Florida Citrus Tower | Clermont, Florida

(c) Florida Citrus Tower

There is no shortage of tourist attractions in the Sunshine State. Some are well known, like the long list of theme parks that call Florida home. Others have fallen to the wayside. The Florida Citrus Tower is on such tourist attraction.

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Located in Clermont, about 45 minutes from the Walt Disney World Resort, is a 226-foot-tall structure called The Florida Citrus Tower. The tower was built in 1956 to give visitors a bird’s eye view of the orange groves in the surrounding area. At the time, The Florida Citrus Tower overlooked thousands of acres of citrus groves containing an estimated 17 million trees.

Of course, times have changed quite a bit since 1956 and so too has the landscape surrounding The Florida Citrus Tower. The number of citrus groves has dwindled to make way for what is largely residential neighborhoods. However, passers by can still visit and ride to the top of The Florida Citrus Tower.

Photo Taken Circa 1955 (c) Florida Citrus Tower

Photo Taken 2022 (c) Kathryn Spoor

Seating area at the base of The Florida Citrus Tower. (c) Kathryn Spoor

Having a soft spot for roadside attractions and places that have waned in their popularity over the years, I knew a trip to The Florida Citrus Tower was in my future. While I knew that it likely didn’t have much to offer, other than spectacular views that were going to cost me $11 to experience, it was something I figured would be worth my time. So I made the trek out to Clermont, where I happened to have scheduled an appointment, and stopped in to this once well-known landmark.

The drive to Clermont was a long one; approximately 45 minutes from my starting point nearby the Walt Disney World Resort. [This was not on the toll roads, but I did taken them on the way back and it didn’t change the travel time by much.] While it was somewhat uneventful, without many places to stop along the way, the landscape of Clermont and its neighboring towns provided some scenic views.

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Arriving at The Florida Citrus Tower is not unlike pulling up to any other roadside attraction in the United States. The tower itself sits on what seems to be the bare minimum amount of land, with a small parking lot out front that is shared by the neighboring businesses. There is nothing flashy about The Florida Citrus Tower. There’s no giant orange with a face and gloved hands beckoning you in. It is simply what it claims to be; an observation tower standing high above what used to be millions of citrus trees.

(c) Kathryn Spoor

The attraction that is The Florida Citrus Tower is made up of 2 parts. The first, located at the base, is a small cafe. This cafe has a menu that, appropriately so, serves up various items featuring citrus. [During my visit, I had a drink called the “Orange Buttercream” which was spectacular!] You can then enjoy your drink, free of charge, in the building that makes up the base of the tower. This area is set up like a cafe, but also features decor themed to citrus as well as memorabilia from The Florida Citrus Tower through the years. There is also a small gift shop where you can purchase items to commemorate your trip. Then there’s the tower itself.

Going up to the top of the 226 foot tall tower is not free of charge. During my visit, if memory serves me right, it was $11 per person to go to the top of the tower. There was also an “Annual Pass” available for just over $100 per person, allowing unlimited trips to the top of the tower. At the time of writing this, The Florida Citrus Tower website is under construction and not showing and information pertaining to pricing.

For the price of admission, visitors can ride a small elevator to the top of the tower where they will be treated to panoramic views. Aside from the beautiful views, visitors can reference signs showing what they are looking out over and sign up for an email showing photographs of the surrounding area in the past. There’s also a coin drop, where visitors can put a coin in a slot and listen to it fall the 226 feet down to the bottom of the tower. Probably the most interesting thing about the top of this tower, though, is that it is an extension of the cafe down below. With a bar that runs along the length of the windows and tables to sit at, visitors can take their time enjoying the view somewhat comfortably.

[NOTE: While the top of The Florida Citrus Tower is air conditioned, it’s important to note that it still does get warm due to the panoramic windows and bright white interior. It’s also worth noting that the top of the tower isn’t very spacious. While there is enough room to comfortably walk around the perimeter of the tower, it’s not suitable for strollers or ECVs. Standard wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs are likely fine.]

While there’s no denying that the view from the top of The Florida Citrus Tower is beautiful and worth seeing if you have the opportunity, the $11 per person price of admission feels a bit hefty; particularly if you’re visiting with a group. While the reasoning for the price point [maintenance costs and upkeep] is certainly not lost on me, I do feel as though it may turn people away from visiting or making purchases at the cafe. Which, quite frankly, is a shame. . . because they offer up some delicious options.

This all having been said, my experience at The Florida Citrus Tower was very much a positive one. The young woman running the cafe and charging admission was extremely friendly and informative. The view itself, without knowing anything about the history, was something else! Overall, though, it was interesting to visit an attraction from a time prior to the vacation destination that Florida has become in more recent years. It’s like stepping back in time, which is something we’re not capable of doing all that often anymore!

Have you ever visited The Florida Citrus Tower? Tell us about it in the comments!