Mount Dora historical town deserves 5 stars. This little town is beautiful. There are so many…read morewaterfront parks, restaurants as well as beautiful and quirky boutique shops. Unfortunately, the person that helped us at the Chamber of commerce did not really know the town and could not direct us to the things we were looking for. Perhaps she just needed further training. She mentioned she wasn't from the area, but her lack of knowledge put us off. I hope this improves soon because Mount Dora historic district has so much to offer, it would be a shame to have people miss out on things.

How cool is this little town and the Chamber of Commerce?? Totally awesome in my opinion…read more I can't say enough good things about how proud they are of their town, and how amazing they are at organizing Festivals. We had heard about this quaint town by various friends but finally made it up to the Annual Bike Festival. A++ for organizing this event. It was cohesive, easy to maneuver and nothing but smiles and cheeriness from the volunteers. A++ for Pride in their town and showing it through hard work. So the Arts & Crafts festival and the Art Festival are coming up. Guess who is definitely coming up?? Yes.. ME!

The railway was vital in establishing the flow of goods and people into a town. They were the…read moreprimary form of transportation. The first railway that came to the area was the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Railway in 1886. The 29.5 mile route ran from Sanford, Sylvan Lake, Paola, Cassia, and Sorrento into Mount Dora and then to Tavares. In the 1880's train cargo was typically citrus, goods, from a local cannery, and fertilizer. Town founder David M. Simpson used the citrus to advertise his town by wrapping each piece in promotional materials promising a ree brochure of Mount Dora. The Old Mount Dora A. C. L. Railroad Station is a historic 35 x 93 foot Atlantic Coast Line Railroad depot in Mount Dora, Florida. It was originally built by ACL in 1914 and opening in 1915 at a cost of $8,223. It operated with two trains going in each direction. By 1922 there were four trains running passengers, freight, and mail. Passenger service continued to bring in tourists and visitors until it ended in 1950, and freight service on the line ended in 1973. On March 5, 1992, the station was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The depot is now the home of the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce who leases the building from the Seaboard Coast Line for $1 a year. The City of Mount Dora along with many community members and businesses restored the railroad station in 2014 in time for it's 100th anniversary with a grant from the Mount Dora Community Trust. Historical details were preserved like the sliding cargo doors and pine wood floors. The building is available for rent for private events like weddings, parties, and seminars.

In 1879 John P. Donnelly came to Mount Dora from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. At the time it was a…read morepopular winter destination for wealthy northerners. Donnelly has made his fortune in real estate and citrus business ventures. In 1881 he married local resident Annie McDonald Stone. Annie was a divorced single mom who ran the boarding house Donnelly was staying in and she also happened to be the daughter of his boss. In 1893 Donnelly had this gorgeous Queen Anne style house built as a gift to his wife. The plans for the house were chosen from 59 plans in the Cottage Souvenir No. 2 book sold by Tennessee architect George Franklin Barber. It is estimated Barber sold 20,000 plans in his career. The yellow and white Victorian house with stained glass windows was dubbed the Gingerbread House. The original property was a city block in size and included a barn and tenants house. Mount Dora was granted it's first charter in 1910 and Captain John Philip Donnelly became it's first mayor. At that time the population of Mt. Dora was 371 people. Donnelly was also one of the founders of the yacht club. The couple lived in the house until Annie's death in 1908. In 1924 Donnelly sold a corner of his property to the city for $45,000 to be turned into Donnelly Park. John P. Donnelly died in 1930. After his death the house was purchased by another prominent Mount Dora citizen, D. F. Gorman. After Gorman died the house was sold to the masons. Today more than 13,000 residents call Mt. Dora home. The Donnelly home was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1975. It is one of the most photographed buildings in the city. It is now owned by a Masonic temple, Mount Dora lodge #238 F & AM. To pay for the upkeep of the house the masons rent out the first floor for private events. A visit to Mount Dora would not be complete without a visit to this magnificent and historic home.

I've heard the residents of Mount Dora were in an uproar when this house was painted, but…read moreultimately the city failed to make the homeowners to revert to a standard color (lost court case). Hearing this was painted to help their autistic son identify the house if wandering off made my heart happy. It also offers both residents and tourists a beautiful mural and testament to artistic expression. Very glad I was able to see it and hope others are able to appreciate the beauty of the mural (renovated in 2025).

If you're strolling through Mount Dora and stumble upon the Van Gogh House, prepare to be genuinely…read moredelighted. This hidden gem is an absolute visual treat and one of the most creative outdoor art experiences I've seen in Central Florida. Every side of the house and surrounding walls is covered in vibrant, swirling murals inspired by Van Gogh's most iconic works--from Starry Night skies to bold sunflowers and rolling landscapes. It feels like you're walking straight into a living painting. The colors are incredibly vivid, and the detail is impressive from every angle. No two sections feel the same, which makes it even more fun to walk around and explore. It's peaceful, artistic, and surprisingly immersive for an open-air display. The contrast of classic fine art style painted onto a casual neighborhood setting makes it feel whimsical and unexpected in the best way. This spot is completely free to enjoy, perfect for photos, and a must-see if you love art, murals, or unique local attractions. It's one of those places that reminds you how much creativity can transform a space. The Van Gogh House is truly one of Mount Dora's coolest hidden treasures and absolutely worth the stop.

