Winter Garden Heritage Foundation facts for kids
Former ACL Depot, now the Winter Garden Heritage Museum headquarters.
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The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation (WGHF) is a group that works to save and share the history of West Orange County, Florida. They help people learn about the past.
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What is the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation?
The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation is located at 21 East Plant Street in Winter Garden, Florida. This area is known as the Downtown Historic District. The foundation runs two museums in Winter Garden, Florida. These are the Winter Garden Heritage Museum and the Central Florida Railroad Museum.
The main office for the foundation is called the History Research, Education, and Visitors' Center. This building also has a gift shop. The WGHF helps find, record, and protect the history of West Orange County. They also teach people about history. They do this through school trips, walking tours, special events, and workshops. They also create displays and online talks.
Where are the museums located?
The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation has two main museums. Both are in historic buildings. They are easy to visit in downtown Winter Garden.
Winter Garden Heritage Museum
The Winter Garden Heritage Museum is in an old train station. This station was built in 1923 by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. The museum focuses on the history and culture of the local area.
You can see many interesting things there. These include old citrus labels from fruit companies. There are also items left by the first people who lived in the region. You can also find railroad items and old photographs. New exhibits are shown three times each year.
Central Florida Railroad Museum
The Winter Garden Heritage Foundation works closely with this museum. It is located nearby at 101 South Boyd Street. This museum is in another old train station, built in 1913. It was once part of the Tavares & Gulf Railroad.
This museum is very special for train lovers. It shows many photos and items about Central Florida's train history. Visitors can see maps, brochures, and diagrams. There is also a large collection of old railroad dishes and glasses. People from all over the world come to visit this museum.
The Garden Theatre Restoration
In 2008, the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation finished a big project. They restored the Garden Theatre. This theater is at 160 West Plant Street in historic downtown Winter Garden, Florida.
History of the Garden Theatre
The Garden Theatre first opened in 1935. It was a movie theatre back then. Inside, it looked very special. It had a Spanish tile courtyard and balconies like those in "Romeo and Juliet." Lanterns hung in the windows, and palm trees decorated the stage area. The ceiling was dark blue with many stars.
The theater was changed several times over the years. It closed in 1963 because fewer people went to the movies. This was when television became popular. The foundation took over the building on January 1, 2004. They worked with the City of Winter Garden.
Goals of the Restoration
The foundation had two main goals for the Garden Theatre. First, they wanted to make the building look like it did originally. This helped keep the historic feel of downtown Winter Garden. They wanted it to be a true piece of history.
Second, they wanted the theater to become a lively place for the city. They wanted it to be a performing arts center. It would also show movies and host many different events. They reached these goals. Now, the theater is a non-profit group that runs on its own.
