In the center of Florida, right in between Tampa and Orlando, sits Lakeland, a hidden gem. And while it might generally get the hype of the cities on the coast, Lakeland is brimming with fantastic sights, sounds, eats, and things to do. From the birdwatching at Lake Mirror Park, to taking in a game at Joker Marchant Stadium, to checking out a flight simulator at the Florida Air Museum, Lakeland has something for everyone! So check out this video, as Viewcation presents: The Best Things to Do in Lakeland, Florida!
Lake Mirror Park and Hollis Garden
The American Planning Association this an easy choice for visitors to Lakeland. That’s because they named Lake Mirror Park as one of the 10 best public places in America. Not too shabby, eh? It’s located in the middle of downtown Lakeland, and it’s a stunning recreational area that was originally designed as an amphitheater and sculpture area in 1926. But sadly, they lacked the budget for that, so it was just a seawall and pedestrian path. But over the years it was improved, and in 1999 the current iteration was completed. The park sits next to a gorgeous promenade that overlooks gardens as well as Lake Mirror. And in the 1999 addition, they inpcorporated the amphitheater and sculpture area as was originally planned 75 years prior.
Next to the park is Hollis Garden. It’s a botanical garden that’s open and free to the public. You can stroll around the 1.2 acre garden at your leisure, taking in the neo-classical look that highlights gorgeous tropical flowers and green ferns. There are several cool looking fountains, as well as a koi pond and a limestone grotto. And the adjoining promenade from Lake Mirror Park allows you to stroll directly from Hollis Gardens to the lake itself. There are more than 10,000 species of plants in Hollis Gardens, and they are cared for by the city. And regardless of when you visit, you’re likely to be there for an event in Lake Mirror Park, since they hold more than 900 varied events on the ground every year.
The Circle B Bar Reserve
Nature lovers will adore spending time in the Circle B Bar Reserve. It’s an area of protected nature reserve that was created to keep the floodplain area of Lake Hancock preserved. It’s 1200 acres of incredible land that features several ongoing restoration projects that aim to get the hydrologic purposes of the land back up and running. But the preservation of the land means that visitors get a ton of untouched and natural settings where they can explore and see the wildlife and plants. There are unpaved hiking trails for those looking to be on the move, as well as roads and trails that are perfect for biking. The fishing lovers in your group will enjoy casting out into Lake Hancock, and the whole family can enjoy time spent setting up a picknic in the public facilities. And anyone interested in birds will be especially excited. The Circle B Bar Reserve is home to awesome collection of wading birds and waterfowl, as well as ospreys. You can even catch glimpses of the national bird, the bald eagle!
Catch a baseball game
Joker Marchant Stadium is the local spot to catch a professional baseball game, and it’s a really fun place to spend a few hours. And what separates it from trying to catch a Major League Baseball game is that it only holds 8,500 people. So that means pretty much every seat guarantees a great view of the action. It plays home to the spring training games of the Detroit Tigers, so you can catch the best of the best if you happen to be in Lakeland during that time of year. But for the rest of the year, the stadium is shared by minor league teams Lakeland Flying Tigers and the Gulf Coast Tigers. So, as long as your there in season, you should be able to catch at least one of their games while you’re in town. The stadium was built half a century ago, and was actually renovated recently to double its size. So plan to spend an afternoon with some peanuts and crackerjacks (or, more likely a hot dog and a beer) and catch some entertaining pro baseball!
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Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center
You might not have heard of Florida Southern College, but it plays host to a remarkable bit of architecture history. The college’s Lakeland campus contains the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center is home to structures designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. When he created them, Wright was already world famous, so the College knew at the time they were getting something special. His idea was to create and build what he referred to as a “college of tomorrow.” This was in the era of the Great Depression, where any glimpse of positivity towards the future was a welcome change. Wright’s vision was to take a drastic turn away from the way colleges had been previously designed. He considered previous college architecture to be a disappointment, and sought to create campuses with an emphasis on organic architecture. Specifically, he wanted each building of a campus to be one smaller part of a whole, where the planning and creation of each building was done in ways so that the campus felt almost like one living, breathing organism, as opposed to a random assortment of buildings that didn’t feel connected. The result was a series of buildings: a theater, a planetarium, a residence, a couple of chapels, and a large Waterdome. The Waterdome is a giant pool shaped like a circle that’s surrounded by fountains. As a whole, the collection is now known as the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center, and visitors can tour them with the help of a guide. In addition to the building, you can also check out furniture that Wright designed as well. It’s an incredible attraction for fans of architecture, and pretty much anyone else as well.
Walk Around Lake Hollingsworth
If you didn’t get your fill of birdwatching from checking out The Circle B Bar Reserve, then head to Lake Hollingsworth. As is so common in Florida area lakes, there are a ton of gorgeous birds that call the area home, and you’ll be able to get glimpses of them as you stroll around the lake. It’s an urban lake that was named local resident, John Henry Hollingsworth, who lived nearby in the 1800’s. It’s a great place to gather with friends and family, to enjoy an afternoon with some picnic food. It’s also excellent for walking along the walking trail, where you’ll see people of all kinds relaxing, exercising, and taking in the views. And if you like grabbing photos of nature and birds, it’s a prime spot for that as well. The Lake hosts the Orange Cup Regatta every year as well, so if you time your trip right, you can check that out as well. But it’s a fantastic spot to enjoy some outdoor fun all year round. If you enjoy biking, you’ll love its biking trail that runs the circumference of the 350 acre area. And when you get tired of walking, biking, or seeing the birds, you can stop into the multiple restaurants and cafes right next door.
Check out the Florida Air Museum
Anyone interested in the aviation and aerospace worlds will absolutely love the Florida Air Museum at the Sun’ n Fun Fly-in. Established in 1991, the museum teaches about the history of aviation, and it’s also a research library for anyone really looking to dive in and learn. But the average person will most likely just want to enjoy checking out their incredible displays about a variety of plane types. These include everything from classic plan designs and war birds, to ultra-light planes and unique, oddball designs as well. It has exhibits about flying history, and there’s even a flight simulator you can try out. There are aviation based artifacts there from back in the day as well. And for the locals who are interested in flying, it offers classes and summer camps. They aim to teach people more about aviation and aerospace in a fun and educational environment. The Florida Air Museum is certainly a fun visit, regardless of how much of an aviation junkie you are!
Hit up Lakeland Antique Mall
While you’re in Lakeland, you should definitely hit up the mall. But this one isn’t just any old mall that you’d find in every other city in America. The Lakeland Antique Mall is exactly as it sounds… a mall devoted to selling incredible and unique antiques. There are more than 250 assorted vendors selling their wares from bygone days, and anyone who is a fan of antiques will feel like a kid in a candy store. And there’s such an incredible array of historical artifcats that the mall feels like half mall, half museum. The lovers of vintage items, retro gear, and all things of the days of old will love hitting up the Lakeland Antique Mall.
Now it’s time to hear from you. Have you ever been to Lakeland? Did we miss any of your favorite spots there? Let us know in the comments section below! And before you go, be sure to give this video a like, and subscribe to Viewcation if you haven’t already. Click the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest content!