Things To Do in Lakeland
Getting Around Lakeland
Free Downtown Looper | “The Squeeze”
“The Squeeze” operates on Fridays and Saturdays to help you navigate downtown quickly and easily!
- Friday | 4 pm – 11 pm
- Saturday | 8 am – 3 pm & 4 pm – 11 pm
Suggested Eateries & Coffee Joints!
Coffee & Cafés
Concord Coffee
One of Eric’s Favorite Florida Roasters! Probably not accessible on foot, but a short drive south or a trip down Florida Ave. on the Citrus Connection Gold Line is well worth it!
1037 Florida Ave S #135, Lakeland, FL 33803 | Google Maps
http://www.concordcoffee.com/
Born & Bread Bakehouse
STOP WHAT YOU’RE DOING RIGHT NOW — You need to put in a preorder for pick up Saturday, and we’re not kidding! This famous bakehouse is so good, it’s only open two days a week, for a total of twelve hours! They do take walkups, but it’s not recommended. Angela and the Bride’s Babes already have their order in, and if you know them, they’re not going to be shy about how good it was later in the day!
1113 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803 | Google Maps
https://www.bornandbreadbakehouse.com/
Black & Brew
Right in the heart of Downtown Lakeland overlooking Munn Park, Black & Brew is great for a cup of joe or a quick bite all day!
205 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://blackandbrew.com/downtown/
Pressed LKLD
Pressed LKLD is a cute little local book and coffee shop on the north side of downtown. Be sure to take a moment to relax while you’re here (it’s not all party!). Better yet, swing through here and grab a new analog read on your way to a relaxing morning at Bonnet Springs Park!
213 E Bay St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
http://pressedlkld.com/
Bonnet Springs Park Coffee Shop
Bonnet Springs Park has just recently opened and has a massive 168-acre footprint. This coffee shop serving Starbucks Coffee in the Welcome Center is a good way to rejuvenate while exploring all the park has to offer!
Bonnet Spgs Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33815 | Google Maps
https://bonnetspringspark.com/
Fresh from the Farm
Lakeland’s Downtown Farmers Market
Every Saturday from 8 am – 2 pm! The market is just one block behind (west) of the Terrace Hotel on Kentucky Avenue. Six farms, dozens of food vendors, and many other local artists and artisans!
117 N Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://downtownfarmerscurbmarket.org/
Restaurants
Nineteen61
Known to locals as “the best restaurant in the county,” we don’t disagree! Combining modern Spanish items with an occasional southern touch, Chef Fernandez serves up dishes that are to die for. It doesn’t stop there, their bar program is one that competes with most large city establishments with one small exception — they have Saturday happy hour! Reservations encouraged!
215 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
http://nineteen61.com/
The Joinery
Lakeland’s first and best food hall! This place is great for catching up with friends and family on Saturday before the afternoon’s festivities — offering up everything you can imagine, from sushi to handmade wood-fired pizza, tacos to bao buns. Their bar features only local Florida Craft Brews, natural and organic wines, and delicious cocktails!
— Arriving in Lakeland early? Join us Friday night for welcome drinks to kick off the celebration! —
640 E Main St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
http://thejoinerylkld.com/
Frescos Southern Kitchen & Bar
Downhome-style southern food with a killer bar and even a whisky and bourbon tasting menu! This place can be described more simply with just two syllables: bis·cuit. Word on the street is they have a killer weekend brunch…but pace yourself, eh? 😉Weddings are a marathon, not a sprint!
132 S Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://frescoslakeland.com/
…more to come closer to the big day!
Suggested Watering Holes!
Breweries
Swan Brewing
A 10BBL brewery in downtown Lakeland featuring 30 taps of great craft beer, live music, games and food trucks! All ages welcome, and we’re pet friendly!
115 W Pine St, Lakeland, FL 33815 | Google Maps
https://www.swanbrewing.com/
Dissent Craft Brewing Company
Born in St. Pete (Eric’s “Home” Town), they expanded to Lakeland a little over a year and a half ago. Dissent Brewing “builds outspoken ales.”
125 S Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://www.dissentcraftbrewing.com/
Quality Drinks and Atmosphere
Revival (Pictured Above)
Whether you prefer a simple light beer or a concoction you’ve never dreamed of, head mixologist Jeannie and the team at Revival have you covered. They have more old fashions on their menu than you have fingers, a whole page of classics, seasonal offerings, and even a tinge of tiki if your tastebuds are set to tropical! While the bride and groom have to check out early, that doesn’t mean you do! Grab a seat and enjoy the atmosphere for the rest of the night!
