fort christmas museum

719terim

Wonderful place informative fantastic pieces of history photo opportunities galore great place for kids as well

FrankG800

Seven restored pioneer homes, all originally from the local area and moved and reconstructed on this five acre site. You could easily spend a half day here and you probably need more. The homes have a poster outside depicting the history of the property along with notes of the family who originally owned and built them. Inside are many artefacts of the day with further interesting information. It's a fascinating glimpse into the past and it was well worth us taking the trip from Orlando to visit. Will return to catch up on the things we undoubtedly missed first time. It's all free and there are restrooms on site. Beware, it is CLOSED ON MONDAYS.

836JamesF836

We enjoyed touring the museum and learning about how the earlier settlers lived in Florida. History about the Indian relationships, citrus, cattle, farming, etc. Many displays from clothing, "cracker home", Fort Christmas, sugar cane press, etc. Worth the trip!

lizeverettw

This was a great place. The homes and school there have the correct era items. Loved it! Pavilions for picnics, bathrooms, basketball court and softball field.

joycej974

Make sure you don't visit Fort Christmas on a Monday, because it will be closed. This was our mistake, but we went back on another day, and had a great afternoon out. The museum is very interesting and informative, It gives a good insite into Central Florida's history, including the Seminole wars, and slavery in the area. The staff were friendly and on hand to answer questions.

believeangls

We've been to Fort Christmas twice now. The first time was in the Spring without much planning - and we found it was closed on Mondays. This last time, we planned to be there for the Cracker Christmas Festival. There were numerous craft and food vendors along with the historical reenactments and demonstrations. We brought our Christmas cards with us to mail them from Christmas, FL! The post office (just down the road from the Fort) mail slots were PACKED! It was nice to walk around looking at the crafts and seeing how people lived in Florida all those years ago.

387indy

It's still free and great for kids. They have many old houses from late 1800's to maybe 1950, decorated for the time period. Each house has information about a family that lived previously in the house. When I first moved to Florida in 1966, before their was a museum; I would drive to Christmas to mail Christmas cards, they had a post office, and your cards would be post marked Christmas, Fl.

FloridaMomOrlando_FL

Went here on a whim with my two girls, ages 4 and 9. First of all, it's FREE and they really could charge admission for the quality of presentation. Many houses completely decorated as the time when they were built from 1870 to 1950 to get a glimpse of old cow and cracker Florida. Had a great couple of hours to roam the houses and reconstruction 1830 fort. Fantastic.

z0607

First note is that this is probably best with kids. Not ADA in any aspect, so if you need paved paths or ramps, skip this. In addition to the buildings there is a large playground. Some interesting artifacts in the fort, including a historic dugout canoe. The old homes have a lot of vintage stuff, though it seems like they put everything out they have rather than trying to arrange the homes like they might have been. For example a child's room is filled with toys, far more than than one would have had back then. We drove from Orlando and glad we did it once, but once will be enough.

ronaldh659

Travelled 60 miles to this place, and thought it was worth the drive.It is a self guided tour round buildings which have been moved from various places to one location . Each of the buildings has information boards telling you both about the building and the families that lived in them. Each is decorated with period pieces so you get a feeling the family is going to be back at any moment.The fort is a replica of the original, but it is still interesting to look round.There is a large children's playground, coveted picnic areas and grills for public use.A great place to spend a few hours without costing much as entry is free. There is a small shop on site with friendly staff.

otownrob

I have lived in the area for 25 years & I've driven through Christmas at least 100 times. I always envisioned the Ft Christmas Museum as a gift shop with a few displays on the local history.Wrong, Wrong, Wrong...............The replica fort is quite large and houses an extensive collection of tools, guns, farming equipment, etc. But the highlight for me was the collection of small houses outfitted with period furniture and gear. This area provides an accurate picture of what life was like in Central Florida in the early 1900's. For an extra bit of authenticity go in the summer when the temps hit the high 90's. That should make you (and your kids) appreciate the wonders of modern living.Oh, and did I mention.........the admission price is $0.

collfd

Interesting little stop in Christmas, Florida. My boys loved the replica fort. The old settlers homes were very nice.

276CatherineD276

I have been there several times over the years and it never gets boring..I've learned something new every time! Great place for couples or for the whole family ! Step back in time and "visit" with the settlers of this area. Tour the many buildings that were the homes of the early area residents. So much to see and read about too. There are several different air conditioned museum buildings that tell the story of the local indians, the pioneer settlers, industry, trade and the early tools,guns and ammo.Visit the many reconstructed homes of these settlers --See how they and there families lived. Also enjoy the beautiful park with picnic tables grills, place for kids to play and more.

elgeorgio

There is a nice park and play area for the kids along with the replica fort and lots of items from the old fort which some of our company loved looking at, they have moved a lot of old cracker homes onto the park and it is fun to see "how they used to live"

Goatdady

Very nice park like setting with plenty of picknic areas shaded by grand old oak trees. There is an are a few acres in size that has an impressive collection of old homes of various age and style. Ea. One decorated with period furnishings. You can really feel like you stepped back in time as you walk into these homes. If you like history or want to learn about old florida, do yourself a favor and go. Oh ya.....its FREE...... but if you can appreciate the work it takes to keep this place available to the public you could (should) leave at least a small donation in the donation box, JMHO.