In Lake Placid, a nimble Florida panther makes its way along a tree branch. In Palatka, the Hiawatha steamboat churns its way up the Ocklawaha River. And in DeLand, a mother bear and her cubs stroll through the morning mist. You haven’t gone back in time, but murals in Florida have. Once the domain of creative graffiti artists making political and social statements, murals in Florida have become outdoor canvases reflecting the history, culture and natural beauty of the towns and cities surrounding them.
“We have visitors come in and they’re surprised to discover our murals,” says Dena Scroggins, marketing and projects manager for Visit West Volusia, located just inland from Daytona Beach and featuring the downtown district of DeLand, home to 14 colorful murals, including scenes of the town at the turn of the last century and a mural depicting DeLand’s role as a Naval Air Station during World War II.
The bureau offers a pamphlet detailing murals and locations, and a PDF can be e-mailed to planners interested in group walking tours, according to Scroggins.
“We have a lot of cultural activities here,” she says. “Every fourth Friday, we have an art walk through Artisan Alley, and we’re also home to the Museum of Florida Art.”
Murals are also a big attraction in the Central Florida town of Lake Placid, set midway between Sarasota and Port St. Lucie and home to 44 murals, soon to be 45, according to Harriet Porter, president of the Lake Placid Mural Society and Tourlakeplacid.com. The society offers 1.5-hour mural tours.
“We have a very walkable downtown area—very friendly and safe,” she says.
But murals are only part of the public art that groups will see on walking tours here, because even the trash cans are themed, and there are bird and clown sculptures positioned throughout the downtown area, the latter in recognition of the fact that Lake Placid is home to Toby’s American Clown Museum & School, which claims to have graduated more than 1,500 clowns since 1993.