| Lake Eola | |
| Coords: | 28.5436°N -81.3728°W |
| Pushpin Map: | Florida |
| Basin Countries: | United States |
| Area: | 23acres |
| Depth: | 11feet |
| Max-Depth: | 23feet |
| Volume: | 103802700USgal |
| Islands: | 1 |
Lake Eola Park is a public park located in Downtown Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola is the main feature of the park. Also located in the park (on the west side) is the Walt Disney Amphitheater, which hosts many community events and various performances year round. On the east side of the park is a Chinese pagoda, and a playground. The park is surrounded by four streets: East Robinson Street (State Road 526), Rosalind Avenue (SR 527), East Central Boulevard, and North Eola Drive.
Lake Eola is a small lake within the South Eola neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, Florida, located at 28.5436°N -81.3728°W in Lake Eola Park. The lake is actually a sinkhole and is famous for its fountain. The sinkhole is approximately 23feet deep and is located 100feet east of the fountain. The fountain changes colors at night like a light show. The lake is 4493feet in circumference and 23acres large. A 0.9adj=onNaNadj=on multi-use sidewalk surrounds the water.[1] [2]
In 1883, wealthy Orlando resident Jacob Summerlin—owner of the Summerlin Hotel, the first City Council president, and financial lender for the construction of Orlando's courthouse in the 1870s—donated a large tract of land to establish a park in Orlando. In 1883, Summerlin came to a city council meeting and offered the land around the lake on the condition that it be beautified and turned into a park. He also required that the city plant trees and put a "driveway" around the lake.[3] To ensure that the city followed through with the stipulations of the donation, Summerlin put reverter clauses in the contract to allow his heirs to reclaim the property if the city failed in its obligations.[3] Several years later, his sons threatened to exercise the reverter clause if the city did not make good on its promise. Today, the park is still maintained according to his requirement that it be kept beautiful.
The park was informally established in 1888 using the first parcel of land; it was the first of many that were donated to the City of Orlando by several families. His sons named it Lake Eola, after a lady they both knew.