No, Fort Christmas Park is not all about Christmas but about early pioneer life. If you are visiting Disney World it is located about an hour away. Fort Christmas Historical Park gives you a glimpse of early life with accurate replicas of a fort, pioneer homes, a schoolhouse, and other items important to pioneer life. I was to share some of the things to do and see at Fort Christmas.
Fort Christmas Historical Park
My friends and I dressed up in Christmas themed retro/vintage dresses and visited the park for a day of fun to celebrate Christmas in July. I think we pulled off dressing Christmas and vintage pretty well since a lot of people thought we worked at the park, lol.
One of the best things about Fort Christmas Historical Park is that it is FREE to visit.
During the summer they are open 8 am to 8 pm Sunday to Saturday, Winter hours are 8 am to 6 pm. The Park is located at 1300 Fort Christmas RD, Christmas, FL 32709. While Fort Christmas is not about Christmas, Christmas, Florida is a proud Christmas themed town that is cute to visit as well.
Things You Will See at Fort Christmas Historical Park
A replica of a fort built in 1837 during the Second Seminole Indian War
This building was an interesting place to visit. I wished I would have done a little more reading about the weapons and tools that were displayed. I am not originally from Florida and this park provides a lot of Florida history. On the second floor of the Fort building, you will find vintage baby clothes, quilts, bonnets, and other fashion items of the time. I think that was one of my favorite parts of the park.
A Traditional Florida “Cracker” House
I had no idea what a “Cracker” house was before going to this park. Florida cracker architecture is a style of a wood-frame home used somewhat widely in the 19th century. Florida cracker homes are characterized by metal roofs, raised floors, large porch areas (often wrapping around the entire home), and straight central hallways from the front to the back of the home. Back in the day when it was no air conditioning, the new immigrants of the Florida state had to depend on nature to get some relief from the heat. They built their homes surrounded by wide verandas looking for shade for their windows and walls. (Source: Wikipedia)
Pioneer Homes
The Pioneer homes were interesting to look around and see how they lived life back in the day. Signs were posted telling you about the odd items and some of the ways people did things in pioneer times.
Schoolhouse
As a former teacher, seeing old school houses bring me so much joy. Reading about pioneer teachers was one of the reasons I wanted to be a teacher. I have seen many schoolhouse replicas, but this one stood out to me because it was 2 rooms. One room was a classroom, while a second was like a theater/meeting room.
Christmas Post Office
I tried to get some pictures of this area but the pictures came out really bad. My favorite part was the old fashioned cash register. The post office also had living quarters in it.
Lunchroom
The lunchroom was filled with all the cooking and baking things of pioneer life.
Sugar Cane Mill
Historical Farming Equipment
Things To Do at Fort Christmas Historical Park
Other than the structures to visit, there are places to have a picnic and even grill if you would like. The playground is big and fun (a few of us grown ups decided to swing a bit).
I have discovered they have a few events during the year and I hope to make it back for the Christmas and Bluegrass festival.
A day at Fort Christmas was super fun. You should probably schedule at least a half a day to visit the park. If you are looking for dining discounts in the Orlando area, I recommend the Entertainment Coupon book which is now available digitally!
Have you ever been to Fort Christmas? What was your favorite part? Let me know in the comments!
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