Explore Florida's Long History at the Orange County Regional History Center

I am a big advocate of making a vacation interesting and a bit out of the ordinary. For example, almost everyone who visits Orlando for a vacation will surely go to Disney World, Sea World, Universal and the other well known attractions but fewer will take in the other sites of the city. One of these sites is the Orange Country Regional History Center.

The Regional History Center is a museum with permanent and special exhibits. Their permanent exhibits invite you to explore 12,000 years of Florida's history, and that is indeed a big undertaking.

They make it interesting, and even kids who are used to flashy theme parks will find the visit fascinating. Their interactive exhibits can keep your whole family entertained for hours so let's look at what you can expect to find there.

First of all there is an exhibition about the natural environment including animals, plants, rock formations and even a description of how an entire city block was swallowed up by a sinkhole.

What was Florida like before the Europeans arrived? Another exhibit looks at the first people on the Florida peninsula and shows how they lived. The first contact of the Native Americans with the Spanish is also depicted, showing how their lives were changed.

You can also get a good feel for what it might have been like to live in during the 19th Century in a typical home. You can try out the butter churn and other household utensils. And in case you think that tourism in Florida began with Disney, the exhibit "Destination Florida" looks at 100 years of tourism in Florida prior to Disney.

Before tourism became the main industry of Orlando, the economy was built upon cattle and citrus agriculture. The museum also looks at these two industries as well as the aviation activities of the region which range from a World War II B-17 bomber to the exploits of the Kennedy Space Center.

No doubt you will visit World Disney World while you are in Orlando, but at the museum you can also watch the fascinating development showing how this project transformed Orlando from a small town to a tourist-centered community.

The place of African-Americans in Florida's history is also given importance and in the "Orlando remembered" section you can recall Orlando's most memorable moments in an exhibition which is changed on an annual basis.

If this sounds interesting to you then consider spending an afternoon or morning at the Orange County Regional History Center. Here is some of the information that you will need. The hours of opening are Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday Noon-5 p.m. The current admission prices are Adult $9, Seniors (60+) $7, Students and Military with valid ID $7, Child (5-12) $6, Child (4 & under) Free. General admission tickets are valid for permanent and limited-run exhibitions but special events require separate ticketing and some events require advance reservations.

The museum is located in downtown Orlando at 65 E. Central Blvd and you can call them toll free at (800) 965-2030 .