Life Explorers Series: Golden Roots – The Citrus Legacy of Winter Park

About this event

Discover how the citrus industry shaped the history, economy, and identity of Winter Park. Inspired by the Winter Park History Museum’s award-winning exhibition, Golden Roots: The Citrus Legacy of Winter Park, this presentation explores the remarkable story of how a fruit native to Southeast Asia transformed Central Florida into one of the world’s premier citrus-growing regions.

Through historic photographs, maps, artifacts, and local stories, you’ll meet the growers, innovators, and community members who built Winter Park’s citrus legacy. From the Temple Orange and Lue Gim Gong to the families of Hannibal Square and the railroads that carried Florida oranges across the nation, this presentation reveals how citrus influenced every aspect of life in early Winter Park—and how its legacy can still be seen throughout the city today.

Dena Salas serves as Museum Manager at the Winter Park History Museum, where she oversees the museum’s day-to-day operations, collections, exhibitions, programming, and research. She joined the Museum in 2022 and has since taken on an increasingly broad role in preserving and sharing Winter Park’s history. Dena holds degrees in Art History and Business Administration from the University of Central Florida, bringing together her interests in history, collections care, and nonprofit management.

Topic: Golden Roots – The Citrus Legacy of Winter Park

Speaker: Dena Salas, Winter Park History Museum Manager

Date: Thursday November 19, 2026

Doors open: 9:30 A.M.

Program Time: 10:00 – 11:30 A.M.

Location: Azalea Lodge, Mead Botanical Garden, 1300 S. Denning Drive Winter Park, FL (See map for location)

Cost: Free – Join us for refreshments and conversation

The Life Explorers Speakers Series is held in the Azalea Lodge of Mead Botanical Garden from 10-11:30 a.m. The program is free of charge with light refreshments and coffee served.