You’ve probably seen the signs on US-27. Most people just blink and miss them. They’re driving fast, heading toward the chaos of Orlando or the beaches of Miami, totally ignoring the fact that they just bypassed one of the weirdest, coolest little spots in the heart of Florida. Lake Placid FL USA isn't your typical swampy pitstop. Honestly, it’s a place that feels like it’s trying to do ten things at once, and somehow, it actually works.
It’s the Caladium Capital of the World. It’s the Town of Murals. It’s the place where the guy who invented the Dewey Decimal System decided to build a massive club because he liked the air.
If you think Florida is just mouse ears and strip malls, you’re wrong.
The Weird History of Melvil Dewey and the Name
Let’s get the big question out of the way first. No, there are no giant, man-eating crocodiles here like in the 1999 horror movie. That was set in Maine, though ironically, Florida actually has the real gators.
The name comes from Melvil Dewey. Yeah, the library guy. He founded the Lake Placid Club in New York and decided he wanted a southern version where he could escape the winter. In the 1920s, he helped convince the locals to change the name from "Lake Stearns" to Lake Placid. He brought this very specific, high-society vision to the scrubland. He wanted health, recreation, and a bit of exclusivity. While the elite club vibes have mostly faded into general small-town charm, that ambitious spirit stuck around.
Today, the town sits in Highlands County. It’s high ground. For Florida, anyway. You’re looking at rolling hills and citrus groves, which is a far cry from the flat, coastal marshes most tourists expect.
Why Everything Is Covered in Paint
Walk around downtown for five minutes and you’ll realize the walls are talking to you. Not literally—that would be a different kind of trip. But the murals are everywhere.
Back in the early 90s, the town was struggling. A couple named Harriet and Bob Porter saw a mural in a different city and thought, "Hey, we could do that." They didn't just do one; they sparked a movement. Now, there are nearly 50 massive, world-class murals scattered across the town.
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They aren't just random street art. They are history lessons.
Take the "Bassing" mural. It’s huge. It celebrates the fact that the local lakes are some of the best spots in the country to catch largemouth bass. Or the "Turpentine" mural, which shows the grueling work of the early settlers who bled pine trees for a living. You can actually buy a little mural flipbook at the local chamber of commerce that acts as a scavenger hunt. It’s a great way to kill an afternoon without spending a dime.
The Caladium Capital (Wait, What’s a Caladium?)
If you’ve ever bought a plant with heart-shaped leaves that are vibrant red, pink, or white, it probably came from here. Lake Placid produces about 90% of the world’s caladium bulbs.
The soil here is muck.
That’s not an insult; it’s a geological fact. The lake bottoms and lowlands have this incredibly rich, dark peat that caladiums absolutely love. Every July, the town throws a Caladium Festival. It sounds niche, right? It is. But it’s also massive. People come from all over the state to buy bulbs directly from the farmers.
Drive down Highway 621 during the summer months. You’ll see fields that look like giant, multicolored carpets. It’s one of those "only in Florida" sights that hasn't been paved over by a subdivision yet. The Happiness Farms and Bates Sons & Daughters are real-deal multi-generational operations that keep this industry alive.
The Lakes: More Than Just a Backdrop
Lake Placid—the actual body of water—is deep. By Florida standards, 50 feet is a canyon. It’s one of 27 lakes in the immediate area.
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Lake June-in-Winter is the big one nearby. It’s a Scrub State Park jewel. If you have a kayak, this is where you go. The water is often remarkably clear because of the sandy bottom. You can see the fish darting under your boat, which is cool until you realize how big some of the gar and bass actually are.
Toby’s Clown School
Okay, we have to talk about the clowns.
Lake Placid is home to Toby’s Clown School and Museum. It’s tucked away in an unassuming building, but inside, it’s a fever dream of circus history. It’s run by people who genuinely love the "art of the clown." They have thousands of pieces of memorabilia.
Is it creepy? Maybe a little if you watched IT too young. But it’s also a deeply earnest piece of Americana. They’ve trained thousands of clowns there over the decades. It’s the kind of place that reminds you that Florida used to be the winter home for almost every major circus in the world.
Where to Actually Eat
Don't expect five-star Michelin dining. That’s not what this is.
Go to Jaxson’s. It’s right on the water. They do fried catfish and gator tail that actually tastes good, not like chewy rubber. It’s casual. You wear flip-flops. You watch the sunset over Lake June.
Then there’s The Journal. It’s a little breakfast spot where the locals sit and gossip about town council meetings. If you want to know what’s actually happening in the county, that’s where you go. The coffee is hot, the eggs are cheap, and nobody cares if your truck is muddy.
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The Reality of Living Here
It's quiet.
If you’re looking for nightlife, you’re in the wrong zip code. The "nightlife" in Lake Placid is a bonfire in someone's backyard or a late-night fishing trip.
The population hovers around 2,500 people in the town proper, though the surrounding area makes it feel bigger. It’s a retirement haven for some, but there’s a gritty, working-class agricultural backbone that keeps it from feeling like a sterile gated community. You have the citrus groves—what’s left of them after years of citrus greening disease—and the cattle ranches.
The weather? It’s brutal in August. Humidity so thick you can basically chew it. But from October to April? It’s paradise.
Getting There and Getting Around
Lake Placid is roughly two hours from everywhere. Two hours from Tampa, two hours from Orlando, two hours from Fort Myers.
You need a car. There is no Uber circuit here. There are no trains. It’s a road trip destination.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- The Mural Tour: Start at the Chamber of Commerce. Buy the $5 mural book. It’s the only way to find the "hidden" murals in the alleys.
- Hike the Scrub: Go to Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park. It’s one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Look for the Florida Scrub-Jay—it’s a bright blue bird that is surprisingly friendly and only lives in this specific type of habitat.
- Eat Local: Grab a bag of oranges or a jar of orange blossom honey from a roadside stand. Avoid the big grocery stores for your snacks.
- The Distillery: Hit up Sugar Sand Distillery. It’s an estate-grown sugar cane distillery. They make rum and vodka right on the farm. It’s a literal "farm-to-bottle" operation and probably the most modern thing in town.
- Check the Calendar: If it’s late July, go to the Caladium Festival. If it’s not, just drive the scenic loop around Lake Placid to see the architecture and the water views.
Lake Placid FL USA isn't a "must-see" in the way a theme park is. It’s a "must-experience" for anyone who wants to see the version of Florida that existed before the mouse moved in. It’s quirky, it’s colorful, and it’s deeply rooted in the soil. Just watch out for the heat—and maybe the clowns.