TIME TO TRAVEL

Orange groves are gone, Citrus Tower still attracts

BY MARIA SONNENBERG

All that remains of vintage Florida attractions such as Cypress Gardens, Circus World and Disney’s River Country are memories. Yet the Citrus Tower keeps going Energizer Bunny-like, despite the challenges that the changing Florida landscape has tossed in its way.

Long before the theme parks ruled Central Florida, the Citrus Tower reigned. Built in Clermont to showcase Central Florida’s orange industry, the tower opened in 1956 on U.S. 27, once a tourist thoroughfare that connected Cypress Gardens with Silver Springs.

In its heyday, the 226-foot tower drew half a million visitors eager to ride the elevator to the glass-enclosed observation deck at the top to marvel at the miles upon miles of citrus groves that surrounded it, along with a vista of the hundreds of springfed lakes of hilly Lake County.

The extension of the Florida Turnpike in 1964 cut into the visitor numbers and three major freezes in the 1970s killed most of the orange trees, and even less visitors made the trip to the top.

Although the orange trees have been replaced by housing developments, the lakes and the rolling hills still make for splendid viewing. Grab an amazing orange cappuccino or similarly orange-infused drinks from the café at the base before heading to the vintage Otis elevator for a leisurely ride up 19 floors.

Sip your drink while enjoying the view of the sun reflecting off Lake Minnehaha or Lake Minneola or Lake Apopka. Look north for a glimpse at the spine of Florida, where you will see Florida’s tallest mountain. At 312 feet, Sugarloaf is not much taller than the tower itself. With a view of 35 miles to the horizon, the Citrus Tower allows visitors to catch glimpses of everything from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the east and Disney’s Contemporary Hotel to the south.

A feature of this gentle attraction is the coin drop where pennies or nickels can be heard falling 226 feet down before ending

Citrus Tower

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday - Saturday Noon to 7 p.m. • Sunday

$11 adults

$10 seniors, military, teachers and AAA members

$7 children manager.

Chuck Edward was traveling from Atlanta to Orlando when he happened upon the tower.

“It brought back memories,” wrote Edward of a family excursion in 1966. Even though he was only six years old, Edward never forgot the tower and the simpler times it represents.

“So glad to have found it still standing and in operation,” he said.

The Citrus Tower is located at 141 S. U.S. 27. For more information, visit citrustower.com SL