Orange County Regional History Center

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Museum hours: Mon-Sat: 10am - 5pm | Sun: 12pm - 5pm

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Orange County Regional History Center

Plan your visit

The Orange County Regional History Center, housed in a historic courthouse in the heart of downtown Orlando, offers four floors of exhibits exploring 14,000 years of Central Florida’s rich heritage. A Smithsonian affiliate, the museum also offers visiting exhibitions and a wide range of programs for families, children, and adults.

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Selections from the vast and varied collections of the Historical Society of Central Florida illustrate Central Florida’s fascinating past.

Explore our past

As an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the History Center presents limited-run exhibitions of great depth and insight.

On display now

Convenient parking options include the Central Boulevard garage across from the Orlando Public Library, the History Center’s neighbor.

How to find us

An Evolving Community Resource

The Orange County Regional History Center is working to build an even better experience while we continue to recover from the pandemic’s considerable effects on our resources. We’re deep in the exploration stages of fully renovating and updating our current exhibitions and seeking ways to expand the History Center.

Much has changed since the History Center opened more than two decades ago. We are honored by our national awards, Smithsonian Affiliation, and accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums, and have spent the past several years researching and growing our collection to better reflect the experience of our entire Central Florida community.

We also continue to offer more diverse programming and special exhibitions on topics we plan to include in our future visitor experience. This work takes thoughtful time and care, and we go forward with dedication to building strong relationships across the community and engaging in meaningful conversations. As always, we welcome your participation and encourage you to share your thoughts through our contact form.

Coming up: Lunch & Learns, Family Days, and more

Upcoming Events

Discover

Education Programs Our school field trips, school break camps, and home school days are designed to spark creativity and enhance knowledge. We also feature programs for Boy and Girl Scouts.

Learn More about Education Programs

Historic Resources The Joseph L. Brechner Research Center offers researchers a wealth of resources about Central Florida, including more than 17,000 images depicting the area.

Learn More about Historic Resources

Plan Your Event Don’t just have an event — make history! We have many choices for the perfect downtown venue for weddings, parties, meetings, conventions, conferences, and more.

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Upcoming Events

• 

  Women’s History Breakfast – Power Players: Women in Central Florida Sports

  March 25, 2026 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Get Involved



Volunteers play an important role in our efforts to discover, preserve, and present Central Florida’s fascinating history. Join us!

Learn more about getting involved

Around the Museum Blog

• 18 Dec

  Tales from Lake Lucy: Building Silver Star Road

  By Peggy Sias Lantz, from the Fall 2020 edition of Reflections Magazine The year was 1915. The small, hand-built house on the shore of a beautiful lake west of Orlando was the home of David Purdy Sias and his family. It was the first house on that lake and only

  Read more about Tales from Lake Lucy: Building Silver Star Road
• 09 Dec

  What Our Interns Discovered This Fall (and What Surprised Them Most!)

  By Cheyenne Stastyshyn As the year 2025 draws to a close, we’re taking a moment to celebrate the five interns – Simone DeLuque, Barbara McCall, Shelby Reardon, Lior Wagerer, and Nemiah Wallace – who brought fresh energy, curiosity, and creativity to the Orange County Regional History Center this fall. Working

  Read more about What Our Interns Discovered This Fall (and What Surprised Them Most!)
• 04 Dec

  Crashing into History: The Syrian American Story Orlando Forgot

  By Sarah M. Boye from the Fall 2025 Edition of Reflections Magazine In 1917, a Confederate monument placed in downtown Orlando in 1911 was moved to Lake Eola Park, where it stood for decades. In 2017, it would be moved again to Greenwood Cemetery. It’s a good bet many Orlandoans

  Read more about Crashing into History: The Syrian American Story Orlando Forgot
• 04 Nov

  German Prisoners of War in Leesburg, Florida

  By Rachel Williams During the final years of World War II, Florida played host to approximately 10,000 German prisoners of war (POWs), a fact often overlooked in the state’s history. The influx of POWs to the United States stemmed from overcrowded camps in Europe, which held more than 250,000 prisoners

  Read more about German Prisoners of War in Leesburg, Florida
• 20 Oct

  Saving the Black Bottom House of Prayer

  A century-old church in Parramore becomes a rallying point for preservation, partnership, and neighborhood renewal. By Susan Moynihan from the Fall 2025 edition of Reflections Magazine Driving a friend home in Orlando’s Parramore district in 2015, Pastor Dana Jackson wasn’t thinking about buying real estate. Her son had recently died,

  Read more about Saving the Black Bottom House of Prayer

What our visitors are saying about their experience

• I want to thank the staff at the History Center for my daughter’s experience this summer [at camp]. Every staff member has been kind, talented and prepared – and helped nurture my daughter’s love of invention and creation. She deeply enjoyed the program. Thank you!

  Ximena Cordova Palma

• I just have to tell you what a spectacular time our classes had today! The kids talked about it all afternoon, and all of our teachers raved about it! How early is too early to book for next year?

  Teacher Judy Lindquist, Andover Elementary School

• The exhibits were interesting and well put together. I particularly enjoyed all the information about Florida’s citrus industry. Exhibits focusing on tourism were a close second favorite. Staff was helpful, and we enjoyed the optional audio tour.

  Halee Pearl

• Great local museum! Took our daughter when she was 3 and she loved it. She asked to go back and at 5 she loved it even more! If you live in central Florida, or are visiting, you really need to check it out!

  Joanna Bond

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USD Close Print Comparta su historia Cuéntenos sobre su objeto: *Considere las historias que ha leído en esta exhibición. Incluya detalles tales como de donde proviene el artículo, así como también nombres, detalles y fechas que son importantes para preservar su historia. Si quiere incluir uno, puede subir una imagen de su artículo aquí: Click or drag a file to this area to upload. Nombre: (Primero, Apellido) *Email *PhoneSometer × Share your story! Tell us about your item: *Consider the stories you've read in this exhibition. Include details such as where your item came from, as well as names, details, and dates that are important in helping to preserve it's story.If you'd like to include one, you may upload an image of your item here: Click or drag a file to this area to upload. Name *FirstLastEmail *PhoneSubmit ×