Orlando has a sunny story to rediscover in Winter Park, where the Winter Park History Museum is presenting Golden Roots: The Citrus Legacy of Winter Park, its current exhibition on the agricultural heritage that helped shape the city.
Long before Winter Park became known as the “City of Homes,” orange groves, packing houses and railroads were central to daily life. Citrus attracted settlers, supported local businesses and connected the community to markets across the nation, helping establish Central Florida’s reputation as a place of sunshine, health and opportunity.
Through historic photographs, artifacts, colorful citrus crate labels and interactive experiences, Golden Roots introduces the people behind the harvest. Visitors can discover the origins of the famous Temple Orange, learn about Chinese American horticulturist Lue Gim Gong and his connection to Winter Park, and meet the grove owners, packing house workers and African American families of Hannibal Square whose labor, knowledge and entrepreneurship sustained the industry for generations.
The setting makes the story even more special: the exhibition is presented inside the original Atlantic Coast Line Freight Depot, where thousands of crates of locally grown citrus were once weighed, documented and loaded onto railcars bound for cities across America. Families can also enjoy hands-on children’s activities and a scavenger hunt throughout the museum.
Admission is free. The museum, at 200 W. New England Avenue in Winter Park, is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Photo: Winter Park History Museum
