About Kissimmee
Just outside of Orlando, right outside the door of the Disney World Resort, is the homely and friendly town of Kissimmee in the sunshine state of Florida. It is a town full of history, culture, adventure, thrills and is the perfect place for a holiday.
Kissimmee was originally known as Allendale when it was founded sometime in the mid-1800, it became a city in the year 1883 and at this same time was renamed Kissimmee. It is located in the county of Osceola and has a recently reported population of a little over 55,000, which has come a long way from the 4,310 people registered as residents in the year 1950. Osceola County is named after a Chief Osceola who opposed white settlement and fought hard for this land. It was a city known for its ranching and fruit packing industry until the year 1971. One would say that Kissimmee came to be thanks to one Hamilton Disston. He was a man that bought out about 4 million acres of wetlands, Kissimmee included and wished to have the land drained so as to deepen the water masses and promote shipping in that area. That was before the Disney World Resort was opened and the industry switched to hospitality and tourism.
The street where it all happens in Kissimmee in terms of shopping, nightlife, businesses and entertainment is the downtown Main Street. There is a variety of bands playing on the streets any time of day, the restaurants are diverse and friendly and you can enjoy all levels of shopping from designer clothing to gift shops. From here, many tours are taken often by boat on the Lake Toho. There are also the famed ghost tours that are taken in the night for full effect. the stories about headless horsemen and “a girl that plays on the playground swings” and stories of othe mysteries and murders.
In Kissimmee, you are guaranteed to find numerous beaches, rivers, and lakes. There is the Kissimmee River, the Kissimmee Lake, and the Toho Lake. These are important in terms of the ever-thriving tourism industry in this city. Along with being near so many water masses, there is also the problem of a number of hurricanes. This area is well known for the hurricane season that sees successive hurricanes hit the shores of Florida.
The Kissimmee River is a 3000 square mile river that shares watershed points with three other rivers, Withlacoochee, Miami and Peace and it is at this point that you get to witness an exotic convergence of birds, fish and other kinds of animals and this makes for another great holiday tip.
Around Kissimmee is an array of world-renowned spots that definitely explain the spike in their tourism industry. First off is the Disney World Resort, one of the biggest theme parks in the world. It is the home of all those lovable characters that we grew with and laughed at. There is also SeaWorld, a home of the largest sea life preservation projects and water sports rides for the whole family to enjoy. The other site of interest that is neighbouring this city would have to be the Kennedy Space Centre. If you’re lucky you may even get to see a space shuttle launch! At the Kennedy Space Centre you’ll also get to see space travel history and learn about the universe we live in. Also about an hour away, is a coastline that dreams are made of and you get to experience the Gulf of Mexico and better yet, the Atlantic Ocean.
There is the Osceola Heritage Park which is also a well-known cultural attraction is home to the Osceola County Stadium and the Osceola Softball Stadium, which is a convergence of 5 softball parks. The Silver Spurs Arena where your hunger to see a rodeo will be well squashed as there are major events that take place like the Annual Osceola County Fair. If you are a fan of the NBA team, Orlando Magic, then there is the Amway Arena where the team has set up base and the chance to see pre-game warm-ups is highly likely. Kissimmee is the very definition of community spirit, beauty, warmth, and adventure all in one package.