Orange County Regional History Center

65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801, USA

Address:	65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL 32801, USA
Phone:	+1 407-836-8500
Site:	thehistorycenter.org
Rating:	4.4
Working:	10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 10AM–5PM 12–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 21

Timothy Ward

The Orange County History Center is a fascinating place in the heart of Downtown Orlando where anyone can gain an immeasurable amount of knowledge into Orlandos past along with the rest of Orange County and the state of Florida itself. Theres more to the museum than meets the public eye as this is where the County stores massive amounts of artifacts, anywhere in age from centuries old to less than a year old - all in climate-controlled rooms designed for the perfect preservation of various types of artifacts. With the terrible tragedy that took place in Orlando on June 12th, 2016 the center took it upon themselves to immediately start a plan to preserve as much of what they possibly could from the massive amounts of memorabilia that came pouring in at sites across the City, and have since still been very transparent in just how much theyre preserving and how theyre doing so. The second floor of the museum has a large section dedicated to the LGBT history of Orlando, with a newly-added wall dedicated to the memory of Pulse Nightclub and the 49 victims of the attack. Just this weekend, November 10th to the 13th of 2016, as a part of Orlandos annual Gay Pride weekend - titled Come Out With Pride Orlando - a room on the 4th floor was dedicated solely to a display of 49 individual wooden crosses... one for each victim that have uniquely immortalized the memories of each person. These crosses are kept in pristine condition away from as much of the natural elements as possible with the hopes of preserving them for centuries to come; all of this is just one example of what the museum does for the entire community. Today was my first time visiting; and I was told a great deal of information about how the exhibits work (just as anyone can who simply asks a curator or tour guide) and for such a small admission fee, it is in my opinion very, very well worth the price of admission to learn the intricate past of where we live and how it came to be today. To all people... both locals and visitors from out of the state/country; I highly recommend taking the time to visit this place. Everyone who steps through here will leave having learned something about this beautiful city and state that they didnt know before.

Di Ana

I absolutely loved it. I visit many museums and this is definitely on my top 5. Its fun and interactive, yet very historical. Definite must see if youre visiting Downtown Orlando. At the moment is it is free to hurry! They have a lovely tribute to the 49 pulse. I cried throughout the whole journey. It was amazing and so thoughtfully planned. You felt the raw emotions from every piece.

Jason Spencer

Very well put together history of Central Florida. Growing up here I though I knew the history of Orlando and surrounding areas. Some facts I knew but this is a well thought out and put together venue. It was really cool that it is located in an old courthouse and has one of the actual court rooms for display that you can go through. You should check it out!

Andrew Carpenter

The first exhibit is a very good, well detailed history of pre-columbian culture and Seminole history. After that history cuts off and they just go straight into trains, Disneys Empire and aerospace. That stuff is cool but what about Spanish occupation? What about the couple hundred years they skipped? Well done, but lots of room for improvement.

Ton Meesters

Verassend leuk opgezet. Voor iedere leeftijd. Behandelt geschiedenis Florida zowel visual als beschrijvend. Voldoende parkeergelegenheid in historical district

E Hayd.

An extensive look at the history of the region, from prehistoric times to early civilization to the explosion of culture in the 20th century. Housed in the former Orange County Court House, the eras are laid out in unique modern exhibits. This is a fun, inexpensive activity for both tourists and locals alike.

Jenna Marina

We had our wedding reception at the History Center and it is a night we will never forget. Everything was perfect, and the staff, especially Megan P, was amazing in helping us host a great party. We will forever be grateful to the History Center for being such an instrumental part of our day. Thank you!

EF F

Very educational and much much larger than I expected. Reminds me of some of the museums along the main mall of Washington DC and that says quite a bit. I learned so much about Orlando on this second trip and didnt even need to know the names of Disney princesses. This museum is well worth the visit.

Grant Tharp

Gave me great insight in to my community and its rich history. The one thing that I did miss in the museum that I wish they would cover more on is the local downtown area. There was a lot of history of the state and of Orange County but not of the downtown area of Orlando.

Rohin Tamang

We loved the history center. Its history on Florida is in great detail. Very family friendly. Not as big as you think like a museum but big enough to spend couple of hours. Also if you bank at Bank of America you get in for free every first weekend of the month.

Canvas Catering

4th and 3rd floor is nice but once you get to the 2nd and 1st there is no other exhibits. Some of the exhibits you could tell were quite old and didnt work at all. Overall it didnt feel as immersive and educational experience as some other museums Ive been to.

Tony Warner

Had a great time learning about all of Floridas history. From the natives to the triple "K". Best 6 for a history lession. Gave a new meaning to the street name and overall appeal of why Orlando and Florida are the way they are. Those damn "Crackers".

Geert Baeten

A nicely organised set of presentations presenting key history of Florida, and Orlando in particular. I mostly liked the attention for the original population and early settlers, not neglecting the darker pages of their history as well.

Debbe King

Thank you for bringing "And Still We Rise" to Orlando. I am a quilter and marveled over the incredible work created by so many women of color. Quilting is much more than your grandmothers bed cover....they are beautiful works of art.

Teresa Zayas

Pictures online are not what it shows. Very disappointing. Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago is still the best from all the museum that I have visited. Beside the history of central florida, show other history around the world.

Cameron Gordon

Well run and interesting place. Also very well used and available for community involvement and groups to use. Third Wednesday of the month the "Orlando remembered" group meets to keep the oral history of Orlando going.

peter covino

History starts here. Permanent and temporary exhibits on central Florida history in a beautiful setting, old court house. Gift shop. Beautiful grounds a nice departure for visitors wanting something besides theme parks

David Santillo

Really enjoyed the visit and all the exhibits. Especially enjoyed the old court room maintained in its original condition. There was so much to learn. We spent 2.5 hrs there and could have spent more time.

Wally Hernandez

Its a great way to view Orlando history, from the swamps to the space coast. A few times a year they have board game night and you get to play board games in the various levels of the History Center.

Andrea Trembly

The best regional museum for its money. I was born here in Orange County, so for people like me, who have historical lineage to Orange County, this museum is of tremendous value to us rare locals.

Melissa Iglesias

The guided tours were great as they were interactive and kept the childrens interest. The best were the moch trial and the artifact activity. Kathleen and Fernando did a wonderful job!