Bartow: Historic Houses, Museums, and Nature on the Peace River

Bartow combines impressive architecture, local history, and a nature experience on the Peace River. Those planning a trip with varied interests can combine historic houses and museums with a tour through the landscape. When searching for a vacation rental or another type of accommodation, it is therefore worth deciding on your preferred pace of travel first: Should the trip focus primarily on culture and local history, or will time on the water also be part of it?

Discover Architecture and Local History

A prominent example of Bartow’s architectural history is the L.B. Brown House. The self-taught master carpenter Lawrence Bernard Brown designed and built the house in 1892. As the Historic L.B. Brown House, it is also a National Historic Landmark. This offers a direct insight into the city’s history and the work of an individual builder.

The Bartow Downtown Commercial District also makes the city’s historical development visible. The district comprises 27 buildings. All but five were built between 1887 and 1935 and contribute to the historic character of the neighborhood. For travelers who enjoy viewing different buildings and eras on their own walking tour, this area is an important part of the city’s history. These details also allow visitors to make a deliberate choice to give architecture more space than pure relaxation during their trip.

Plan Tours in Advance

The Wonder House is aimed at visitors who want to experience history from more than the outside. Advance online reservations are required for historic tours. The tours cover the history of the house, its builder Conrad Schuck, and inventions and technical devices integrated into the building. If you are traveling with several generations, such a tour can provide a shared topic of conversation, while other travelers may prefer to explore the buildings of the Downtown Commercial District or the museum offerings.

Museums for Different Interests

The former Polk County Courthouse, built in 1908, now serves as the Polk County History Center. It houses a history museum and a library. The History Center features 11 permanent exhibitions and 4 temporary exhibitions. In addition, the center offers an architectural tour of the museum on the third Saturday of every month. These permanent offerings and the regular tour program make the History Center a suitable stop for visitors who want to focus their stay more strongly on regional history and architectural heritage.

The Bartow Air Base Historical Museum offers a different historical perspective. It displays copies of many yearbooks from the 70 pilot-training classes held between 1952 and 1961. These are joined by several issues of the monthly base newspaper The Eaglet, pilot uniforms, and salvaged artifacts from P-51 aircraft that crashed into Lake Hancock. This allows you to choose between local history, aviation history, and technical topics when planning your trip, without limiting Bartow to just one museum experience.

Nature on the Peace River

The Peace River Paddling Trail passes through cypress swamps, shaded hammocks, and hardwood forests. There is trail access at the SR-60 bridge on the outskirts of Bartow. Those seeking a nature experience on the water in addition to historic sightseeing can incorporate this aspect into their daily plans from the outset. The landscape creates a clear contrast with the city’s houses, museums, and historic districts.

When choosing a vacation rental in Bartow, this contrast between culture and landscape can be decisive. If you plan to take many tours and visit museums, your accommodation should fit a culture-focused itinerary. If you would also like to experience the Peace River Paddling Trail, you can make your days more varied and leave enough room in your trip planning for both interests.

More Destinations for Your Search

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Bartow, you can also include Fort Meade, Davenport, Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Mulberry, Lakeland, and Auburndale in your selection. Bartow is especially interesting when historic architecture, museums, and a documented landscape experience are all part of your trip.

For the higher-level travel overview: Polk.