Live Near Downtown Winter Garden — Scoops Old Fashion Ice Cream

Live Near Downtown Winter Garden

Why? Because it has a great small town feel with lots of charm yet it is so much more. Also, it has good schools, and it is less than 30 minutes to Downtown Orlando, Disney and Universal. In addition, Downtown Winter Garden is close to shopping, medical centers and major highways. But most of all, why many people want to live near downtown Winter Garden is because it has some great activities during the year especially on the weekends. This Lifestyle video of Downtown Winter Garden is from February of this year. I created it to help give the viewer some great visual images of this beautiful community. It is amazing how beautiful Florida weather is during the winter months. The video was taken around 2 PM on Saturday just as the local farmer’s market was wrapping up, so the restaurants and parking were not too busy at that time. The Farmers Market hours are from 10 AM to 2 PM approximately. It features local small business vendors that sell local produce, arts & crafts, products, plants, clothes, decorations and more. Also, there are food vendors that sell hot cooked food or food items to bring home to your pantry. I really love this part of town because every time I visit there is a different activity to do. We just love the Winter Garden Pizza Company . It has the best New York Style Pizza and a delicious salad bar. The restaurant has outdoor seating which allows you to bring your dog. Actually several of the restaurants have outdoor seating that allows you to bring your dog as long as it is on a leash and behaves. This is a great feature of Downtown Winter Garden that it is very pet friendly. It is very common to see many pets and their owners walking around downtown when you stop to visit. I think that part of the reason for so many dogs is the outdoor cafes and that pets are allowed on the West Orange Trail. I am a pet lover so this is great for me and my pet.

Another great find is “Scoops” ice cream parlor which is an old fashion ice cream parlor located inside the Edgewater Hotel lobby, but it also has its own entrance to the outside. Try the Cappuccino Crunch it is really yummy! The Edgewater Hotel is a historic bed and breakfast with an old fashion hand crank elevator. I have heard that they rent by the day and by the week or month. Our ground floor features Thai Blossom (serving both lunch and dinner), The Tasting Room (serving both lunch and dinner), and The Chef’s Table fine dining (serving dinner). Also, just steps front he hotel entrance is many eateries that have live entertainment periodically throughout the week. Need a haircut stop at Earl Brigham’s old-style Barbershop for a hair or there’s a hair and beauty salon across the street. If someone wanted to go on the West Orange Bike Trail for the day, then bike rentals of all types are available close by to rent by the hour or for the day. I believe you can also get a bike tour if you are not familiar with the West Orange Bike Trail which is over 21 miles long with lots of fun stops for adventure along the way. There are many more restaurants and shops than I have mentioned in this blog so come on out and try downtown Winter Garden and support your local small business.

Need some free entertainment. The Heritage Museum Visitor Center and the Central Florida Railroad Museum is close to the Center of town and is a worthwhile stop when you are looking for something different to do on the weekends or weekdays. Add on a nice lunch at one of the wonderful eateries, a little shopping and you can make it a full day.

Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Visitors’ Center

Information about the area, maps, brochures, and gift shop.

Hours: Open M – F 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sun. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

(Except major holidays.)

Admission: Free, although donations are appreciated.

Location: 21 East Plant Street, adjacent to the Winter Garden Heritage Museum

Phone: 407-656-3244

History Research and Education Center

Hours: Open M – F, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., except major holidays.

Location: 21 East Plant Street, adjacent to the Winter Garden Heritage Museum.

Phone: 407-656-3244

Winter Garden Heritage Museum

Hours: Open every day, 1 to 5 p.m., except major holidays.

Admission: Free, although donations are appreciated.

Location: 1 N. Main Street, Winter Garden, Florida, 32787

Phone: 407-656-5544

Central Florida Railroad Museum

Hours: Open every day, 1 to 5 p.m., except major holidays.

Admission: Free, although donations are appreciated.

Location: 101 South Boyd Street, Winter Garden, Florida, 32787

Phone: 407-656-0559

WGHF Self-guided History Tours
To read more about our guided tours, click here