Unique Things to do in Lakeland FL

20 Sep

Sep 20, 2022

Lakeland may not be the number one destination in Florida, but it is famous for a couple of things; lakes and swans! Coupled with a nicely renovated historic Downtown area, it’s a nice, compact destination for a few days.

Circle B Bar Reserve

First and foremost, one of the top things to do in Lakeland, Florida would be to get yourself over to the Circle B Bar Reserve. Spread across 5.13 square kilometres, this former ranch is now a beautiful slice of nature to get lost in. In case you were wondering about the name, it gets this from the cattle ranch.

Lake Mirror

No prizes for why Lake Mirror is called Lake Mirror. The glassy surface of the lake reflects the buildings of the city in the heart of Downtown Lakeland and is the place to go to soak up a bit of local life – as well as a fair chunk of history, too.

The Polk Museum of Art.

Named for the county in which Lakeland is set (Polk County, obviously), the Polk Museum of Art is set in a suitably architecturally interesting building that’s flanked by palm trees. Opening in 1966, the museum has displays of everything from Pre-Columbian art, all the way to contemporary pieces – Asian, African, European, Modern. You name it.

Lower Green Swamp Preserve

If you’re a fan of nature and you’re looking for something outdoorsy to do in Lakeland, Florida, then get yourself over to the Lower Green Swamp Preserve. Another former portion of cattle ranch and farmland that has been turned into a nature preserve, the land here has been ‘restored’ to what it would have been like prior to being settled and used for agriculture.

Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867 – 1959) was a famous American architect who contributed greatly to the cityscapes of many of the United States’ urban centres. Interestingly, it’s the campus of Florida Southern College (located in Lakeland) that actually boasts the largest collection in the world of Wright’s architecture, with a total of 13 buildings built between 1938 and 1959.