The top things to do in Winter Park, Florida, are seeing the Tiffany Chapel at the Morse Museum, strolling and eating along Park Avenue, shopping the Saturday farmers market, and taking the hour-long Scenic Boat Tour through the canals between the city’s lakes. Winter Park is about 20 minutes north of downtown Orlando, so it works as a half-day trip or a base for exploring Central Florida beyond the theme parks.
Winter Park quick facts
- Where: Orange County, immediately north of Orlando. About 6 miles from downtown Orlando.
- Getting there: Drive, or take SunRail to the Winter Park station, a few minutes’ walk from Park Avenue and the Morse Museum.
- Parking: Free street parking on Park Avenue and side streets, plus free parking on the first, fourth and fifth floors of the Park Place garage on Canton Avenue.
- Morse Museum: $8 adults, free for children under 12, free Friday evenings from 4pm to 8pm, November through April.
- Farmers market: Saturdays, 8am to 1pm.
- Scenic Boat Tour: Departs hourly, 10am to 4pm daily; $20 adults, $10 ages 2 to 11, tax included.
Browse local businesses on our Winter Park area page.
What is Winter Park, Florida known for?
Winter Park is known for art, lakes and Park Avenue, its brick-paved main street. Founded in the 1880s as a winter resort for wealthy Northerners, it kept its oak canopy, its chain of lakes and its walkable core, and it is home to Rollins College, the Morse Museum’s Tiffany collection and a long list of independent restaurants.
It feels more like an old college town than a suburb of a theme park city. Plan on parking once and walking: Park Avenue, Central Park, the Morse, the boat tour dock and several restaurants are all within about half a mile of each other.
Is the Morse Museum worth visiting?
Yes. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art holds the most comprehensive collection of work by Louis Comfort Tiffany anywhere, and it is the reason many visitors come to Winter Park at all. Most people need 90 minutes to two hours.
The centerpiece is the Tiffany Chapel, a glowing interior of mosaics, leaded glass and lighting that Tiffany designed for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The museum’s Laurelton Hall galleries reassemble pieces from Tiffany’s Long Island country estate, with a 27-stop audio tour that leads you from the introductory gallery to the chapel. Watch the short orientation film first; it makes the chapel make sense.
- Location: Park Avenue at Canton Avenue.
- Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9:30am to 4pm, Sunday 1pm to 4pm, closed Mondays. From November through April, Friday hours run until 8pm.
- Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors 60 and up, $3 students, free under 12.
The best deal in town is Free Friday Nights at the Morse, when admission is free from 4pm to 8pm every Friday from November through April. Go around 6pm, then walk to dinner on Park Avenue. Check the Morse Museum visit page for holiday closures.
What is there to do on Park Avenue in Winter Park?
Park Avenue is for slow browsing, a long lunch and people watching across from Central Park. The shops are mostly independent boutiques, galleries and specialty stores, and the restaurants range from a pastry counter to white-tablecloth Italian.
The Glass Knife
The Glass Knife at 212 North Park Avenue is a bakery and cafe known for its cakes, pastries and doughnuts, plus a full breakfast and lunch menu. It is the best morning stop on the avenue; expect a line on Saturdays after the market.
Prato
Prato, at 124 North Park Avenue, is a busy Italian restaurant with wood-fired pizzas and house-made pastas. Book ahead for weekend dinners.
The Wine Room on Park Avenue
The Wine Room at 270 South Park Avenue uses self-serve dispensers so you can taste small pours of many wines. It is a good stop between afternoon and dinner.
Central Park
The 11-acre Central Park runs along the west side of Park Avenue, with a rose garden, oak-shaded lawns and the SunRail tracks along its edge. It hosts the farmers market, the holiday tree and many of the city’s festivals.
When is the Winter Park Farmers Market?
The Winter Park Saturday Farmers’ Market runs every Saturday from 8am to 1pm in Central Park’s West Meadow, at the corner of New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard (150 North New York Avenue). Expect produce, plants, baked goods, flowers and prepared food from local vendors.
The market occasionally moves for festivals. The City of Winter Park lists a temporary move to Seven Oaks Park, 1150 North Orange Avenue, on November 14, 2026, during the Autumn Art Festival. Confirm on the city’s farmers market page before you go. Arrive by 9am for the best selection and easiest parking.
How long is the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour?
The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour runs about an hour on pontoon boats through Winter Park’s chain of lakes and the narrow, palm-lined canals that connect them. A guide narrates the history of the lakefront estates, Rollins College and the town’s founders, and you will usually see herons, egrets and turtles along the way.
