Snapshots in Time: Clermont Then and Now

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I found this postcard at Renningers Antique Market in Mt. Dora recently and was drawn to it because of its size (PICTURAMA Queen Size card) and the subject matter. It shows a fish eye view from the middle of US 27 looking towards the Crest Restuarant & Cocktail Lounge and the Clermont Motor Lodge in Clermont Florida. The location is a place I keep returning to again and again to document what happens to Pre-Disney old Florida in the 21st century.

The postcard, probably from the 1960s, has red arrows pointing out items of interest like the Florida Citrus Tower, the junction of SR 50 and US 27 and the aforementioned properties. The Crest Restaurant, a gorgeous mid-century building with rooftop and roadside neon signs, looks brand new. Next door, the Clermont Motor Lodge looks very picturesque and quiet. This part of Central Florida was once in the center of the citrus industry and US 27 was one of the major arteries bring folks to Florida from the north.


The back of the postcard reads:

Clermont Motor Lodge
Located on U.S. 27 and 50. One mile south of the Citrus Tower, in the heart of the beautiful citrus scenic ridge section overlooking hills and lakes. Good boating and fishing. Forty units at moderate rates. Air conditioned- Electric Heat. Free TV in all units. Swimming pool for pleasure year' round. Quiet and restful.

Crest Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge
Central Florida's finest buffet and a la carte service featuring steaks, sea foods and lobster. The Crest is renowned as the "Home of the Giant Martini." For an elegant but comfortable atmosphere, Crest is Best.

When I happened upon the location, some years ago in my pre-digital era, the Crest had become Crown Restaurant. The sign, originally red and black had been painted blue and yellow. The Clermont Motor Lodge was in operation, barely.

Earlier this year I returned and the Crown sign had been repainted flat black. It still lights up and they've added martinis to the left and the right (it now says Lounge instead of Restaurant.)


Sadly the Clermont Motor Lodge property is empty and for sale. No trespassing signs are stenciled everywhere and all the windows are boarded up. Once sporting two monumental roadsigns, the only signage viewable from the road today are the "For Sale" signs. It is my guess that the only thing that has kept this property from being demoed is the current economic climate.

New stuff at the PHOF

My first visit to the Presidents' Hall of Fame in Clermont was just a couple months ago so I was surprised to see a couple new displays in my recent return. With every admission you receive an annual pass, so I was eager to visit again for free.

The first new addition to the collection was this "Bush in a Fortune Teller Booth" display. While the PHOF seems to be fairly bipartisan, this piece portrays a fairly creepy G.W. Bush with shifty "X-files" eyes that move from left to right. I was tempted to put a dollar in to see if a fortune would appear but refrained because I wanted all my cash for the wonderful gift shop, where they still have items that appear to be twenty years old.


The second recent addition was the wax Obama figure. On my first trip out they only had a cardboard figure of our current president. This new Barack, by far the most realistic of all the wax figures, is the only one that moves. His head turns from left to right and back.


The miniature White House, which supposedly is the main feature of the attraction, is still not on display. But that means you can see the bizarre Christmas decorations year round!

Just for Presidents Day: Abe on Education

In 1960 artist John Zwiefel bought the House of Presidents Wax Museum as a place to display his incredibly detailed model of the White House. Unfortunately the model is on loan much of the time and is rarely home in the Clermont, FL roadside attraction which is now called Presidents Hall of Fame. However, the wax figures remain; delightfully creepy, somewhat ironic in their juxtaposition. Laura Bush near JFK, a smiling Bill Clinton behind a stone-faced Hilary, with FDR taking center stage surrounded by a sea of microphones.

Lincoln speaks as you enter the attraction and the snippet I happened to record has Abe speaking on the value of education. Perhaps our elected leaders in Florida need to hear old Abe as they make drastic cut after drastic cut to the state education budget making it even more difficult for future Floridians to get a decent education in our public schools. Words of wisdom in wax.

Note: Lincoln is located in the gift shop of the Presidents Hall of Fame, and a doorbell rings anytime anyone enters. My apologies for the interruption in the middle of the president's speech.

Presidential Puppets

I shot this over the weekend at the Presidents Hall of Fame in Clermont, FL. I feel it needs no further explanation.