Kissimmee, Florida, is both a great place to visit and to live. The town was originally founded by cowboys and eventually grew into one of the largest ranching communities in the state. However, it is now most famous for its connection to Walt Disney World and all of the other Orlando-area theme parks and resorts. Still, despite its proximity to Orlando, Kissimmee is also home to some of the most beautiful natural scenery and best outdoor activities you’ll find anywhere in the state.
Theme Parks
Theme park lovers will find no shortage of options in the Kissimmee area. Walt Disney World and Epcot Center have been drawing tourists from all over the world for decades. Universal Orlando Resort is another major highlight and includes popular attractions such as Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You will also find Sea World and numerous other theme parks and water parks within a short drive of Kissimmee, and you may also want to check out Legoland, which is located just west of Kissimmee in Winter Haven.
Gatorland is another of Kissimmee’s most famous attractions. Here you can view hundreds of alligators and crocodiles close up along with many other native species, and the park is even home to four extremely rare albino alligators. The park is also famous for being home to the only wheelchair-accessible zip line in the world.
The huge number of theme parks also helps to explain why Kissimmee is considered the world’s vacation home capital. In addition to all the resorts and hotels, the Kissimmee area is home to an astonishing 50,000+ vacation homes.
Lake Tohokepaliga
While the theme parks typically get the most attraction, Lake Tohokepaliga is also not to be missed as the views are spectacular and it also offers tons of opportunities for outdoor adventure. Known by locals as Lake Toho, this 22,000-acre lake is home to gators, otters, turtles and a huge range of other wildlife. Visitors can explore the many miles of hiking and biking trails, and the lake is also a prime spot for anglers to reel in huge bass. One of the best ways to explore the lake is undoubtedly by taking an airboat ride where you can cruise through the wetlands and swamps while keeping your eyes peeled for wildlife.
Shingle Creek Regional Park
Shingle Creek is where the first settlement in Kissimmee was located and is famous for being the headwaters or source of the Everglades. The area has now been turned into a large nature park where you can canoe, paddleboard or kayak along a stunningly beautiful 7-mile stretch of the creek. Once you’re done, you can then head to the nearby Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek to get a glimpse of what life was like in the area back in the early 1900s.
The Monument of States
Located in the beautiful Kissimmee Lakefront Park, the Monument of States is one of the area’s most unique attractions that was designed to be a symbol of national unity. The 50-foot monument was constructed following the attack on Pearl Harbor and it is built from rocks taken from all 48 states that existed at the time. All of the rocks are embedded in concrete and each has a plaque that tells who donated the rocks and where they came from.
World-Famous Golf Courses
Kissimmee is also famous for boasting a huge number of world-class golf courses, many of which were designed by some of the most famous names in golf like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman. In total, the area is home to 22 courses featuring a whopping 396 holes. The courses are known to be among the very best in Florida, and the beautiful, sunny weather means you can enjoy them all year round. Golf enthusiasts will definitely want to check out the annual Arnold Palmer Invitation, which is held every March at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge.
At Underwood AC LLC, we know the Kissimmee area like the back of our hand. We are a local, family-owned HVAC company in Davenport, and we have been serving residents of the Kissimmee and Orlando areas for many years. We specialize in all types of heating and cooling repair, maintenance and installation services, and our technicians work on air conditioners, heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, ductwork and indoor air quality equipment like air purifiers and UV lights. We also specialize in pool heating to ensure you can enjoy a relaxing soak or swim any time of the year. For more information, give us a call today.
