I love watching around downtown and I only live 10 minutes walking distance from there.I love…read morelooking at the shops and eating at the main st pizza. The owners are pretty nice and the pizza is great.

It is is believed Kissimmee is a modern spelling of an ancient tribal word. The city was founded as…read morea small trading post on the northern bank of Lake Tohopekaliga then known as the community of Allendale. After the Civil War, the area was purchased along with four million acres of marshland and plains for 25 cents an acre by Hamilton Disston, the owner of Disston Saw Company in Philadelphia. By 1882 a one room school house opened on Main Street and Kissimmee was incorporated as a city one year later in 1883. Today you can head down US-192 through the welcome gate into historic Kissimmee. There are many historic buildings and attractive old trees. Many of the buildings have murals on them as part of the Osceola Art, ARTisNOW, a public murals project. One of the oldest businesses on Broadway is Makinson Hardware. It was established in 1884 and is reported to be the oldest retail hardware stores in Florida still in operation. The historic downtown is filled with an eclectic mix of shops, restaurants, and businesses. Restaurants include Abracadabra Ice Cream Factory, 3 Sister's Speakeasy, Big John's Rockin BBQ, Broadway Pizza Bar, Buchito, Neptuno's Bar & Grill, Pa'l Callejón, Willy's Wieners, and 2v Brothers Steakhouse. Shopping destinations include Echoes of Yesterday Antique Mall and Lanier's Historic Downtown Marketplace, Other places of note in the downtown is the Monument of States constructed in 1943 after the attack on Pearl Harbor to inspire American solidarity by incorporating a rock sent from each state. Another place is the The Osceola County Courthouse which opened on May 6, 1890 and is Florida's coldest continuously operating courthouse. Kissimmee has many open space and parks along the shoreline of Lake Tohopekaliga with walkways and green spaces which are opportunities for relaxing. Kissimmee Lakefront Park has a fishing pier, walking paths, picnic pavilions, a playground, and lots of shade trees. It is used to host many events throughout the year. To make the downtown more visitor friendly the Kissimmee Community Redevelopment Agency has completed projects on the streets of downtown, Main Street, Broadway, Dakin, Monument, Darlington. You can park for free on the street or at the upgraded Pleasant Street parking lot and Toho Square parking garage. The historic Key's Service Station on the corner of Broadway and Drury Avenues has been restored and repurposed as the Kissimmee Mainstreet Welcome Center. On the first Friday of each month is the Kissimmee Valley Farmers Market, where the community can shop from local farmers and artisans between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

I love buildings from Florida's 1920's land rich years, but this is the first historic gas station…read morethat I have come across. The masonry vernacular designed Key's Service Station is a historic Standard Oil 1926 gas station on the corner of Broadway and Drury Avenue. The automobile boom of the 1920's opened Kissimmee to a new influx of residents and tourists. In 1967 the gas station was purchased by Al and Ben Key for use as a men's club. In 1998 the city purchased the station with plans to widen the road and demolish it. As the project progressed it was no longer necessary to destroy the building and the Community Redevelopment Agency stepped into to restore the gas station with grants from the county and state. Out front is a replica of a 1926 gas pump. The former service station now has new life since 2005 as the downtown welcome center selling local arts and crafts and providing free information for visitors.

Establishment right in center of town building maintain and just reminds ppl of the local stations…read more& welcome everyone to Downtown Kissimmee. Visitors find this location to get photos done have even filmed music videos here. There's an enormous silver horseshoe mounted on the left side. It's a historical spot & location.

The Monument of the States is one of those must-stops if you're ever in the Kissimmee area. It's…read moresuch a unique and meaningful landmark, built as a symbol of unity after the attack on Pearl Harbor. What makes it even more special is that it's made from stones sent in from all over the United States (and even a few from other countries), which gives it so much character and history.

Came at night so puctures don't show. It's an interesting piece of art if you're in Kissimmeeread more

The Historic District is not only the street where the are is. Is basically all of St. Cloud's…read moreDowntown area. Sure, it looks pretty outdated, but it IS a Historic District. I just feel like it could use more "love and taken care off". It doesn't seem like these landmarks are being well taken care of. At least not on the outside. Still, it has pretty old buildings and lots of businesses around. Plus is VERY near from Lakefront, a beautiful park.

185/100 in 2016 challenge…read more If you like old historic "stuff" there is a several block radius where you can find exactly that.. Located in what is considered downtown St. Cloud there are several blocks that have a war time museum, a park with old time helicopters and a bandstand and monuments. It all leads to the city hall which is a modern building in the middle of town. Nice place to reminder you at a period long forgotten.

Nice little park, perfect for the kids, a family picnic or even doing some exercising or yoga. Has…read moreawesome past military equipment such as a humvee and a military chopper. Don't worry, kids, they are non functional and cannot be accessed. Still it's like one of St. Cloud's Landmark... pretty neat.

155/100 in 2016 challenge…read more Cute little park in downtown St. Cloud. Old time military equipment is on display but can not be touch. Nice bandstand area. There is a playground in the back for children to play on. A few benches and picnic tables. It also has bathroom facilities. I have picked up my older daughter here on several occasions as it is not to far from the local High School. Great local place.

