Lake County, Florida
Mount Dora
The only inland freshwater lighthouse in Florida, on a plateau the state is not supposed to have.
The 35-foot lighthouse at Grantham Point, dedicated on 25 March 1988, is the only inland freshwater lighthouse in Florida.
What this place is
Why Mount Dora is here
David Simpson and his family settled here in 1874; Ross C. Tremain became the first postmaster in 1880 and the town was chartered in 1910.
A hill town in a flat state, sold as a winter resort from the start - the Alexander House opened as a hotel in 1883.
- 1846Lake Dora named
- 1874Simpson family settles
- 1883Alexander House opens
- 1988Grantham Point light dedicated
Worth the trip
What to look for
- 01
The Lakeside Inn, opened in 1883 as the two-storey Alexander House and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
- 02
The Grantham Point lighthouse, dedicated 25 March 1988.
Time your visit
Annual events
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February
Mount Dora Arts Festival
Held on the first full weekend of February, drawing hundreds of national artists showing painting, sculpture and photography through the downtown streets.
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October
Mount Dora Craft Fair
More than 350 exhibitors fill downtown for a weekend each October. Sunshine Artist magazine named it the number one all-time favourite classic and contemporary craft festival in America in its 50th anniversary edition.
Hotels, inns, rentals and campgrounds
Where to Stay
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Hotels
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Inns Bnb
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Vacation Rentals
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Vacation Rentals
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Inns Bnb
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Vacation Rentals
Restaurants, seafood, cafes and bars
Where to Eat
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Seafood · $
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Restaurants · $$
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $
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Restaurants · $$
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Restaurants · $
Parks, beaches, museums, tours and charters
Things to Do
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Parks Nature
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Parks Nature
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Tours Charters
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Parks Nature
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Parks Nature
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Tours Charters
Mount Dora on the record
Pictures of the place
Archive and Creative Commons photographs of Mount Dora. Nothing here is generated; every image is credited to the person who took it.
75 guides, written from this town’s own record
Guides
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The Best Things to Do in Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora sits on a plateau 184 feet above sea level, which is not supposed to exist in Florida, and it has been trading on that fact since 1883.
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The Best Restaurants in Mount Dora, Florida
Mount Dora’s dining scene runs on its own clock—tourist-season brisk, lake-town patient, and rarely impressed by itself.
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Where to Stay in Mount Dora: Hotels, Inns and Rentals
A plateau 184 feet up, an inland freshwater lighthouse, and a town that has been selling winter air since 1883 — here is where you lay your head in Mount Dora.
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A Weekend in Mount Dora: What to See, Eat and Do
Mount Dora sits 184 feet above the Florida plateau, an inland town with a lighthouse, a lake, and a downtown that knows exactly what it is.
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Mount Dora Florida: 16 Things to Know Before You Visit
Mount Dora is a hill town in a flat state, and it has been selling that elevation since 1883.
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The Best Time of Year to Visit Mount Dora
The best time to visit Mount Dora is late winter, when the town is at its most self-consciously itself.
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Mount Dora vs Altamonte Springs: Which Florida Town to Visit
Mount Dora sits 184 feet above the sea Florida is known for, on a plateau the state is not supposed to have. That elevation, plus the only inland freshwater lighthouse in Florida, makes it a hilltop outlier. Altamonte Springs, twenty miles south, cannot match it.
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The History of Mount Dora in 7 Landmarks
Mount Dora is a town that has made a career out of being looked at, which makes it fitting that its history is best told through the things you can still walk up to and touch.
Public record
Mount Dora by the numbers
- 16,812Residents (2023)
- 6.2% Homes held for seasonal use
- 251 Places in this guide