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

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 discovered this historical marker in front of the Osceola County Courthouse. Dating back to 1888,…read moreit is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in Florida. The Romanesque Revival style courthouse opened in 1890 and it was listed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The marker relates the history of Osceola County when it was created in 1887 from portions of Orange and Brevard Counties. Osceola became Florida's 40th county. It was Senator J. Milton Bryan who suggested the new county be named for Osceola, in honor of a Seminole warrior who adopted a name that translated to "black drink crier." Osceola led several small but successful raids against the U.S. army over 10 years. Osceola was captured on December 31, 1837, and died one month later at Fort Moultrie in South Carolina. Osceola is the sixth largest county in Florida and Kissimmee is the county seat. In the late 19th century it was a transportation hub for riverboats and the railroad. Osceola County is known for its long history of raising cattle. Cattle, agriculture, and tourism are now the main industries. Marker number F-340 was installed in front of the Osceola County Courthouse in 1983 by the Kissimmee Business and Professional Women's Club.

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.

The village features a collection of authentic and replica historic buildings that were moved from…read moretheir original locations to this site for preservation. Today was the pioneer day, but was so hot, although really fun. They had a lot of food trucks offering ice cream, BBQ, popcorn, farmers market, pony ride, a lot of animals as Llama, alpaca, duck, rabbit, horses. Had the opportunity to meet Apple and NY daughter bought one piece of her azmzing job. Really recommend this place, even normal days, we usually come here to do picnic or play at the playground.

For a pleasant walk through Florida history, visit Pioneer Village in Kissimmee. There are a total…read moreof about 15 buildings/structures (many of them original or exact replicas) that tell the story of early settlers and native dwellers. Each building has a sign with a QR code to scan that links to a short You Tube video elaborating on the people who lived in them and their stories. Even if it's a hot sunny day, there are multiple shady spots to sit like the rocking chair on the veranda or the air-conditioned church. You can actually walk in most of the buildings. My 12-year-old son's favorite areas were the Lanier house with it's rooster and hens walking and clucking around, the goat in the back of the house, and the knot-tying area in the exhibit on Florida's cowmen. At $4 for children $6 for adults (if you get a coupon from the Ocala History Center), this is an educational experience in a beautiful setting. You can also bike, walk, paddle, or picnic in nearby Shingle Creek Park when you are done.

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.

History can be found all around you if you take the time to stop, look, and read. I discovered this…read moremoving memorial depicting a dark time in WWII history. You can find it in Lakeside Park in Kissimmee. The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial honors all of those who served in the Philippines in World War II. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan moved into the Philippines. The sculpture depicts three figures on the Bataan Death March which began on April 10, 1942 with the fall of Corregidor Island and the Bataan Peninsula to the Japanese. A total of 76,000 American and Filipino soldiers were marched by the Japanese 65 miles north of the Bataan Peninsula to Camp O'Donnell. During the march the soldiers were denied food, water, and rest. By the end of the war only 4,000 Americans had survived. The sculpture features a Filipino woman offering water to a desperate American and Filipino soldier on the march. On the 50th anniversary of the Bataan Death, former Kissimmee City Commissioner Richard Herring and resident Menandro de Mesa spearheaded the formation of the Bataan-Corregidor Memorial Foundation in a partnership with the City of Kissimmee. Private donations were gathered and ground for the memorial was broken April 9, 1994, the 52nd anniversary of the fall of Bataan. The Bataan - Corregidor Memorial was sculpted by artist Sandra M. Storm, a renowned artist with multiple large commissions to her credit including "The Courage to Challenge" in Vierra, FL, "Called to Serve" in Hillsboro, KS, and "Melody of Arts" in Panama City, FL. Her work is featured in major collections throughout the country. Of her work she has said " "I think my major strength as a sculptor is the intensity of my involvement in what I create in bronze and the emotional impact my sculptures have on those who view them. Teaching sculpture for many years has also showed me how art can change lives, especially of children and the elderly." The Bataan - Corregidor memorial was completed and dedicated on May 20, 1995. The ceremony included a wreath laying, and keynote speeches from Philippine Brigadier General Tagumpay Nanadiego and retired United States General Bruce Holloway. The Bataan-Corregidor Memorial has become the location of annual reunions of veterans and it is the centerpiece of the annual Filipino-American Friendship Day Festival.

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.