Plant City is a historic town with fun family activities and extensive shopping options. It is known for its high production of winter strawberries that account for a large percentage of the nation’s harvest. Explore this welcoming town and enjoy the world-renowned succulent strawberries.
Visit the city in March for the annual Florida Strawberry Festival. Enjoy the range of entertainment at the 11-day festival, including musical bands and beauty pageants. Browse the flea market stalls, purchase strawberry shortcake and let kids enjoy the fairground.
Bring children to Dinosaur World, which has more than 200 life-size dinosaur replicas. Embark on a self-guided tour of this museum and try the Triviasaurus Rex Game Show. Learn the history of dinosaurs in the region and pan for minerals and gems. Another town highlight is the Metals & Nature garden. Inspect its array of wrought iron statues and see colourful peacocks and parrots.
Get a sense of the local culture by chatting with friendly residents and wander through the charming streets of the Downtown Plant City Historic Residential District to see almost 200 historic buildings. Go to the Bing Rooming House Museum to learn about its building, formerly used to lodge African Americans who were prohibited from staying in whites-only hotels and restaurants.
Note that the region has a Gulf Coast climate, consisting of hot and humid weather that leads to spectacular summer storms. Plant City was named after railroad contractor Henry B. Plant, rather than the strawberry plants, as you might expect.
The town is between Tampa and Lakeland in the western part of central Florida. Arrive at Tampa International Airport and rent a car to drive east for 37 miles (60 kilometres) to get here. Alternatively, fly to the smaller Plant City Airport or ride the Amtrak Silver Star train to Tampa or Lakeland.
Plant City is a busy hub of entertainment that provides background on the region’s history of dinosaurs and strawberries.
