Overview
Winter Garden is a small town in Orange County, Florida, located just west of Orlando. It is a quickly expanding community that is becoming a hub for shopping and is also home to the West Orange Trail. It is known for being an upscale suburb of Orlando and is frequented by locals for its attractive downtown area on Plant Street.
5 sights · 2 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Winter Garden
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation
Central Florida Railroad Museum
Shares the history of railroading in Central Florida through photos, exhibits, maps, signage, charts, historic railroad artifacts and more. The last room, the Ken Murdock Gallery, is only open on Saturdays.
Lake Apopka
The state's fourth largest lake, Lake Apopka is 12 mi long and 10 mi wide. It is a part of the St. Johns watershed. The lake was known in the mid-20th century for its bass and was a popular destination for anglers. Howev…
West Orange Trail
A 22-mile (35 km) paved trail going from Killarney, passing through Downtown Winter Garden, up to Apopka.
History Research & Education Center
Winter Garden Heritage Museum
A small museum with several exhibits about the history of Winter Garden and the surrounding county.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Oct–Apr. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 50°F. Very hot (Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jun and Aug. (climate data from nearby Orlando)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MCO Orlando International Airport, Orlando — 19 mi away (major hub). Directions
- SFB Orlando Sanford International Airport, Orlando — 26 mi away (major hub). Directions
Winter Garden, like most of Central Florida, is served primarily by the Orlando International Airport (MCO).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 2-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, Central Florida Railroad Museum, Winter Garden Heritage Museum
- Lunch Mooncricket Grille
- Afternoon History Research & Education Center, West Orange Trail
- Dinner Chef's Table Restaurant
- Evening Crooked Can Brewing Co
Day 2
- Morning Lake Apopka
- Lunch Plant Street Market
- Afternoon Oakland Nature Preserve
- Dinner Urban on Plant
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
The town is on the shore of Lake Apopka, one of several large lakes surrounding Greater Orlando. To the east of Winter Garden are the inner suburbs of Orlando, as the town is on the eastern fringes of the metropolitan area, the center of which is 14 mi away. Winter Garden was founded by Henry Harrel in 1857, and was called "Beulah" before receiving its current name. In 2019 its population was 46,000.
Get in
By plane
Winter Garden, like most of Central Florida, is served primarily by the Orlando International Airport (MCO).
By car
The easiest way to get to Winter Garden from the Airport is the highway. Winter Garden is located next to two highways: Florida's Turnpike and SR 429. There is a network of Orlando highways in a somewhat grid-like pattern on which Winter Garden is a part.
By bus
lists the intercity bus companies serving the Orlando Metropolitan area from all parts of the state. The Winter Garden Bus stop in front of the Winter Garden Regional Shopping Center serves as the transfer point between LakeXpress (Lake County) and Lynx Bus (Orange County):
* Link 25 Goes by the Greyhound Bus Station on 555 S John Young Pkwy. Passengers transfer between the 105 and the 25 bus along W Colonial Dr (SR-50) between Ferguson Dr and John Young Pkwy. * Link 105 runs hourly from Orlando Lynx Central Station in downtown Orlando to W Colonial Dr (SR-50) & Park Ave at Winter Garden Shopping Center via West Oaks Mall. The route begins/ends at the Winter Garden Shopping Center at W Colonial (SR-50) and Park Ave. * Link 812 NeighborLink (shuttle). Door to door service from Winter Garden Shopping Center, appointment required. Lynx does not operate cross-county services to Lake County in the west from Winter Garden.
Get around
Downtown is small enough to walk around.
See
See History Research & Education Center
See Winter Garden Heritage Museum
A small museum with several exhibits about the history of Winter Garden and the surrounding county.
See Lake Apopka
The state's fourth largest lake, Lake Apopka is 12 mi long and 10 mi wide. It is a part of the St. Johns watershed. The lake was known in the mid-20th century for its bass and was a popular destination for anglers. However, human activities, including the construction of a levee in 1941 and the introduction of pesticides to the lake in 1980, caused significant damage to the local environment. During the 1990s work began to reverse this environmental damage, and by 2010 the condition of the lake had improved substantially. In 2014 a hiking trail near the lake was opened to the public.
Do
Buy
Shop Winter Garden Regional Shopping Center
Aldi Food Market, Anytime Fitness, Harbor Freight Tools, Dollar General, Pet Supermarket, Regional Bank, Gochi's Japanese, Kitchen, Little Caesars Pizza, Regino Bike Co, Servando Mexican Restaurant, Captain D's, etc etc.
Eat
Eat Plant Street Market
Local indoor artisan market with a variety of food vendors.
Drink
Go next
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