Lunch & Learn: Colonial Plaza and the Era of Malls

Name: Lunch & Learn: Colonial Plaza and the Era of Malls
Start: 2025-09-05T12:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-09-05T13:00:00-04:00
Location: 65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL, United States, Florida 32801

Schedule

Fri Sep 05 2025 at 12:00 pm to 01:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

65 E Central Blvd, Orlando, FL, United States, Florida 32801 | Orlando, FL

The opening of Colonial Plaza in 1956 marked a change in Orlando and caused a shift away from the once-popular downtown business district. Throughout the following decades, the plaza would undergo several changes, including its conversion into an enclosed mall. By the 1970s and 1980s, Orlando was home to many popular malls, making it a shopping destination in Florida. Join our historian, Rachel Williams, as she discusses the rise and fall of shopping malls in Central Florida.
Participate online or in-person. Closed caption available online.
History Center Members: Free
General Public: $5
History Center Members with lunch: $12
General Public with lunch: $17
Lunch must be ordered by 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 4.
Call 407-836-8580 with questions.
About Our Speaker
Rachel Williams holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in history and public history from the University of Central Florida. As the historian at the Orange County Regional History Center. she works on various projects such as conducting oral histories and assisting the public with research projects.