Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Lakeland (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Circle B Bar Reserve, Child of the Sun, and Joker Marchant Stadium. Also, be sure to include Polk Theatre in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Lakeland (Florida).
Table of Contents
Circle B Bar Reserve
County park in Polk County, Florida. The Circle B Bar Reserve is an area of protected lands in Polk County, Florida. Comprising 1,267 acres at 4399 Winter Lake Road near Lakeland, it is managed by the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, which co-owns it with the Southwest Florida Water Management District. The park was purchased in 2000 for $7.4 million using funds provided by an environmental lands acquisition referendum approved by voters in 1994.
Polk's Nature Discovery Center, completed in 2008, features interactive displays about the plants, animals, and ecosystems of the reserve. The center serves as the focus of environmental education programs and explorations for families, school groups, teachers, adults, and other visitors. Construction began in 2007, consisting of four buildings totalling 16,000 square feet at a cost of $6.4 million.
Circle B Bar Reserve is named after the cattle ranch that once occupied the restored wetland site. It was purchased to help maintain the Banana Creek marsh area, home to an array of birds such as white ibis, roseate spoonbills, sandhill cranes and bald eagles, along with other wildlife like alligators, bobcats, snakes, gray squirrels, river otters, and wild hogs.
The preserve has been designated as a Great Florida Birding Trail site, a program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Sites are selected for their excellent birdwatching, wildlife viewing, or educational opportunities. Circle B Bar contains 3.5 miles (5.6 km)s of unpaved hiking/biking trails and is connected to the paved Fort Fraser Trail by the 0.6-mile paved Fort Fraser-Circle B Bar Connector Trail, which runs from Lakeland to Bartow.[1]
Address: 4399 Winter Lake Rd, 33803-7340 Lakeland
Child of the Sun
Child of the Sun, is a collective of buildings for the campus of the Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Also known as the Florida Southern College Architectural District, it was designed by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright from 1941 through 1958. On March 2, 2012, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and together form the largest collection of buildings by the architect Frank Loyd Wright.[2]
Joker Marchant Stadium
Stadium in Lakeland, Florida. Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium is a baseball field in Lakeland, Florida. The 8,500-seat stadium was opened in 1966 and has had multiple renovations, most recently in 2017. It was named after local resident and former Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director Marcus "Joker" Marchant. It is the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers and the regular-season home of the minor league affiliates Lakeland Flying Tigers and Gulf Coast Tigers.
On March 15, 2011, the largest crowd in the stadium's history (10,307 people) watched a spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox.[3]
Address: 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd, 33805 Lakeland
Polk Theatre
Theater in Lakeland, Florida. The Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Florida is a historic theater located at 121 South Florida Avenue.
The 1,400-seat theatre was built in 1928 after the local business "boom" of the town had ended and despite the fact that the population was only 15,000 inhabitants. In 1982, a group of concerned citizens banded together to save the theatre from being razed due to low attendance. Local citizens formed a non-profit group, borrowed money, secured a grant from the state, and purchased the theatre for $300,000. The theatre has a mezzanine, a high balcony, a permanent backdrop of a "Venetian piazza," an orchestra pit, a ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. The air-conditioning system, which was the first in the county, was a pump that used artesian well water to chill the building.
Under the name Polk Theatre and Office Building, the building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[4]
Address: Lakeland, 121 S Florida Ave
Polk Museum of Art
Museum in Lakeland, Florida. The Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College is a private, non-profit, and nationally accredited art museum in Lakeland, Florida. It is a member of the Florida Association of Museums, is ranked among the top art museums in the state of Florida, and is a Smithsonian Affiliate. Admission to the museum is free to the general public. On June 1, 2017, the Polk Museum of Art, a private community museum, entered an affiliation agreement with Florida Southern College in order to advance the mission of both entities and better serve the community.[5]
Address: 800 E Palmetto St, 33801-5529 Lakeland
All Saints' Episcopal Church
Church in Lakeland, Florida. All Saints' Episcopal Church is an Episcopal Church in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It is in the Diocese of Central Florida.[6]
Address: 202 S Massachusetts Ave, 33801-5012 Lakeland
Explorations V Children's Museum
Museum in Lakeland, Florida. Explorations V Children's Museum is an independent, non-profit 501 children's museum in downtown Lakeland, Florida.[7]
Address: 109 N Kentucky Ave, 33801-5057 Lakeland
Frances Langford Promenade
Park in Lakeland, Florida. The Frances Langford Promenade is a historic site in Lakeland, Florida. It is located between Lemon Street and Lake Mirror Drive. On January 27, 1983, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The project was built in two phases and completed in 1928. Charles Wellford Leavitt of New York was the designer.
In 1946, the city of Lakeland dedicated the promenade to Lakeland native Frances Langford for her work with the United Service Organizations and her music and acting career. In 2013, the city re-dedicated the promenade and installed a new marker.[8]
Address: 100 South Massachusetts Ave, 33801 Lakeland
Lakeland Community Theatre
Concerts and shows, Theater
Address: 121 S Lake Ave, 33801 Lakeland
Silvermoon Drive-in
The Silvermoon drive-in is a drive-in theatre in Lakeland, Florida. Established in 1948, it is the last remaining drive-in of Polk County, Florida.[9]
Address: 4100 New Tampa Hwy, 33815 Lakeland (Winston)
Florida Air Museum
Museum in Lakeland, Florida. The Florida Air Museum, formerly known as the International Sport Aviation Museum and the SUN 'n FUN Air Museum, is designated as Florida's "Official Aviation Museum and Education Center." It features a display of aircraft including one-of-a-kind designs, classics, ultra-lights, antiques and warbirds.[10]
Address: 4175 Medulla Rd, Lakeland