Renaissance was built in the 1920's. It is part of a collection of the many historical buildings in…read morebeautiful Mount Dora. When it was built in the 1920's, it was the Dora hotel! It was one of the only 3 level buildings in the community. Today there are a number of stores for shopping as well as restaurants/bars inside this historical building!

Outstanding Mt. Dora Fire Department..Captain, Deputy Tim were so cordial, helpful, happy to…read moreexplain each of the fire truck how it works. Highly educative. They had an open house...they had invited its only 11 AM to 1300 Hrs on November 1st. 2025..Saturday. They had a free Pizza and a drink at no cost. I took Cheese Pizza . Awesome. They had bottle of water. You can sit inside the truck and take a picture too.

I love, love, love the Mount Dora Library - also known as the WT Bland Library in Lake County…read more With ample parking walking distance to both a butterfly garden AND a walking trail, what's not to love? Even their library cards feature pictures of butterflies. Friendly staff are quick to help you find what you need. Classes are available for local residents. And self-checkouts are available, as well as access to public computers. I am a committed bibliophile and thrilled the Mount Dora Library is here to support my reading adventures.

This is one of the BEST libraries around. They offer a wide selection of books and will also get…read moreyou books from other Lake county libraries, if needed. The staff is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Check their calendar for all activities they over (chair yoga, classes, story time etc.) Right next to the main building is a beautiful butterfly garden. I am so grateful to have this library in our community.

Important Note: If you park in the Mount Dora Free Public Parking area at 428 E 5th Ave, it's only…read morelike a 4-minute walk to the Community Building. This was my first time seeing a show at this venue; honestly, I never knew it existed until I bought tickets to see KK's Priest, LA Guns, and Burning Witches. I purchased my tickets a little over a month ago when I found out KK added Mount Dora to one of their stops. Originally, I was planning on going to Fort Lauderdale to see them, but this worked out better because I was able to stay local during Bike Week. I am surprised the Mount Dora Community Building is hosting Metal shows since its more of an event center for plays and the seats are mounted to the floor, yet they had a good turn out and the crowd wasn't too out of control. The bands were fantastic, I couldn't have asked for a better evening. Although I came to see KK & Ripper Owen's, I was really looking forward to seeing the all-girl metal band from Sweden, Burning Witches. If you get a chance to see them while they are in the US, I highly recommend going. The venue seats about 600 patrons, most everyone has a good view of the stage in the seated position; during metal shows everyone stands, so good luck with visibility. Regardless, the acoustics here are excellent, and the audiovisual crew were exceptional. Security was a breeze, no pat downs, just ticket checks at the door. The show was supposed to start at 6:30pm, but we didn't even get in the door until almost 7:30pm. When we fist arrived staff were only serving beer, cash only, exact change, WTF!!?? After Burning Witches finished the bar had more change and a better variety of drinks to choose from including a small variety of liquor. I also noticed they started accepting credit cards. Get it together people this is a Metal Concert. The venue was very clean and overall, I was happy the event was here, but the restroom situation sucks, pretty much a line out the door most of the evening. You might be able to sneak in during a set if you're on an end seat, but good luck leaving and returning to your seat in the center of the row while the band is playing. I like the intimacy of venues like this because it is easy to just run into the performers and chat with them a bit. While I was here, I was able to meet Laura Guldemond, Romana Kalkuhl, and Jeanine Grob from Burning Witches. All-in-all, I had a great time and will definitely be back.

Great Music venue, 1st time attending, might go back for next band I enjoy. Well worth the drive,…read more Get there early to find parking

Amazing customer service and overall a really nice post office. Wish there was a self service kiosk!read more

This Post Office branch does a great job. Periodically I end up shipping a lot of packages over…read moreshort periods of time , and I finD I have no complaints about any of the counter persons. Sometimes the lines move slowly, but unless they re short-staffed, that usually has to do with the volume and speed of the customers rather than the employees. There is parking out front, both sides for Clifford Ave., a few spaces along busy Grove St., and a parking lot on the inner side of the building. There is a mail drop-off slot in that parking lot also. The lobby is open 24/7 but the counter is 9:30-5:00 weekdays and 9:30-Noon Saturday. If you print a pre-paid label at home, you can just leave it on the right-hand side of the counter if it is busy. Shipping supplies and Priority boxes are available before you approach the counter. I would give this location five stars except it would be more convenient if they opened a bit earlier than 9:30 and closed later Han noon on Saturday l plus a self-service shipping kiosk or t least a stamp vending machine for after hours would be