I love Lake Eola. Everything about it just screams Orlando. I’ve been blogging for 2.5 years now and somehow I don’t have a post about arguably the most iconic place in our city! So here’s my take! This park is featured on our Orlando Park Crawl, so make sure you check that out too!

There are so many reasons to love this park. When I started writing this post, I tried to put into words why I love this place so much, but I couldn’t quite do it. That’s probably because it’s not a tangible thing so much as the feeling of community you have just by being there. People from all walks of life are all around and it all feels very inclusive. There’s artwork that varies from traditional to modern, nods to other cultures, and community events and festivals throughout the year. Since words are inadequate to describe my love for it, I’ll let pictures do most of the talking.

Y’all know I’m always honest with you and there is one thing I don’t love about Lake Eola… and it’s kind of a big one. It’s the playground. Aside from the fact that it’s pretty dirty (I get that it’s tough to keep clean because there are lots of kids who play on it), there’s also nothing unique about it. In any other park it would be totally fine, but this is the most iconic park in the entire city. There should be a giant fountain-shaped climbing structure or a play set that looks like the skyline. Something that screams “Orlando.” But there’s not. The city should totally get on that.

Really the best way to learn about Lake Eola Park is to spend time there. Walk around, take a picnic, stay a while. You’re bound to find something interesting and unique to our City Beautiful.

The Basics

• Lake Eola Park is located downtown in the block surrounded by Rosalind and Eola on the east and west, Robinson and Central on the north and south.
• There’s a farmer’s market held every Sunday from 10AM to 4PM, with vendors selling food, art, and locally made items.

• They also offer “Movieola” (April through August) and other productions at the amphitheater throughout the year.
• Please don’t feed the swans! They have a very special diet and are actually cared for regularly by professional staff. They definitely get enough to eat on their own.

Pro Tips

• Go in the evening for a gorgeous walk around the lake, especially in the summer. If you’re there after dark, you might catch the choreographed light show that the fountain puts on a couple times a night (times vary)!
• If you decide to rent one of the swan boats, the minimum 30 minute ride is likely all you’ll need (especially in the summer). Paddling those things is harder than you’d think!
• Go for a family date! We had a walk around on a Sunday morning, grabbed some trail mix from a farmer’s market vendor, and let Graham play tourist and take a bunch of pictures. Most of them turned out like the one below, but that’s ok! He loves exploring this city too!

The Extras!

I’m going to start offering a monthly FREE download set of a home screen AND a lock screen for your phone! They’ve been optimized to fit most mobile devices and even look great on an Apple Watch if you have one! This month’s downloads are Lake Eola themed because it just seemed like that’s where we should begin! This month, you can download both of them in this post. Starting next month (they’re going to be Toy Story Land themed and they’re adorable! You want them!), one will be available for download in a blog post, but if you want to get both to coordinate your phone and have it looking its best, all you have to do is sign up for my newsletter! I’ll be sending out the password to access the other download in an e-mail at the beginning of every month! I promise there’s no spam, I never share your information with anyone else, and I only use it to send you updates. So what are you waiting for? Get on my mailing list!

To download the image to use as a home screen/lock screen on your phone or Apple Watch, simply save either or both images to your phone and set it up as wallpaper (process varies by device, but a quick Google search should help you find instructions if you’re not sure how). That’s it!

Home Screen

Lock Screen

Go enjoy Orlando!