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Lake Eola Park Review
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Lake Eola Park
- Address: Robinson St. and Rosalind Ave., Downtown Orlando, Orlando, FL
- Phone: 407/246-2827 park; 407/232-0111 Swan Boats
- Category: Parks
- Location: Central Orlando
Fodor's Review:
In the heart of downtown is Lake Eola Park, with its signature fountain in the center. The park represents an inner-city victory over decay. Established in 1892, the now family-friendly park experienced a series of ups and downs that left it very run-down by the late 1970s. With the support of determined citizens, the park gradually underwent a renovation that restored the fountain and added a wide walkway around the lake. Now families with young children use the well-lighted playground in the evening and downtown residents toss bread to the ducks, swans, and birds and walk their dogs late at night in safety. The lakeside Walt Disney Amphitheater is a dramatic site for the annual Shakespeare Festival (April and May) as well as for weekend concerts and other events.
Don't resist the park's biggest draw, a ride in a swan-shape pedal boat. Two adults or one adult and two children can fit comfortably into the boats. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
Several good restaurants by the park and in the nearby Thornton Park neighborhood provide a nice mix of indoor-outdoor dining. The view at dusk, as the fountain lights up in all its colors and the sun sets behind Orlando's ever-growing skyline, is spectacular.
- Cost: Swan Boat rental $12 per ½ hr
- Open: Park daily 6 AM-midnight; Swan Boats weekdays noon-6, weekends 10-8
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