Fall historic happenings abound outside, online
Our Central Floridaweather this time of year often inspires the urge to get out of the house, shake off the air-conditioned chill, and perhaps indulge in a few seasonal thrills and chills— this year with appropriate social distancing, of course. Here are a few opportunities for history lovers in late October andNovember, both outside and online.
Thrill on the hill?
If you’ve got quarantine cabin fever, consider a ride to the Florida highlands to take in the beauty of Bok Tower Gardens and, in honor ofHalloween, check out Spook Hill nearby in LakeWales.
Reports about the place have long circulated far beyond Florida, especially around Halloween.
On Oct. 25, 1990, for example, a front-page feature in theWall Street Journal labeled Spook Hill “a piney pit stop of the paranormal.” Basically, it’s a one-way slope on North Wales Drive, adjacent to Spook Hill Elementary School. A sign there offers simple directions: Stop your car at the white line, put it in neutral— and roll back, seemingly uphill.
Great fun, but it’s all an illusion. Just because we’re in Florida, “the laws of physics are not suspended,” a Tampa geologist told an Associated Press reporter about Spook Hill in 1999.
The “piney pit stop” is what’s called a gravity hill, where the surrounding landscape helps create the optical illusion that a slight downhill slope is an uphill slope. It’s a quirky spot on the map that any Florida history fan may want to experience at least once..
Haunted tours, spooky stories
Closer to home, theMuseum of Seminole County History (300
EslingerWay, Sanford) offers “Haunted Tours” for this spooky season, on Oct. 29, 30, and 31, with four tours each night, at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m.
“Tour groups must reserve their spot in advance and are limited to no more than 10 persons, ghouls, creatures or various combinations of the above,” organizers say. Times are limited, especially Halloween night. For reservations, visit recreation.seminolecountyfl.gov, or call 407-665-2489.
All during October, families with children have been invited to drop by the Orange CountyRegional History Center or any branch of the Orange County Library Systemto pick up a bag of treats and crafts. That opportunity continues thisweek along with online programs.
On Oct. 26 and Oct. 30, the History Center’ s Halloween Hullabaloo live puppet showoffers fun for the pre-K set at 10 a.m.
For the 5-10 age group, Spooky History Storytellers on Oct. 27 and Oct. 29 dives into stories fromFlorida’s past at 4:30 p.m. And, on Oct. 28, Creepy Artifact Showcase invites older kids (and adults, too) to take a peek at “some of themost chilling, creepy and just plainweird artifacts fromthe museum’s collection.” These Zoom programs are free. To register, visit TheHistoryCenter.org/events/.
On Friday, Oct. 30, the History Center also offers a DiscoveryDay Camp at the museum; for details, see thehistorycenter.org/event/discovery
Elsewhere in Central Florida, the DeBaryHall Historic Site ends its Halloween season with spooky candlelight tours at 7 and 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. Reservations (and masks) are required for the $10 tours, and space is limited, so ticketsmay be hard to come by; call 386-668-3840.
Volusia CountyHeroes
Also inwest Volusia County, the West Vol us ia Historical Society offers an event next month, Nov. 21-22, 4 to 7 p.m.
The event is set in historic Oakdale Cemetery in DeLand but is linked more to VeteransDay thanHalloween. It’s the society’s Historic Oakdale Walk, this year entitled “Glimpses of WorldWar II: Volusia CountyHeroes” and features storytelling and conversations between WWII soldiers who hailed from West Volusia or chose to make the area home. Check www.delandhouse.com/ for details.