Downtown antique district
Several multi-dealer shops within a two-block walk, strongest on weekends.
Polk County · 16 mi NW of Lake Wales
Lake Alfred, Florida
Antiques, citrus science, and a very good rail-trail.
- Drive time
- 22 min
- Distance
- 16 mi NW
- Population
- ~6,000
- Founded
- 1913
Lake Alfred is a twenty-minute drive from Lake Wales and worth it for two very different reasons: a walkable cluster of antique and vintage dealers downtown, and the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center, the institution that has kept Florida citrus alive through greening.
The town also anchors a stretch of the Fort Fraser / Chain of Lakes trail system, making it a common cyclist stop.
Worth the drive
See & do
UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center
Working research station; occasional public field days and tours.
700 Experiment Station Rd, Lake Alfred, FL 33850
Mackay Gardens and Lakeside Preserve
150-acre historic estate and preserve with oak canopy trails and a lakefront lawn used for weddings and events.
On the ground
Eat & drink
Downtown cafés
Small breakfast-and-lunch spots serving the antique crowd.
Winter Haven, 6 minutes south
The nearest full dining scene — see the Winter Haven guide.
Parks, lakes & trails
Outdoors
Mackay Gardens trails
Shaded loops through historic plantings and lakefront.
Lake Alfred trail spurs
Paved connections toward Auburndale and Winter Haven for cyclists.
Lake Rochelle and Lake Haines
Chain-of-Lakes water with public ramps.
Every year
Annual events
- Lake Alfred Antique Fair weekends
- Mackay Gardens seasonal events
- Fourth of July celebration
Events calendar
What’s coming up in Lake Alfred.
No Lake Alfred dates are on our calendar yet — annual events are listed above. Browse the full regional calendar →
Getting there
The drive
US-27 north to SR-544 west, or through Winter Haven — about 22 minutes either way.
ZIP 33850 · Verified 2026-07-29
Before you go
Good to know
- Antique shops mostly close Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Mackay Gardens gates close at dusk.
Keep exploring
Other towns near Lake Wales
25 min away
Bartow
The county seat, and the best porch-and-oak street grid in Polk.
40 min away
Lakeland
The big city on the Ridge — swans, Frank Lloyd Wright, and a real dinner scene.
25 min away
Haines City
The US-27 gateway — ballfields, Lake Eva, and the road to I-4.
20 min away
Frostproof
A citrus town that kept its main street.