Hannibal Square Heritage Center — Attraction in Winter Park

Hannibal Square is a historic district in Winter Park on New England Avenue two blocks west of Park Avenue, between Virginia and Pennsylvania Avenues. Winter Park sprang up around a railroad track laid in 1880 by the South Florida Railroad that connected Orlando to Sanford. Hannibal Square was founded in 1881 as an African-American community of laborers who built the town and worked as domestic servants to the areas wealthy families. The people who lived in Hannibal Square had educational opportunities, prosperity, and professional standing. The railroad tracks served as the dividing line in the town with whites living on the east side and blacks to the west.

The Hannibal Square Heritage Center was created in 2007 by the Crealdé School of Art in partnership with the city of Winter Park. The museum was created to showcase the past, present, and future contributions of the African-American community. The museum displays their permanent exhibit, Heritage Collection: Photographs and Oral Histories of West Winter Park. The collection is 100 framed archival photographs of West Winter Park residents spanning the 20th century. Another museum exhibit is the Hannibal Square Time Line, documenting local and nation's events in the African-American community since the Emancipation Proclamation. In addition the museum hosts visiting rotating exhibitions that document the black experience. The current exhibit is social justice quilts created by the Charmettes Club and it is running until August 27th. The museum also offers historical walking tours.

Admission to the Hannibal Square Heritage Center is free, You can do a self tour as I did or arrange for a guided tour. The museum is small but packed with history that shows love and pride for the community. I love a free history museum. There are a number of restaurants and other museums and attractions within walking distance of charming...

A must-see stop on your visit to Winter Park/Orlando. It was exactly the black history/culture experience I was looking for on my trip. I loved the documented narratives of the long-time residents as they described the area before its current status. The ladies are a wealth of knowledge.

I appreciate the context as she shared her knowledge and discussed connecting with the arts school and community. Winter park’s timeline with national events was well documented and a great juxtaposition to provide local context.

Stop by to learn the history and pay respect to such a cultural-rich area preserved by...

The Hannibal Square Heritage Center is a very interesting museum that presents a timeline starting in 1858 when Winter Park was first discovered and named. This museum presents expositions that change with time. At the time of our visit, in addition to the timeline, there were two expositions: Photographs by Peter Schreyer of the African-American west Winter Park community of long term residents and beautiful paintings of black women by Andrew M. Grant. Do not leave Winter Park without...