Looking for a nice place to explore and learn some history with the kids? Take them to Fort Christmas Historical Park. Located outside of Orlando, the place is just 50 minutes from Port Orange, and around an hour from other cities in Volusia County. It's a nice place to stop by if you will be in the area. It is just a couple of minutes down the road from Orlando Wetlands Park, which is a great place take a hike, as you are almost always going to see some alligators there.

Fort Christmas Historical Park is located at 1300 N Fort Christmas Road in Christmas, Florida. The park offers free admission. The grounds offer numerous historical buildings that you can explore. They are buildings that were brought there to be put on display, but were at one time used in the community. There are houses, a school, post office, pioneer homes, farm machinery, and more. The buildings are set up as they would have been during the time they were being used. As you roam the buildings you can see antiques from each period, as well as learn about the time period and what the building was used for. 

One of the most interesting things to me was reading a board of memories. There were numerous adults who had went to that school as children and they shared a memory from attending it. The stories were interesting, as was seeing all the authentic items that are in each building.

There is also a fort to explore at this historic park. Fort Christmas is a replica of the original that was used during the Second Seminole War. The replica is fun to explore, and each area is set up like a museum, so you can learn about a variety of facts from the time and see authentic artifacts.

The park also offers sports fields, restrooms, and tables, so you could pack a picnic and have some lunch after exploring the various buildings. If you are heading here during cooler months, you could take a short hike at Orlando Wetlands Park, and then stop here for a picnic lunch, and then to explore the buildings. If you are in the area, it's well worth stopping off to explore Fort Christmas Historical Park. They are open 8 am to 8 pm during the summer, and 8 am to 6 pm during the winter. Every December, they host a big holiday celebration that includes activities, vendors, and more. For more information, call them at (407) 254-9310.

Pictures from our stop at Fort Christmas Historical Park: