Lake Eola Park is located in the heart of Downtown Orlando. A sidewalk circles the lake 0.9 miles in length, making it easy for visitors to keep track of their walking or running distances.
Lake Eola is a popular destination for festivals, concerts, fundraising walks and even weddings. There are various locations around the park available for rent.
Visitors can rent swan shaped paddle boats. The pedal powered swan boats on historic Lake Eola let guests view the park from the lake and enjoy the fountain up close. Hours are limited.
Lake Eola Park amenities include bird watching, paddle boat rental, picnic tables, playgrounds for ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12, restroom facilities, a paved walking path and restaurants nearby.
The Orlando Farmers Market hosts vendors, a wine and beer garden, live entertainment and an outdoor dining area. Themed Sundays at the market promote pet friendly, family friendly, food and wine, and arts in the park programs.
East End Market is a neighborhood market and food hall in the Audubon Park Garden District of Orlando, Florida. The Market showcases some of Central Florida's top food entrepreneurs, makers, artisans and chefs.
The two story structure is home to a dozen merchants, a large event space, a demonstration kitchen, an incubator kitchen, offices, retail shops, a full time, award winning caterer and a world class ramen restaurant.
DOMU is in East End Market, Audubon Park. DOMU opens at 5:00 PM. No reservations. First come, first served. No reservations means no VIP table.
DOMU has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand every single year since 2022. The Japanese whisky selection and classic cocktails make DOMU more than a ramen stop. The main dining room fills with people quickly after 5:00 PM.
Since 1938, Winter Park's World Famous Scenic Boat Tour has given enjoyment to thousands. The last tour leaves at 4:00 PM.
You may call ahead to book a large group.
Leu Gardens is a 50 acre botanical oasis that invites you to explore, unwind, and connect with the natural world. The gardens showcase an extraordinary variety of plants from around the globe.
Fall hours at Leu Gardens are 9 AM to 5 PM. Last entry is one hour before closing time.
Leu Gardens stands out due to its thousands of camellias, showcasing a remarkable variety of shapes, colors, and sizes that create a stunning display of color from December to March.
The Historic Leu House Museum was originally built in 1888, and it is temporarily closed.
The Leu Gardens events list includes a Fall Jazz and Blues Concert on October 17, 2026. The concert is described as an evening of jazz, soulful blues, and live musical excellence.
Blue Spring State Park is a state park located west of Orange City, Florida. Measured from the published coordinates of the park and of Orlando, Blue Spring State Park is about 30 miles north of Orlando.
Blue Spring State Park is home to a first magnitude spring that is one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida. The spring in the park, Volusia Blue Spring, is the largest on the St. Johns River. About 102 million gallons of water flow out of Blue Spring into the St. Johns River every day. The spring run covers only 4.47 acres.
Visitors can see hundreds of manatees enjoying the constant 72 degree spring water in the colder winter months. Manatees depend on warm water for survival, because they cannot tolerate water temperatures colder than 68 degrees for long periods of time. Manatees have only about an inch of fat and a very slow metabolism, meaning they cannot easily stay warm. Manatees are frequently solitary creatures, but they do aggregate at warm water habitats during the winter. Manatees are obligate herbivores that feed on over 60 species of aquatic plants in both fresh and salt water. Manatees migrate to warmer spring water during colder weather in Florida, and they often return to the same spring every year.
The number of manatees visiting the park has grown from about 36 animals when research began in the 1970s to over 700 animals in 2023. By 2005, wintering manatee numbers exceeded 200, and by 2023 that number reached a record 729. Researchers have recorded the life history of individual manatees at Blue Spring since 1978, including births, deaths and relationships.
Fish abound in the spring run and attract a variety of wading birds, ospreys, eagles and kingfishers. Wildlife besides manatees can be seen at Blue Spring, including alligators, bears, raccoons and various species of birds.
Visitors on the boardwalk can see manatees socializing and mothers nursing their small calves, without influencing the manatees' natural behavior. During manatee season, from November to March, the live video streaming of the spring is made public.
Visitors can launch a canoe or kayak, with rentals available at the park, or take a guided river boat cruise. Visitors can hike along the spring run or on the 4.5 mile Pine Island Trail. Hontoon Island State Park is a short paddle down the St. Johns River. Hontoon Island can only be reached by boat or park operated passenger ferry.
In 1971 the Cousteau television series filmed an episode on manatees, The Forgotten Mermaids, at Blue Spring. Nine steamboats eventually called at Blue Spring Landing on regular routes, carrying freight, mail, tourists and sportsmen.
Blue Spring State Park is open 365 days a year. Fees at Blue Spring State Park are $6 per vehicle.
Have you been to Lake Eola Park?