Intern

Serving as the Orange County Regional History Center’s inaugural HERstory: Women’s History Intern has been an enriching experience for me. I have worked with an amazingly collaborative and enthusiastic group of colleagues, who work to fulfill the museum’s mission.

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How They Rolled 100 Years Ago

When W. M. Van Brunt opened what is believed to have been Orlando’s first indoor bowling alley around the end of 1910 or beginning of 1911, the sport was still new to many Americans, but its popularity was steadily growing.

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