Family standing in a lush green field with tractor - historic farms and ranches

By car · metro area, Florida

Historic Farms and Ranches in Lakeland, FL

Farmsteads and ranches on the register near you, many still worked by the families who listed them.

Architecture is history you can still walk into. The Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL metro area has about 874,790 residents, ranking 73rd in the country. The trick is knowing which doors have a story behind them.

A couple of people riding on the backs of horses - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Bailey Alexander on Unsplash

Boy hugging a calf in a grassy field - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Christopher Stites on Unsplash

2 men riding horses on grass field during daytime - historic farms and ranches — Photo: Taylor Brandon on Unsplash

On the record near Lakeland, FL

The 12 nearest

13 listed sites on the record match historic farms and ranches within 200 miles of Lakeland, FL, out of 56 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles.

Laroe Family Homestead Historic District59 miles from the center of Lakeland · District · Eustis · listed 2009National Register of Historic Places
Treasure Hammock Ranch Farmstead93 miles from the center of Lakeland · Structure · Vero Beach · listed 2013National Register of Historic Places
Dunlawton Plantation--Sugar Mill Ruins95 miles from the center of Lakeland · Site · Port Orange · listed 1973National Register of Historic Places
Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan, House and Farm Yard100 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Cross Creek · listed 1970National Register of Historic Places
Mala Compra Plantation Archeological Site118 miles from the center of Lakeland · Site · Palm Coast · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
Burn Brae Plantation--Krueger House120 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Stuart · listed 2002National Register of Historic Places
Sanchez Homestead121 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Elkton · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Historic District133 miles from the center of Lakeland · District · St. Augustine · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
Red Bank Plantation156 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Jacksonville · listed 1972National Register of Historic Places
MacFarlane Homestead Historic District191 miles from the center of Lakeland · District · Coral Gables · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
Trapp Homestead191 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Miami · listed 1994National Register of Historic Places
Homestead Public School-Neva King Cooper School199 miles from the center of Lakeland · Building · Homestead · listed 1985National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Lakeland, FL. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

Historic Farms in Lakeland, step by step

1
See every listed site of this kind in the area
2
Sort by distance and pick the closest few
3
Read the record for the year, the builder and the use
4
View from the public way and note what has changed
5
Collect the set and move on to the next county

What people in Lakeland, FL ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Lakeland, FL?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are these buildings open to the public?

Some are, many are not. Churches, courthouses and libraries usually keep regular hours. Houses, barns and mills are often private and best seen from the road. The record for each site tells you which kind it is.

What does it mean when a site is on the National Register?

It means the property was documented and accepted as historically significant. Listing honors the site, it does not open it to visitors or stop an owner from using it.

How a visit works in Lakeland

Step 1
Find the place
Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Lakeland, FL the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.
Step 2
Read the story
The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.
Step 3
Get there under your own power
Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Lakeland, FL are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.
Step 4
Collect it and come back
Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.