Osceola Pioneer Museum
The vibrant history of Central Florida is a complicated but fascinating story.
Although some of the rough early characters are gone, their lives still resonate at the Osceola Pioneer Museum.
The museum features several types of exhibits.
Permanent Exhibits
The most popular are the permanent exhibits that showcase the pioneering past.
These include the Welcome Center and History Museum, displaying four different habitats common to Osceola County: the swampland, lakefront land, oak hammock and pine flat woods.
A short stroll to the creek demonstrates native wild life in natural settings, as they lived and survived in a bygone era and as these species must live to continue to survive in the future.
- Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
- City of Orlando Public Arts
- Cornell Fine Arts Museum
- Harry P. Leu Gardens
- Holocaust Memorial Center
- Hurston Museum
- Kissimmee Air Museum
- Maitland Art Center and Museum
- Mennello Museum
- Morse Museum Of American Art
- Museum of Military History
- Orlando Fire Museum
- Orlando Science Center
- Osceola Pioneer Museum
- Outdoor Urban Art Museum Orlando Planned
- Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum
- Wells'Built Museum of African American History
- Winter Garden Heritage Museum
Pioneer Village
The Pioneer Village is a group of well-preserved structures which have stood throughout Florida’s turbulent history.
These buildings were carefully relocated to the Pioneer Museum, where they will be cared for for centuries to come.
They are a fascinating step back in time.
Citrus Packing House & Blacksmith’s Shop
The Citrus Packing House is an 1880’s marvel.
Showcasing Florida’s rise to prominence in the citrus trade, this packing house is the oldest surviving packing house in the State.
As horses were the mode of transportation, the blacksmith was an integral part of any community, anywhere in the country.
The Pioneer Museum’s Blacksmith’s Shop is a perfect replica of an 1800’s shop, complete with a working forge and authentic old tools.
A family of 13 lived in the two rooms General Store.
This board and batten original structure was built in the 1880’s and served as the community store and gathering spot for decades.
A visit here is a rich walk into the past.
Cracker House
The “Cracker House” is a typical homesteaders dwelling.
Small and spare, these homes were built to adapt to the environment; they feature a central breezeway and windows in every room.
The breezeway served as the air conditioning system, important to the homesteader as the house also contains a smokehouse and a steamy wash area.
Pioneer children lucky enough to attend school all gathered in a one-room schoolhouse.
Bigger children in the back, smaller ones in the front, all grades and subjects were taught by one teacher.
School groups are especially drawn to this revered building.
Rotating Museum Exhibits
The Pioneer Museum features one-of-a-kind rotating museum exhibits, all depicting some aspect of early Florida life.
Group tours are welcome at the museum.
The entire museum can be rented for special events or meetings.
The Osceola County Historical Society was founded in 1949 with the sole mission to preserve Central Florida’s unique and rich cultural history and keep it alive for generations to come.
Proudly, they have been doing this for more than fifty years.
The museum is open daily 10-4.
Come soon … live your past.
Locations
Osceola Pioneer Museum
750 N Bass Rd Kissimmee, FL 34746
(407) 396-8644
