Florida Ruins Part I

Lake Placid Tower- Photo by Pat Greene

For years I’ve been fascinated by the ruins of Florida.

The times that I entered the abandoned tourist sites, like Xanadu, and Splendid China, are mixed memories.

These places started out as fantastical, otherworldly spots. They became shoddy, smelly ruins, that displayed the end of a dream. They gave homeless people shelter.

I always thought about how some of the money spent to create these places could have given these people a better shelter.

My longtime favorite ruin is the Lake Placid Tower, Lake Placid, Florida.

It’s in a parking lot on the side of Highway 27, next to a Chinese restaurant.

The structure is 240’ high. It opened in 1961. It closed in 1982. Ticket sales were low. The owner refused to pay his taxes. In 1986 it was opened up again, with a new owner. The new owner put a petting zoo next to it. He put a pay phone at the top. It was touted as the highest pay phone in Florida.

Another person bought it in 1992. It was open to the public until 2003.

The architect was Lakeland architect, A. Wynn Howell.