Lakeland

Understand

History Lakeland was first settled by European-Americans in the 1870s and began to develop as the rail lines reached the area in 1884. It was incorporated 1 January 1885. The town was founded by Abraham Munn (a resident of Louisville, Kentucky), who purchased 80 acres (320,000 m²) of land in what is now downtown Lakeland in 1882 and platted the land for the town in 1884. Among the names considered (and rejected) for the town by its residents were Munnsville, Red Bug and Rome City. In April 1898, the Spanish-American War began and started a crucial point in Lakeland's development. While the war ended quickly and had little impact on most of the nation, the Florida peninsula was used as a launch point for the war and the then small town of Lakeland would house over 9,000 troops. The Florida boom resulted in the construction of many significant structures in Lakeland, a number of which are today listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes the Terrace Hotel, New Florida Hotel (Regency Tower, now Lake Mirror Tower), Polk Theatre, Promenade of Lake Mirror, Polk Museum of Art (not a product of the 1920s boom), Park Trammell Building (formerly the Lakeland Public Library and today the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce), and others. The city also has several historic districts with many large buildings built during the 1920s and 1940s. The Cleveland Indians held spring training there from 1923 to 1927 at Henley Field Ball Park. Parks were developed surrounding Lake Mirror including Barnett Children's Park, Hollis Gardens, and the newest, Allen Kryger Park. The "boom" period went "bust" quickly, and years passed before the city recovered. Part of the re-emergence was due to the arrival of the Detroit Tigers in 1934 for spring training. (The team continues to train at Lakeland's Joker Marchant Stadium and owns the city's Florida State League team, the Lakeland Flying Tigers.) The development of the Lakeland Municipal Airport as a major facility in centr

Getting there

By car Lakeland lies along Interstate 4, the main east-west highway across Central Florida.

By plane 1 Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL IATA). As of 2024, there is service on Avelo Airlines between Lakeland's airport and a limited number of destinations. In addition, the air taxi operator Atlantic Airlines (☏ +1-800-879-0000) offers air taxi service to 87 airports (list) throughout Florida, including both large airports and smaller municipal airports. Their aircraft accommodate 2 passengers plus their luggage. Flights operate based on demand, not a regular schedule, and can be booked as soon as 4 hours before departure, if aircraft are available, and don't require reaching the airport 2 hours in advance for screening & check-in. The convenience comes at a price, an example one-way fare from Lakeland-Key West is $957 for 1 passenger or $478/person for 2 passengers. For travelers from areas not served by Avelo's routes to Lakeland's airport, Lakeland and northwestern Polk County are closest to Tampa International Airport (TPA IATA; [1]) which is served by all major airlines and has flights nationwide and to Canada, the Caribbean, and London. To get to Lakeland, follow signs to get onto Interstate 275 East (via a short drive on SR 60/Veteran's Expressway), go past downtown and get on Interstate 4 East. While State Road 60 is a major route across Polk County, it runs through urban areas for about 20-25 mi, including downtown Tampa, between TIA and Polk County. Lakeland is about 35 mi and Winter Haven (via Polk Parkway/S.R. 570 [toll $1.50] & Winter Lake Rd/S.R. 540) is about 55 mi. There is no public transportation to Polk County. There are no airport shuttles/taxis with service to Polk County (as of Dec 2012). Another option, further from the city than TPA, is Orlando International Airport (MCO IATA). MCO is one of the nation's busiest airports and Orlando is the top tourism destination in the U.S. As a result, there are hundreds of flights each day connect

Getting around

By car , 205 W Memorial Blvd, ☏ +1 863 687-4332. Budget Car & Truck Rental, 120 W Memorial Blvd, ☏ +1 863 682-1415. Enterprise Rent A Car, 619 E Memorial Blvd, ☏ +1 863 682-0153. Enterprise Rent A Car, 4510 S Florida Ave, ☏ +1 863 647-0866. Enterprise Rent A Car, 4997 U.S. 98 S, ☏ +1 863 815-7642. Hertz Rent A Car, 117 E Memorial Blvd, ☏ +1 863 683-2003. Hertz Rent A Car, 3900 Don Emerson Dr, ☏ +1 863 683-2003. Located at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

By bus A small bus network is operated by Citrus Connection.

By taxi

By bike

See

1 RP Funding Center (formerly Lakeland Center), 701 West Lime St, ☏ +1 863 834-8100, toll-free: +1-888-397-0100 (ticketing), [email protected]. The Lakeland Center is a multi-purpose, multi-complex facility with four main buildings under one roof. (updated Jun 2020) Jenkins Arena Sikes Hall (Conference Center) Exhibition Hall Youkey Theatre 2 All Saints' Episcopal Church, 202 South Massachusetts Ave. Episcopal Church built in 1884. (updated Jul 2021) 3 Polk Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, 800 East Palmetto St, ☏ +1 863 688-7743. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 1-5PM. Free. (updated Nov 2021) Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center, 840 Johnson Ave (Florida Southern College), ☏ +1 860 680-4597. Serves as the interpretive hub for education concerning the Frank Lloyd Wright Campus at Florida Southern College, consisting of the Usonian Faculty House - a showcase of Wright's residential vision for the campus - and the Geico Gift Shop, from which daily guided walking tours of Wright's building depart. (updated Jan 2026)

Do

Lake Mirror in Downtown Lakeland has something for everyone in the family. Lake Mirror Promenade is a beautiful, circular walk around the lake. Migrating birds and ducks can be frequently seen here, and on occasion some of Lakeland's famous swans. Take a leisurely stroll through Hollis Gardens through breathtaking displays of foliage and flowers. Barnett Family Park has play areas for children of all ages. A special play area for younger children is enclosed with a latching gate for peace of mind. Bright colors, mosaic wildlife scenes, animal sculptures and unique play structures beckon children. Plenty of seating is available to take a break. Keep a keen eye out for all of the artistic details in the tiles on the ground and the large sculptures that can be found around the lake. Festivals and movies on the Promenade are held throughout the year, as well as weddings and other special events. Grab a bite to eat at the Garden Bistro for lunch or the Texas Cattle Company steakhouse for dinner. Be sure to check out the fairly new massive swan sculpture at the top of the staircase of the Galley. Download the pdf and take yourself on a historic walking tour of the Downtown Lakeland area.

1 Sun n' Fun. late March or early April. A major week-long fly-in (general aviation meeting) and airshow. Some years international air acrobatics teams perform. (updated May 2020) 2 Silver Moon Drive