Downtown Orlando: Lake Eola Park, Thornton Park, Church Street, Creative Village and Parramore, with the arenas, theaters, museums, LYMMO and parking.

Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Details come from the City of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board and city pages, and from each venue’s own site, linked below. Event dates are on our things to do this month page.

Downtown Orlando is the city’s front room: Lake Eola Park and its fountain, the brick streets of Thornton Park, the bars of Church Street and Orange Avenue, the performing arts center and the arenas. Every year downtown hosts more than 1,200 events, from performing arts and live music to outdoor festivals and more than 100 regular-season home games, the Downtown Development Board says.

At a glance

  • Park: Lake Eola Park, 512 E. Washington St., open 6 a.m. to midnight
  • Getting around: free LYMMO buses; SunRail weekdays at Church Street and LYNX Central
  • Parking: street parking free on Sundays; city garages $20 a day at most
  • Downtown Development Board: downtownorlando.com

The districts

The Downtown Development Board lists nine districts and neighborhoods:

  • Central Business District
  • City District, one of the city’s Main Street districts
  • Creative Village, home to Luminary Green Park and the Valencia/UCF downtown campus, per the city’s LYMMO stops
  • Lake Eola Heights and South Eola, the neighborhoods around the lake
  • Lake Cherokee Historic District
  • North Quarter District
  • Parramore Heritage Neighborhood
  • Thornton Park Main Street District

Lake Eola Park

Lake Eola Park, 512 E. Washington St., is open from 6 a.m. to midnight. The city rents pedal swan boats from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday; there are playgrounds for ages 2-5 and 5-12, and concerts, movies and plays at the Walt Disney Amphitheater, the park’s page says. The Orlando Farmers Market runs every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park’s southeast corner, at Eola Drive and Central Boulevard, as it has since 1987. The park hosts the city’s biggest festivals: Eolaween, Fall Fiesta in the Park and the tree lighting.

Arts and culture

  • Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 S. Magnolia Ave., hosts touring Broadway shows, ballet, concerts and comedians, and runs the AdventHealth School of the Arts, the Downtown Development Board says. The Orlando Ballet’s season plays in its Steinmetz Hall.
  • SAK Comedy Lab, 55 W. Church St., Suite 211, an improv theater; box office 407-648-0001, per SAK.
  • Galleries: CityArts, the Grand Bohemian Hotel Gallery and the Orlando City Hall Mayor’s Gallery and Terrace Gallery.
  • Public art: See Art Orlando, nine contemporary sculptures for a self-guided tour, and murals in nearly every district.

History

  • Orange County Regional History Center, 65 E. Central Blvd., four floors of exhibits, per the Downtown Development Board.
  • Wells’Built Museum in Parramore opened as a hotel in 1921 and tells local African American history with artifacts and a 1930s guest room, the same page says.
  • Orlando Public Library, 101 E. Central Blvd., which the board calls Florida’s largest public library, with free events and story rooms.

More is on our history and landmarks guide.

Sports

  • Kia Center, 400 W. Church St., is home to the Orlando Magic and the Orlando Solar Bears hockey team, and to the Orlando Pirates indoor football team, March to July, the Kia Center and the Downtown Development Board say.
  • Inter&Co Stadium is home to Orlando City and the Orlando Pride, whose seasons run March to November, and to the Orlando Storm of the United Football League.
  • Camping World Stadium hosts college bowl games, the board says.

Friday night high school games are on our Friday night football page.

Getting around

  • LYMMO, the free downtown circulator: the Orange Line (Creative Village, LYNX Central, Church Street, the Dr. Phillips Center, City Hall) and Grapefruit Line (Parramore, Lake Eola, Kia Center, Inter&Co Stadium) run 6 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. weekends; the Lime Line runs weekdays only, the city says.
  • SunRail runs Monday to Friday, with Orlando stops at AdventHealth, LYNX Central Station, Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak, the city says.
  • Parking: city garages charge $2 an hour for the first four hours, $3 an hour after that, $20 a day at most; street parking is paid Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and free on Sundays and city holidays, by ParkMobile, text or phone only, per the city’s parking rates and on-street parking pages.

More is on our getting around guide.

Markets and evenings

  • Luminary Market, first and third Wednesdays, 5:30 to 9 p.m., Luminary Green Park, with an outdoor movie at 7 p.m. (city listing)
  • TPD Night Market, Thursday and Friday evenings, 6 to 10 p.m., at TPD Circle in Thornton Park (district calendar)
  • Thornton Park 2nd Thursday Wine and Art Walk, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., ticketed
  • Nightlife: the Church Street and Orange Avenue bars, and music at the Beacham and the Social; see our live music and nightlife guide

Related: brunch, date night, free things to do and walking and biking trails.

Frequently asked questions

What is there to do in downtown Orlando?

Lake Eola Park with its swan boats and Sunday farmers market, shows at the Dr. Phillips Center, Magic and Solar Bears games at the Kia Center, Orlando City and Pride games at Inter&Co Stadium, the Orange County Regional History Center and the bars of Church Street and Orange Avenue.

Is the LYMMO free in downtown Orlando?

Yes. The city calls LYMMO its free downtown circulator. The Orange and Grapefruit lines run 6 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8:25 p.m. on weekends; the Lime Line runs weekdays only.

How much is parking in downtown Orlando?

City garages charge $2 an hour for the first four hours, $3 an hour after that and $20 a day at most. Street parking is paid Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and free on Sundays and city holidays, by ParkMobile only.

What are the neighborhoods of downtown Orlando?

The Downtown Development Board lists the Central Business District, City District, Creative Village, Lake Eola Heights, Lake Cherokee Historic District, North Quarter, Parramore Heritage Neighborhood, South Eola and Thornton Park.

Which SunRail stations are in downtown Orlando?

The city lists four SunRail stations in Orlando: AdventHealth, LYNX Central Station, Church Street and Orlando Health/Amtrak. SunRail runs Monday to Friday.