Winter Garden is a very charming little town next to Orlando. The place is very interesting and with many things to do. It is perfect to spend just a few hours or a whole day in the area. Not to mention it’s completely free.

It is important to reinforce that Winter Garden and Winter Park are different things. Winter Park is also beautiful, but it’s a little further away.

Winter Garden began to be inhabited around 1850 by settlers who were attracted by the region’s fertile land for planting citrus fruits and vegetables on the shores of Lake Apopka, Florida’s third largest lake. At the end of the 19th century, two railway lines crossed the city and helped in the development.

In 1908 Winter Garden was officially declared a town and by the 1920s the town was considered a commercial and agricultural center for the region. But the golden age began a decline in the late 1960s, when Lake Apopka became heavily polluted and construction of highways took away from the city’s importance.

But the city struggled to preserve its historic heritage and in 1996 the city became part of the National Register of Historic Places and the city center today is a preserved and lively place for residents and visitors.

Currently Winter Garden has outdoor leisure options and also very interesting shopping options.