On the first Saturday of every month, history comes alive at the Orange County Regional History Center! From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visitors can engage with history through interactive experiences and themed hands-on activities the whole family can enjoy.
Explore the many ways Central Floridians have blazed new trails and found the pioneering spirit that helped shape the community we know today. Inspired by how early settlers lived, you’ll learn how to make your own butter by hand, explore pioneer artifacts, and more!
Activities included with museum admission.
The Orange County Regional History Center’s story begins at the historic heart of the community and is entwined with the county’s series of courthouses – most of which occupied the spot next to the History Center that’s now Heritage Square park.
From Heritage Square, Orlando’s city limits were platted in 1857. Florida was wild frontier: Razorback hogs rubbed their backs against wooden courthouse steps. But as the city and county grew, a grand brownstone courthouse rose in 1892. In 1927, a neoclassical revival building – now the History Center’s home — was added and became the main courthouse.
By 1942, the community looked back and sought to remember a century of history through a pioneer-times display in the old brownstone courthouse. The popular exhibit grew, fueled by donations that became the foundation of the Historical Society of Central Florida’s present collection at the History Center.
OUR MISSION: To serve as the gateway for community engagement, education, and inspiration by preserving and sharing Central Florida’s continually unfolding story.
OUR VISION: We explore the past to deepen our understanding of the world, to evoke empathy, and to inspire action toward a better future.