[2] Built in 1956 to allow visitors to observe the miles of surrounding orange groves, it was once among the most famous landmarks of the Orlando area.

Thacker and Jack Toole "to showcase the thriving citrus industry," Orlando Weekly wrote in 2005.

In the 1980s, three harsh freezes (1983, 1985, and 1989) killed most of the citrus groves in Lake County; this caused a decrease in visitation to the tower.

[5] In April 2015, the Citrus Tower was repainted in its original color scheme, with orange and white stripes.

At the lobby is ROOM: Valencia: a banquet facility, gift shop, and museum of the tower's history.