The Marion County Museum of History in Ocala (306 S.E. 26 Ter.; 352-629-2773) covers the history of the northern part of the region. Ocala's Silver River Museum and Environmental Center (7189 N.E. 7th St.; 352-236-5401) is a 500-acre nature preserve that includes a Cracker Settlement with cabins, barns and outbuildings and combination school-church, offering a look at how early homesteaders lived. The Silver River Museum is open to the public on weekends and has exhibits on local history and ecology.

In the southern part of the region, the Historical Museum of Osceola St. Cloud (1200 New York Ave.; 407- 892-3671) in the 1910 old bank building, the oldest in St. Cloud, covers the early history of Osceola-St. Cloud area. The Polk County Historical Museum (100 E. Main St.; 863-534-4386) in downtown Bartow, in the superbly restored historic Polk County Courthouse, portrays the history of Central Florida and Polk County, including the importance of the cattle, citrus and phosphate industries. The Depot, Lake Wales Museum and Cultural Center (325 S Scenic Hwy.; 863-678-4209) also has exhibits on the importance of citrus and cattle, as well as turpentine and the railroads, to the area's development. The museum is in the 1926 railroad passenger station. Vintage railcars add to this aspect of local history. In Highlands County, the Avon Park Museum (3 N. Museum Ave.; 863-453-3525) and Lake Placid Historical Society Museum (19 Park Ave.; 863-465- 1771) tell the history of these cities. Both are located in renovated former historic railroad stations.

There are also lots of museums devoted to early pioneers, citrus, cattle, railroads and other special subjects. The Dade Battlefield State Historic Site, just east of I-75 near Bushnell (7200 S. Battlefield Dr.; 352-793-4781), is now part of the State Park System. This was the site of the 1835 battle that led to the Second Seminole War. The soldiers were attacked on the military trail between present-day Tampa and Ocala. The battle is reenacted every December, and there is an interpretive museum, a replica of the log breastwork erected by the soldiers and markers to indicate the battle site.

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