ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando may be a tourist mecca, but there’s a lot of information about the city that many people likely don’t know.
With the help of the city of Orlando, here are 15 interesting tidbits about The City Beautiful.
- No one knows how Orlando officially received its name. Four tales exist, but no conclusion has ever been reached.
- Orlando has had various nicknames throughout its history, including City Phenomenal, City of Light and The City Beautiful.
- Lake Eola is a giant sinkhole, and its deepest point reaches 80 feet.
- In 1986, eight months before Orlando was awarded an NBA franchise, a contest was held to name the city’s future basketball team. The finalists were Heat, Tropics, Juice and Magic.
- The first person to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon was Orlando resident Joe Kittinger in 1984. (CORRECTION: ClickOrlando.com originally reported that the flight took place in 1978. We regret the error.)
- The road Semoran was named by putting the words Seminole and Orange together.
- Church Street Station, also known as the Old Orlando Railroad Depot, was built in 1889 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SunRail now has a stop nearby. (LIST CONTINUES BELOW}
- The first highway in Central Florida was Colonial Drive, which was originally paved brick.
- There are more than 50 swans at Lake Eola, from five different breeds, including whooper, royal mute, trumpeter, Australian black and black neck.
- The movie "Lethal Weapon 3" features the demolition of Orlando’s old City Hall in its opening scene.
- At 290,000 square feet, the Orlando Public Library is the largest public library building in the state of Florida.
- A former Orlando Naval Training Center was located where Baldwin Park now is found.
- Likely between 350 and 400 years old, the oldest tree in Orlando is located at Big Tree Park on North Thornton Avenue.
- Orlando City Hall has two free art galleries that are open to the public.
- Orlando is home to more than 100 lakes.