Charming Clermont

Eclectic and Charming Clermont

By Gretchen Losi

From a 226-foot tall tower to a 3-foot White House replica - Clermont has something for everyone. It’s home to charming streets lined with mammoth trees reaching up to praise the heavens in-between historic architecture. There’s an abundance of lakes and parks and a few unusual roadside gems including one of the state’s first tourist attractions, the Citrus Tower. The tower was built in 1956 as a tourist attraction. The original plans were for a 75 foot tower but upon its completion, and after using 5 million pounds of concrete with 68 tons of reinforced steel, it stands at an impressive 226-feet with the tallest antena proudly poised at 500 feet above sea level. The 22-story tower greets visitors eager to get a rare aerial panoramic view of central Florida. The glass encased observation deck offers exceptional views of the spring lakes and rolling hills around the area. In its heyday the tower would greet some 500,000 visitors a year. That changed in 1964 after the Florida turnpike was extended north, away from the attraction. The 80s weren’t very kind either, as three historic freezes decimated the area’s citrus. If you have someone with you who isn’t a fan of elevators or heights, no worries. There’s a top shelf coffee shop on the main floor that serves up the tower’s signature Citrus latte that they can sip until your return. Or- just head up the road a bit and you’ll find the Presidential Hall of Fame. This is a scale replica of the WHite House that took some 40 years and 500,000 hours to complete. Each room is meticulously created with furnishings that were hand created by artisans using 1 inch to 1 foot scale. These exhibits are each a fascinating labor of love, from several first ladies inaugural gowns to the automated Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Other replicas are worth noting as well including the Statue of Liberty and Lincoln Memorial. Outside one will also find a Mount Rushmore replica perfect for that cheesy vacation photo. So far, over 500 million visitors have witnessed the impressive charm of the attraction that President Ronald Regan called, ‘a national treasure.” There’s so much to see at this small attraction that, ‘Tommy the tour guide’ said, in all the years he’s been working there he still stumbles upon something new each day as he educates eager guests. Once you’re done there grab your appetite and head downtown. There you’ll find Clermont’s Historic village with shops, parks, eateries and pubs. An interesting mesh of hip and historic with lots of activity can be found here. Folks can be spotted out walking their dogs in the park or jamming to live music and entertainment on the water with friends. There’s also a few well maintained historic homes and businesses that adorn the village, some dating back to the late 1800s. Tours are offered where volunteers are happy to answer questions. CITRUS TOWER FUN FACTS

• 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 is one of the highest observation points in all of Florida.

• In the elevator above the door, is a plaque with floor numbers on it. According to that plaque, the Tower is only 15 stories tall, this is inaccurate. The Citrus Tower is actually 22 stories.

• This is because the builders of the tower used an elevator from a hotel at the time.

• The Citrus Tower is privately owned.

• On a clear day at the top, you can see 35 miles to the horizon, 2,000 square miles, and 8 different counties.

SOURCE: Citrustower.com

The Citrus Tower, a distinct Clermont, Florida landmark. (Eryn Reddell Wingert)

The show piece of the House of Presidents is the miniature White House. (Eryn Reddell Wingert)