The 1967 founding of Valencia College will be featured in the 100 Historic Icons of Orlando exhibit opening April 25 at the Orange County Regional History Center.
Last year, the Orlando Remembered Committee of the Historical Society of Central Florida, Inc. called for nominations for historic “icons,” defined as people, places, events or objects associated with the Orlando area from 1960 to 1985. Those years were a time of drastic change with the arrival of Disney, the opening of the University of Central Florida, the beginnings of the space program, and of course, the opening of Valencia. The goal of the historic icons project was to celebrate history by documenting this period of time from the point of view of those who lived in Orlando.
Starting with a list of 200 nominations, Orlando Remembered invited Central Florida residents to vote for their favorites to narrow down the list to 100.
To celebrate the top 100, the Orange County History Center will open a new exhibit on April 25, 2015, throughout the next year, that displays information and memorabilia of the winners. Other icons include Ronnie’s Restaurant, Merita Bread Factory, and Lake Eola fountain and park, which earned the top spot on the list. Artifacts and photos from the college’s early days can be seen at the exhibit, including a photo of former student and actress Delta Burke in her heyday as Miss Florida, at the groundbreaking ceremony for Valencia’s East Campus.
The center is open to the public Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. Tickets prices are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, age 60 and over, $10 for students and military with valid ID and $9 for children age 9 – 12. Or, through May 3, Sundays are free. More information can be found on the Historic Icons of Orlando Facebook page.