Photo by Roberto Gonzalez

THE FACES OF
PRESERVING CENTRAL FLORIDA HISTORY

L to R: Kallie Turner, Curator of Education |  Katie Kelley, Curator of Exhibitions | Denise Lockley-Cobb, Volunteer | Billy Morgan, Chief Financial Officer | Joy Wallace Dickinson, Editor | Venerria Thomas, Orange County | Community & Family Services Director | Lauren Bloom, Board Secretary | Emily Coughlan, Collections Manager

Orange County Regional History Center

The Orange County Regional History Center traces its roots back to 1942 and a humble display of pioneer times put together by members of the community. That exhibit was in the county’s courthouse at the time, a grand red-brick Victorian building with a clock tower that occupied the land in front of the History Center’s current location. The site is literally the heart of Orlando, the place from which the city limits were platted. Over time, the museum’s survival and growth inspired a unique partnership between the nonprofit Historical Society of Central Florida and Orange County Government. The History Center is one of only twelve Florida museums with the distinction of being a Smithsonian Affiliate.

In February, the museum will close its enduringly popular exhibition Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground, which has garnered multiple awards. The special exhibition space will then host Orlando Collected, a commemoration of the city’s 150th anniversary of incorporation, told through objects from the museum’s collection that community members will largely curate. The reality for museums is that they can only display a small percentage of their total collections, so Orlando Collected will provide visitors with an opportunity to view artifacts that are rarely on public view, such as local taxidermic legend Billy the Swan, Civil War surgical tools, and a glass block from the Orlando Arena.

Contrary to common perception, a museum is an evolving organism, and the History Center’s staff strives to keep content inclusive and authentic. This year, interactive exhibitions were introduced to tell European settlers’ oft-somber history and teach the lost Timucua language, spoken by people living in Florida when the Europeans arrived. As of this writing, the announcement of a new Executive Director is imminent, and the staff eagerly anticipates a fresh perspective in their work to preserve and share Central Florida’s continually unfolding story.

LOCATION & CONTACT INFORMATION

65 E. Central Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32801 | 407-836-8500 | thehistorycenter.org