Citrus Tower Blog

Sobre Una Torre Llamada “Citrus Tower” por Betzi Simons En una de las colinas más altas de la Florida central, en la ciudad de Clermont, se encuentra una torre construida en una época durante el cual las atracciones de carretera eran muy populares.  La razón por la que esta torre llamada “Citrus Tower” fue construida…

Sweet Recollection by Betzi Simons      More than once in my time as a tour guide I’ve had visitors reminisce about previous, long-ago visits, where they took home more than just memories of the views of citrus groves all around the Tower.  For these visitors, the return trips to the Citrus Tower elicit delightful…

A letter to our Members and Board of Advisors The Citrus Tower closed before the executive order on March 16, 2020. From the beginning, we have taken this situation quite seriously as our commitment to safety is and always will be paramount. Due to this closure, the Tower is experiencing a tough time, as are most…

A Change in Perspective by Betzi Simons I had lived in the area for 16 years and other than thinking it was cool to see it out of my home’s back glass doors, I honestly never gave much thought to the Citrus Tower. In May of last year, I found myself looking for part-time work…

The view at the top of the Citrus Tower reaches 35 miles to the horizon and covers an expanse of 2,000 square miles of land and lakes. This leads us to the question, “What exactly can you see from the top?” Once the elevator doors open at the top, sunlight reflecting off Lake Minneola fills…

Hi! My name is Lauren, and I’m one of the Tour-Guides at the Citrus Tower. Below are some of my favorite facts about the Tower.  Although the Citrus Tower is not the tallest building in Florida, with its raw height of 226 feet, plus more than 300 feet above sea level, the Tower becomes one…

The Citrus Tower was built during a time when roadside attractions were very popular. Before the Turnpike and the days of Disney World, Highway 27 was the main thoroughfare for locals and visitors alike to visit these unique attractions. Read below to learn about these Old Florida attractions. Silver Springs has been a natural landmark…

Freezes. The one word nobody in the citrus industry wants to hear, yet freezes throughout the century have played a huge role in the history of Florida citrus. The first orange groves were planted in St. Augustine around 1565. Severe freezes in 1835 and 1894 forced growers to head south, where Central Florida would become…