Heritage Village — Attraction in Florida

Volunteers cater to whites. I'm from out of state and visited. The park and houses are fabulous. On my first visit I was directed to the gift shop for change for the drink vending machine. A Hispanic woman asked to buy a bottle of water for her daughter who had a arm cast. The "volunteer" at the gift shop made her repeat "water" four times then slowly moved to assist her. I could see the woman was upset, but didn't comment. Then I asked for change for the machine. She was a googley-eyed older white woman. She stared at me, then slowly looked me up and down, then said "I don't have any change" then smirked. On subsequent visits I attempted to tour the "House of Seven Gables". A sign on the door states "Tours every half hour until 3:30 pm". I couldn't see in, but pulled on the door which were locked from inside making sufficient effort to alert anyone inside. The door never opened for me. I am Hispanic. I was wearing a Calvin Klein hooded sweatshirt and designer sneakers. On my third visit when the door was not opened for me, a white couple approached the door. I was still on the porch, but on the back side of the house. Immediately the door opened for the white couple. I went inside with them, and the "volunteer", another older white woman, looked surprised to see me. She had to admit me since it is a public venue. The volunteers all appear to be white, and discriminated against me on...

If you love old houses & are interested in how people lived long ago, or even if you're just slightly interested, you'll love this place. They have pre-recorded stories about many of the buildings and structures, so you can wander through at your own pace. Quite a few of the buildings & areas have volunteers that are willing to talk to you and answer questions about the buildings & the families who lived & worked in them, what was happening during the years they were built/used. Some of the buildings have interactive displays, for instance, there's a train station with a working Morse code-taper-machine-thingie (that's a technical term.) ;o)

They're are a lot of shade trees, so walking around looking in the buildings isn't too bad, maybe bring some bottled water, though. The Florida Botanical Gardens are connected by bridges to Heritage Village that are well worth visiting, too. Both are great for a lazy afternoon. Both are great for families & couples. I walk through them alone & find both areas very peaceful, meditative.

Both Heritage Village & Florida Botanical Gardens have free admission, so they're great if you're on a budget, although donations are welcome if you'd like to contribute to the care & upkeep of the...

I had a wonderful experience visiting Heritage Village in Largo, FL. I truly enjoyed walking through the beautifully preserved historic homes — it felt like stepping back in time. The attention to detail in each building is impressive, especially the well-maintained grocery store and the garage with vintage cars. It gave me a real sense of how people lived in the past.

What really stood out was the warmth and dedication of the volunteers. The ladies who welcomed us were incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and passionate about sharing the village’s history. Their excellent customer service made the visit even more special.

However, I’d like to suggest improving accessibility. My son walks with two canes and had a hard time navigating the long distances between buildings. Having wheelchairs or scooters available for visitors with mobility challenges would make the experience more inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.

This place is a gem, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to explore it. Thank you for keeping this piece of Florida...