— Arriving in Lakeland early? Join us Friday night for a nightcap to kick off the celebration! —
119 S Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://revivallakeland.com/
Cob & Pen
Built within a Tudor House dating back to 1927, this quirky spot is home to high-end drinks and pub fare, and comes highly recommended by many Lakeland locals! A short five-minute drive south of downtown or a 15-minute ride on the CitrusConnect Peach Line, it’s worth the trip!
1221 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803 | Google Maps
https://www.cobandpenlakeland.com/
Gritty but Gregarious
Molly McHugh’s Irish Pub
Molly’s was founded nearly 30 years ago by Gerry McHugh, a transplant to Lakeland by way of County Galway, Ireland, and then Boston, Massachusetts. Lakeland’s only Irish Bar is a good time for all with live music, pints, and pals!
— Post Wedding — If the love of A&E has you supercharged and you’re not ready to turn in just yet — First, have some water, for God’s sake — Then, join us for the wedding after-party! —
111 S Kentucky Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://www.mchughspubs.com/
Suggested Attractions
Yall…Lakeland is home to Edward Scissor Hands!
Outdoor Explorations
Hollis Garden
A botanical display garden set in a neo-classical architectural environment complete with patterned flower beds, public art, and ornamental fountains. Here you will find over 10,000 flowers, ornamental shrubs, and native trees. Hollis Garden is located within historic Lake Mirror Park a third of the way around the lake, starting from the Terrace Hotel. Make the full loop and stop at The Joinery two-thirds of the way around for a refreshing beverage or snack!
702 E Orange St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
Hours are limited, be sure to check the website prior to your visit!
Bonnet Springs Park
Recently opened but with a rich history, this 168-acre park was once home to the City’s railyard. Stop in and take some time to explore all the park has to offer, including a tram that loops between all amenities. Indoors the park features a Welcome Center and coffee shop; the Florida Children’s Museum; The Depot Cafe rooftop garden and bar, and more. Outdoors stroll through the Heritage Gardens, Botanical Gardens, Greenhouse, Butterfly House, and Canopy Walk!
400 Bonnet Springs Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33815 | Google Maps
http://www.bonnetspringspark.com/
Cultural Attractions
The Polk Museum of Art
The Polk Museum of Art is a teaching museum at Florida Southern College. The Permanent Collection currently consists of five major categories: Modern & Contemporary Art, Art of the Ancient Americas, Asian Art, European Decorative Arts, and African Art.
800 E Palmetto St, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://polkmuseumofart.org/
The Polk Theater
The ornate theater built in 1928 is a Mediterranean village recreated in the heart of Central Florida. Flanked by Italianate walls with niches, sconces, and faux balconies and windows, the patron’s eye was drawn toward the stage and the full-scale Italian Renaissance “townhouse” setting that dominates the Polk’s interior. The mezzanine lobby, accessible by ornately tiled staircases, featured twisted columns, delicate cornice, molding work, and brass banded terrazzo floors.
Around Sunday? Catch the 1960 Stanley Kubrick classic Spartacus at 4 pm!
121 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://www.polktheatre.org/
Architecture
Edward Scissor Hand’s Salon! (Pictured Above)
Yes, Seriously! …Okay, maybe not the actual salon, but the shopping center that housed it. The famous retro Southgate Shopping Center Sign is still there to gawk at!
2515 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803 | Google Maps
Frank Lloyd Wright | Florida Southern College Campus
From the website: “From the date of Wright’s first visit to the Florida Southern campus in 1938, he delivered 18 unique and distinctive building designs over the course of more than 20 years, longer than any other commission in his career. Thirteen of his proposed structures were funded and built, one of them posthumously. This easily makes Florida Southern the world’s largest single-site collection of Wright’s architecture for one client.” Just a casual 19-minute stroll from the Terrace Hotel in Downtown!
840 Johnson Ave, Lakeland, FL 33801 | Google Maps
https://www.flsouthern.edu/frank-lloyd-wright/home.aspx
Santiago Calatrava | Florida Polytechnic University
The Innovation Science and Technology (IST) Building, the center of life on campus, was designed by world-renowned Spanish Architect Dr. Santiago Calatrava. He’s the same Architect that designed the recently opened and equally awe-inspiring transit hub at the World Trade Center in NYC. Both buildings and a large portion of his portfolio are futuristic creations that have to be seen to be believed. The Polytechnic building even moves, responding to the climate and sun (when it’s not broken). If you’re on I-4 north of Lakeland headed towards Orlando, it’s worth the 30 to 45-minute detour to take a stroll around the campus. It’s a 20-minute, one-way drive from Downtown Lakeland.
4700 Research Way, Lakeland, FL 33805 | Google Maps
See a preview in this Architecture Magazine Article