The Florida Guide
Mount Dora, FL
Mount Dora is a lakeside Lake County town known for antiques, festivals, a freshwater lighthouse and a walkable historic downtown.
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Today in Mount Dora
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Mount Dora is a small, hilly lakeside city in eastern Lake County, about 25 miles northwest of Orlando. It calls itself the Festival City, and people come for its walkable historic downtown, antique shopping, lake views and big weekend events.
Where is Mount Dora?
Mount Dora is on the shore of Lake Dora in Lake County, just north of the Orange County line. US 441 runs through the city, and State Road 46 ends here, connecting east toward Sanford and I-4. The Wekiva Parkway (SR 429 and SR 453) has made the trip from the Orlando area quicker. Orlando Sanford International Airport is about 40 minutes away, and Orlando International Airport is roughly an hour.
Things to do in Mount Dora
Downtown is the main draw: a grid of shops, galleries and antique stores a short walk from the water. Head down to Grantham Point to see the Mount Dora Lighthouse, a 35-foot light dedicated in 1988 and the only inland freshwater lighthouse in Florida. It sits beside Gilbert Park and Simpson’s Cove, with picnic areas and lake views. Palm Island Park has a long boardwalk along the Lake Dora shoreline where wading birds, and sometimes alligators, are easy to spot.
The Modernism Museum Mount Dora, on East Fourth Avenue, focuses on the Studio Arts Movement and furniture design. The Donnelly House, a Victorian landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the most photographed buildings in town. Boat tours on the Dora Canal, a narrow cypress-lined channel between Lake Dora and Lake Eustis, are a classic outing.
When to visit Mount Dora
Fall through spring is the best time. The Mount Dora Arts Festival, a juried fine-arts show, fills downtown the first full weekend of February, and the Mount Dora Craft Fair on the fourth weekend of October draws crowds of more than 250,000. Those weekends are lively but busy, so plan to arrive early and expect to park well outside downtown. Holiday lights make December a good time for an evening stroll.
Mount Dora is an easy day trip within Central Florida.
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