- Dock: 312 East Morse Boulevard, at the east end of Morse Boulevard.
- Departures: On the hour from 10am to 4pm daily, except Christmas.
- Price: $20 for adults and $10 for ages 2 to 11, tax included; under 2 free.
Boats are first come, first served for individuals, so arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the hour on weekends. Bring sunscreen and a hat; the boats are shaded but open.
What museums are in Winter Park besides the Morse?
Winter Park has five more museums worth a stop, and two of them are free. They are close enough to see two in an afternoon.
Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens
The Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens at 633 Osceola Avenue preserves the lakeside home, studio and gardens of the Czech-American sculptor Albin Polasek, with his work set among palms on the shore of Lake Osceola. It is one of the most peaceful places in town.
Rollins Museum of Art
The Rollins Museum of Art, on the Rollins College campus at 1000 Holt Avenue, is free. It is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am to 4pm, Thursday 9am to 7pm, Saturday 11am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm.
Hannibal Square Heritage Center
The Hannibal Square Heritage Center at 642 West New England Avenue tells the story of Hannibal Square, Winter Park’s historically Black neighborhood west of the railroad tracks, through photographs and oral histories.
Casa Feliz and the Winter Park History Museum
Casa Feliz, at 656 North Park Avenue, is a restored 1930s house designed by architect James Gamble Rogers II, set on a lawn near the golf course. The small Winter Park History Museum covers the town’s resort and citrus past.
Crealdé School of Art
The Crealdé School of Art at 600 St. Andrews Boulevard, on the east side of town, offers classes in painting, ceramics, photography and more for adults, plus galleries and an outdoor sculpture garden. Check its schedule if you want a hands-on morning.
Where should you eat in Winter Park?
Winter Park has more good independent restaurants than its size suggests. Beyond Park Avenue, look along Fairbanks Avenue, Orange Avenue and New England Avenue in Hannibal Square.
- The Ravenous Pig, 565 West Fairbanks Avenue: the gastropub that helped put Winter Park on the culinary map, with a seasonal menu and strong cocktails. Reserve ahead.
- Black Bean Deli, 1346 North Orange Avenue: Cuban sandwiches, picadillo and plantains, quick and casual.
- Hunger Street Tacos: Mexico City-style tacos and street food, good for a cheap lunch.
- Atlantic Beer & Oyster: raw bar and beer, casual and lively.
Where should you stay in Winter Park?
Stay on or near Park Avenue so you can walk everywhere. The Alfond Inn at 300 East New England Avenue is owned by Rollins College and displays works from its contemporary art collection throughout the hotel, with a pool and a restaurant that draws locals. The Park Plaza Hotel at 307 South Park Avenue is a small historic hotel with balconies over the avenue.
Winter Park is also a convenient base for a day in Mount Dora, about 40 minutes northwest; see our guide to things to do in Mount Dora.
What is happening in Winter Park this holiday season?
Winter Park’s holiday season brings a Christmas parade down Park Avenue and Christmas in the Park, when the Morse Museum displays Tiffany leaded-glass windows in Central Park for an evening of music in early December. Free Friday Nights at the Morse continue through April. In spring, the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival fills Central Park and is one of the oldest outdoor art festivals in the country.
If you are in town for an evening, pair Winter Park with a night out in Orlando’s neighborhoods; our guide to things to do in Orlando for adults covers shows, music and dinner.
FAQ
Is Winter Park, Florida worth visiting?
Yes. It is the easiest rewarding half day in the Orlando area, with the Morse Museum, a pretty main street, lakes and some of the region’s best restaurants. It is only about 20 minutes from downtown Orlando.
How much does the Morse Museum cost?
Adult admission is $8, seniors 60 and up pay $7, students pay $3 and children under 12 are free. From November through April, admission is free every Friday from 4pm to 8pm.
Where do you park on Park Avenue in Winter Park?
Street parking on Park Avenue and nearby side streets is free, though time limits apply. The Park Place garage on Canton Avenue, across from the Morse Museum, offers free parking on its first, fourth and fifth floors.
Do you need reservations for the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour?
Individual tickets are sold at the dock, and boats leave on the hour from 10am to 4pm. Arrive early on weekends and holidays, when tours can fill. Groups should call ahead for group or private rates.
What day is the Winter Park Farmers Market?
Saturday, from 8am to 1pm, in Central Park’s West Meadow at New York Avenue and Morse Boulevard. It occasionally relocates to Seven Oaks Park during festivals, so check the city’s website the week you visit.