Things to Do in Lakeland (2025)

Lakeland’s free-admission, Smithsonian-affiliated art museum unveiled a major expansion in January 2025, tripling gallery space and debuting shows from Rodin to Warhol. Backed by Florida Southern College, it’s a community hub for world-class exhibitions and education.

Walk the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings with daily guided tours. Featured by Southern Living, these docent-led strolls bring the Child of the Sun campus to life—from the Usonian House to the iconic Water Dome.

Chef Marcos Fernandez’s downtown flagship blends Cuban roots and modern Spanish technique—think vaca frita, ceviche, and serious cocktails. Lauded with Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon and expanded with Bar Vasco on the rooftop, it’s a defining Lakeland dining room.

Lines form early for cruffins, laminated pastries, and slow-fermented loaves at this nationally noted bakehouse, praised by food editors and local media alike. Order ahead or join the queue—the vibe is friendly, and the bakes are worth the wait.

An independently owned food hall on Lake Mirror where locals graze on ramen, tacos, pizza, poke, barbecue, and Mayday ice cream. Covered by Creative Loafing Tampa Bay and Visit Central Florida, it’s an easy, lively slice of the city’s culinary scene.

Community-forward and independently owned, Swan pours Florida-made beers beside constant live music, trivia, and markets like the long-running Punk Rock Flea. A downtown hangout praised by local outlets, it’s where Lakeland gathers over a pint by the water.

This 1928 Mediterranean Revival movie palace—saved by residents and run as a nonprofit—hosts classic films, touring acts, and special events. Recent upgrades and a robust 2025 calendar underline its role as a living landmark for arts in Lakeland.

Set in a 1920s bungalow, Hillcrest brews local roasters and turns Thursdays into a donation-based listening room for original music. Often highlighted by Visit Central Florida, it’s equal parts neighborhood café, arts venue, and porch-swing hangout.

Downtown’s craft-cocktail standard-bearer is known for meticulous builds and service, with long hours and a low-lit, convivial room. Repeatedly named Best Bar and Best Cocktails by local critics, it’s where Lakeland’s bartenders show their chops.

A destination for pop-culture hunters, now in its 2025 new location. Local media spotlight its authentic Disney and Universal props alongside vintage furniture, records, and collectibles—from quirky stocking-stuffers to statement pieces with a story.

Female-owned and downtown proud, this record shop curates new and used LPs, cassettes, and gear—and produces the semiannual Lakeland Record Fair. Recognized by Record Store Day and supported by the City’s events calendar, it’s a music-lover’s anchor.

A 1927 Tudor home reborn as a neighborhood gastropub, pouring Florida craft beer and cocktails with fried-green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and a beloved weekend brunch. Praised by local food writers, it’s a Dixieland fixture with real character.