Lake Eola Park is the most historic and widely recognized symbol of the city of Orlando. It was established in 1883 as the city’s first public park after Orlando homesteaders Jacob and Fanny Summerlin donated the lake and some of the surrounding land to the city.
ABOVE and BELOW: Lake Eola brochure created during the time Bill Frederick was Mayor of Orlando from 1980-1992.
Read more about growing up on Lake Eola.
ABOVE: Postcard 104348 Beautiful Florida Series: 0.40 Orlando, Florida, The City Beautiful. “A view of the city, looking across Lake Eola.” Published by Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, N.C. C. T. American Art Colored, Chicago. The back of the card reads: “A copy of the Orlando Magazine will be sent to any address on request. It is illustrated from photographs and fully describes the city. The Chamber of Commerce, Orlando, Florida.”
ABOVE: 1950’s postcard of Grace Terrace Apartments and Motel Rooms located on Lake Eola at 240 E. Robinson Street in downtown Orlando. Grace Bowen, known for her care of the ducks at Lake Eola and her lovely Christmas decorations at Grace Terrace, owned the property which she rented to seasonal guests, who came each year to enjoy Orlando’s beauty and hospitality.
ABOVE: 1945 photo of Orlando native Betty Cangelose (Wheeler) with her mother, Corrie Cangelose, at Lake Eola. These photos were sent overseas to her father, Joseph J. Cangelose, in Europe serving in the Army Air Corps in WWII.
ABOVE: Memorial Junior High School with Lake Eola in the background. From Bob Keiser’s yearbook donated to the library by his children, daughter Betty Jo Stockton and son Bob Kieser.
ABOVE: Postcard printed by the Orange News Co., Orlando, Fla. Genuine Curtreich-Chicago “C.T. Art Colortone” post card. Description on back: Orlando is one of America’s loveliest cities, located in the very heart of the Florida peninsula. The card was donated by Ms. Bev Harber of Thomas, KY. The front of the card includes a poem about Orlando penned by someone with the initials J. J. B.
ABOVE: Postcard of Lake Eola Park circa 1952. Looking southwest towards downtown Orlando from the Lily Pond. See another view from the lily pond from a 1935 document promoting Orlando called the “Orlando Brief.”
ABOVE: View from Cherry Plaza Hotel on Central Avenue.
ABOVE: Cherry Plaza Hotel from across the lake.
SEARCH OrlandoMemory.info using the words “Lake Eola” (in quotes) for more memories and mentions of Lake Eola.
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Betty and Corrie Cangelose at Lake Eola, 1945
1945 photo of Orlando native Betty Cangelose (Wheeler) with her mother, Corrie Cangelose, at Lake Eola. These photos were sent overseas to...
Lake Eola postcard
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Lake Eola and Orlando Skyline - Postcard circa 1925 - front
Postcard 104348 Beautiful Florida Series: 0.40 Orlando, Florida, The City Beautiful. "A view of the city, looking across Lake Eola." Published by...
Memorial Junior High School - Lake Eola
Memorial Junior High School with Lake Eola in the background. From Bob Keiser's yearbook donated to the library by his children, daughter...
Lake Eola Pamphlet Cover
Lake Eola Park is the most historic and widely recognized symbol of the city of Orlando. It was established in 1883 as the...
Lake Eola Pamphlet Inside
Lake Eola Park is the most historic and widely recognized symbol of the city of Orlando. It was established in 1883 as the...
Lake Eola Park, Orlando, Florida
Lake Eola is one of Orlando's oldest park, dedicated in 1883. Past uses included race track, fairgrounds and zoo.
Grace Terrace Apartments and Motel rooms on Lake Eola
1950's postcard of Grace Terrace Apartments and Motel Rooms located on Lake Eola at 240 E. Robinson Street in downtown Orlando. Grace Bowen,...
Cherry Plaza Hotel at Lake Eola
Postcard, circa 1960, of the Cherry Plaza Hotel at Lake Eola.
Lake Eola Park
Postcard of Lake Eola Park circa 1952. Looking southwest towards downtown Orlando.
Tropical Eola Park, Orlando, Fla. "The City Beautiful" - post card circa 1952
Postcard printed by the Orange News Co., Orlando, Fla. Genuine Curtreich-Chicago "C.T. Art Colortone" post card. Description on back: Orlando is one...
Cherry Plaza Hotel at Lake Eola
Front of postcard showing Cherry Plaza Hotel and Centennial Fountain at Lake Eola.
Page 24, Photo at bottom of page: Caption: A glimpse of Orlando's skyline across Lake Eola from the lily pond in Eola Park.
My 3 sisters and I were all born in Orlando and grew up there. I remember my parents taking us to Lake Eola for an annual fishing tournament for children. A lot of great fun! Does anyone else remember this or have photos to share?
Thank you so much for visiting Orlando Memory! The fishing tournament sounds like fun! Wish we had photos. Do you remember the man who would sail his remote control replicas of U.S. Navy ships in Lake Eola each weekend on the Eola Drive side? We used to love watching great battle ships sailing on the lake. Search Orlando Memory using “Lake Eola” in quotes to find more photos and mentions of Lake Eola.