The Citrus Tower – Clermont, Florida - Atlas Obscura
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The Citrus Tower

Clermont, Florida

An icon among Florida's pre-Disney tourist attractions, just west of Orlando. 

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The Citrus Tower looks over what was once orange groves. Marcus Q. (BY-SA 2.0)
The Citrus Tower looks over what was once orange groves. Marcus Q. (BY-SA 2.0)
The tower is 26 miles from Orlando. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrus_Tower_Clermont08.jpg (CC BY-SA 2.5)
The view to the north. Ebyabe (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Citrus Tower is more than 200 feet high. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Citrus_Tower_Clermont06.jpg (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Parking lot view of tower nataliebopp (Atlas Obscura User)
Bring a coin to the top! Miss1337 (Atlas Obscura User)
Panoramic views - East side nataliebopp (Atlas Obscura User)
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The Citrus Tower was built in 1956 on what was once pristine orange grove country on the unusually high, rolling hills of Clermont.

The tower rises 226 feet above ground level, putting the total height above sea level at more than 500 feet. The chosen site stands in stark contrast to the rest of Florida’s otherwise flat landscape. Many of the hills of Clermont are more than 250 feet high and many have the red clay one might expect to find in neighboring Georgia.

Built as a tribute to Florida’s citrus industry, the attraction was highly popular in its pre-Disney glory days, bringing hundreds of tourists to its observation deck every day to look out over the orange groves. The history of the Citrus Tower and its construction is illustrated in the lobby and gift shop. Photos taken in its heyday highlight its storied past.

The tower is still open today and visitors can still ride the elevator to the top (aptly billed as “Ride to the Top”). From the windowed observation deck, nearby sparkling lakes, downtown Orlando’s skyline (26 miles away) and iconic structures such as Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain, Expedition Everest, the Contemporary Resort Hotel, and EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth are all visible. 

Know Before You Go

Take 192 to Highway 27 near Disney and head north about 12 miles. Cross Highway 50. Citrus Tower will be highly visible on the right-hand side.

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The Citrus Tower looks over what was once orange groves.
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