10 Amazing Old Florida Roadside Attractions: The Citrus Tower

LONG BEFORE THEME PARKS REDEFINED CENTRAL FLORIDA TOURISM, TRAVELERS CRUISING ALONG U.S. HIGHWAY 27 WOULD PULL OFF THE ROAD FOR A DIFFERENT KIND OF SPECTACLE: A TOWERING ORANGE-AND-WHITE BEACON RISING ABOVE ENDLESS GROVES OF CITRUS TREES.

The Citrus Tower, with its antenna tip, reaches 500 feet above sea level.

The Citrus Tower, opened in 1956, wasn’t just an attraction. It was a statement; a bold, vertical celebration of Florida’s agricultural dominance and a defining symbol of the state’s roadside tourism era. Nearly 70 years later, it remains one of the last standing monuments to that distinctly nostalgic chapter of “Old Florida.”

When the Citrus Tower first opened on July 14, 1956, Florida looked very different. The state’s population hovered around four million, and tourism revolved around natural springs, gardens and quirky roadside stops rather than sprawling theme parks.

The tower itself was conceived as a way to showcase the region’s booming citrus industry. At 226 feet tall, roughly the height of a 22-story building, it was designed to give visitors a sweeping view of Lake County’s rolling hills and vast orange groves.

And what a view it was. From the observation deck, visitors could see millions of citrus trees stretching to the horizon — at one point, an estimated 17 million trees, representing a significant portion of Florida’s citrus production.

The experience was simple but powerful: ride an elevator to the top, step out, and take in a 360-degree panorama of a thriving agricultural landscape. “It was like standing above a sea of orange,” is how longtime residents still describe it.

The Citrus Tower didn’t exist in isolation. It was part of a broader network of attractions that defined mid-century Florida tourism.

Located strategically between destinations like Silver Springs and Cypress Gardens, the tower became a natural stop for road-trippers exploring the state. In its heyday, it drew as many as 500,000 visitors a year. Families would pile out of station wagons, snap photos, browse gift shops and marvel at the novelty of seeing Florida from above — something that was far less common in a mostly low-rise landscape.

Back then, roadside attractions weren’t just pit stops; they were destinations in their own right. The Citrus Tower offered more than views. Over the years, it hosted wildlife exhibits, citrus-themed displays, and even an orange-packing demonstration that showcased the industry powering the region.

But the very landscape that made the Citrus Tower famous would eventually contribute to its decline. In the 1970s, two major shifts reshaped Central Florida tourism.

First came infrastructure. The expansion of Florida’s Turnpike diverted traffic away from U.S. 27, reducing the steady stream of road-trippers who once discovered the tower by chance.

The iconic Florida Citrus Tower, 1962. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.

Then came the seismic shift: Walt Disney World opened in 1971. Suddenly, tourism in Central Florida had a new epicenter, one that drew millions and reshaped travel patterns almost overnight. The Citrus Tower, once a must-see attraction, became more of a roadside curiosity. At the same time, the citrus industry itself began to falter. A series of devastating freezes in the 1980s wiped out large portions of Lake County’s groves.

For decades, the Citrus Tower existed in a kind of nostalgic limbo. It changed ownership multiple times, underwent cosmetic updates, and remained open, but its cultural prominence faded.

Yet, unlike many roadside attractions that vanished entirely, the Citrus Tower endured. In recent years, that endurance has turned into something of a renaissance.

New ownership and renovations have focused on restoring the tower’s original charm while reintroducing it to a new generation of visitors. The structure itself was built with 5 million pounds of concrete and 149,000 pounds of reinforced steel and was always designed to last.

Today, visitors once again take the elevator to the top, not to see endless citrus groves, but to witness the evolution of Central Florida in real time.

From the observation deck, you can spot lakes glinting in the distance, clusters of new day, the skyline of Orlando and distant theme park landmarks. It’s a different view, but in many ways, just as compelling.