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Lake Wales · Historic commercial core

Downtown Lake Wales

Park Avenue, the Depot, and the brick blocks the city was built on.

Downtown Lake Wales is a compact, walkable grid laid out along the Atlantic Coast Line right-of-way. Park Avenue and Stuart Avenue carry most of the storefronts; the Depot Museum sits at the west end where the rail once ran.

It is also the primary target of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which has funded façade grants, streetscape work, and the ongoing effort to fill second-story space downtown.

BoundariesRoughly bounded by Central Avenue on the north, Scenic Highway on the east, Park Avenue's south blocks, and the old rail corridor on the west.

What it's like

Character

  • 1920s masonry commercial buildings, several on the National Register
  • Angle parking and short blocks — easy to walk end to end in ten minutes
  • Mix of civic offices, small retail, cafés, and CRA-supported storefronts
  • Home to most downtown events, markets, and holiday programming

On the ground

Landmarks

Lake Wales Depot Museum

1928 Atlantic Coast Line depot, now the city museum and cultural center.

325 S Scenic Hwy, Lake Wales, FL 33853

Rhodesbilt Arcade

Mediterranean Revival arcade building anchoring Park Avenue.

Lake Wales City Hall

Civic center of the downtown grid; commission meetings are open to the public.

Downtown murals

A growing set of wall murals documenting citrus, rail, and civic history.

Park once and walk. Free public lots sit behind the Park Avenue blocks; Scenic Highway is the main north–south spine.

Verified 2026-07-29

Events calendar

What’s coming up in Downtown Lake Wales.

Full events calendarDownload .ics

Related

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CRA redevelopment

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Downtown dining

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Murals walking route

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