I had more fun here than at any major theme park we went to during our trip!…read more Before I start this is an animal experience that truly felt ethical. You can see the love they have for their animals and the care they pour into them. They are for education and saving gators FIRST. And that's what I like to see. The staff here is truly immersed into their rolls and play them extremely well. All while sharing facts and educational things regarding the gators they work with! As soon as you walk in your met with many many large gators!! Which is exactly why you come to a joint like this! They had every gator you could think of including your rareist ones! With photo options w monster truck ride (which is a lot crazier than I was expecting!) this place is the place to be! Me and my husband spent the whole day here and actually had an amazing time! I would get an annual pass for this park before ever getting one to any of the theme parks in the area. I definitely recommend!

We had an amazing time at Gatorland! The kids absolutely loved it, and there was something for…read moreeveryone to enjoy. Seeing the alligators up close was definitely a highlight, and the entire experience was both fun and exciting. Once inside, it was super convenient to pay cash for cool extra rides and wildlife photos. We paid cash on the spot to pose while holding a baby alligator, which turned out to be our favorite souvenir photo of the whole vacation! Since almost the entire park is outdoors along open boardwalks and natural trails, carrying a raincoat or umbrella was an absolute lifesaver when a typical Florida rain shower rolled through. Food and drinks were reasonably priced, and the staff was 10/10--friendly and helpful throughout our visit. A great bonus is that Florida residents get 50% off admission, making it an even better value for a family outing. Between the amazing military perk, hands-on animal encounters, and welcoming atmosphere, we loved every minute. We highly recommend giving yourself a full day to soak it all in! We highly recommend Gatorland for a fun and unique Florida experience. We'll definitely be back!

Kissimmee is a very laid-back, diverse, beautiful city in central Florida, that neighbors the city…read moreof Orlando which is home to the renowned Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, and SeaWorld. There is a never-ending amount of things to do here for the very young, the more established, to the savvyest of individuals. Kissimmee is a very family oriented area with something for everyone.

I love stumbling on educational historical markers and I found this one just before Monument Avenue…read moreon Main Street in downtown historic Kissimmee. It is located between the two Morgan and Morgan buildings and tells the history of a race I previously knew nothing about, The Great Endurance Race. On November 25, 1909 there was an automobile race to promote the building of roads in Florida. Called The Great Endurance Race, It was sponsored by the Tampa Daily Times and Coca-Cola. Today the 200 mile cross state trip from Tampa to Jacksonville takes three and a half hours but back in the 1900's in a 35 mile an hour automobile the trip could take 2 to 3 days. The Gravestone Hotel once existed on this site. It was the official third day check in point of the race. That night a gala was held on Thanksgiving for race participants. In 2019 on the 100th anniversary of the race, it was recreated using the same era of automobiles along the same route as close as possible. Proceeds were used to provide custom wheelchairs at Shriners Hospital. As a result of the race bond issues were passed that paid for road construction in Florida. I love antique cars and learning about this important part of Florida automobile history was very interesting The marker was erected in 1984 by the Osceola Historical Society.

Took the tour today with 3 other people. 1 had not ever been on a Segway before. Russell was very…read moregood at instructing on how to use the Segway. Never felt rushed and he was great at answering questions. We got to hear some very interesting history and it was very personal. I highly recommend taking a tour with this company. You can take the tour more than once because there are many stories to be heard about the history of this area. Thank you for a wonderful time! Kathy R.

Awesome experience. We went on Tuesday afternoon. Very informative local history. Russell was a…read moregreat guide. Safety is a priority and they make sure you feel comfortable on the Segway before heading out for the tour. Thanks EGT!!

Very interesting.. I took a morning stroll prior to work and was very happy I did. Quiet and…read moreaccessible park. Information is posted to allow a self guided experience directing you to the trails. Hard packed dirt and well maintained boardwalk allows for exploring the old Florida ecosystem. I would advise a partner if you're unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the area; no park rangers were in sight. I'm local a , male with some protection onboard so I didn't felt concerned. Come enjoy the park and use some common sense while you enjoy the ecosystem,

This homestead is located in Shingle Creek Park. The home was built for Mollie and Judson Steffee…read more They moved from Kentucky to Florida in 1883 with their children. Mollie was sick and needed the warmer climate of Florida. In Florida they planted citrus and raised horses and cattle. In 1911 they built their shot gun house. Their first home burned down and the house that now stands was the replacement The house had a porch on three sides and was remodeled and enlarged through the years. Down the trail a short distance from the house is the caretakers cottage built in 1920. Osceola County restored the buildings in 2009. The last family owner of the property was Elizabeth Steffee, an environmentalist and granddaughter of a 19th century steamboat captain. She passed away in 1997. After three years of negotiations with her heirs, Osceola County and the city of Kissimmee bought most of the property for $5.3 million. Forty four remaining acres was be purchased with $1 million from the South Florida Water Management District. The county and city offered the Steffee homestead and barn to the Kissimmee Valley Audubon Society to establish a nature study center on the property. Today when you visit the park you can hike and bike the trails. A short distance from the homestead is Paddle Creek where you can rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards so you can travel along the same waterway Mollie Steffee liked to fish over s hundred years ago. About a mile from the Steffee Homestead is a pioneer village with even more historic buildings to visit. Located close to Disney World Shingle Creek Park is well worth seeking out to see the "real" Florida.