Written by Donna Digennaro, Clermont Historical Society
Bogie may have never said that “famous” line in the movie classic Casablanca, but that won’t stop this piano from playing over and over. You are looking at a vintage player piano; the piano that can make even the most inexperienced player sound like a trained expert. This amazing instrument plays music all by itself. Since this one is electric, all you need to do is plug it in, insert the piano roll for the tune you want to play, flip a switch and off you go! No need to even pump the peddles.
This particular piano can be found in the Quonset hut at Clermont’s Historic Village located at 490 West Avenue on the shores of beautiful Lake Minneola. The Village is open every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Admission to the Village is free but a donation of $5.00 per person over 12 is requested. So, come to the Village, bring the kids and watch their faces light up in amazement as the piano plays itself!
The Historic Village is a unique partnership between the city of Clermont and the Clermont Historical Society. The city maintains the exterior of the buildings and the grounds and the Historical Society maintains the interior of the buildings and owns the furnishings & décor. Once you are on the grounds of the Village, all visitors are asked to report directly to the pavilion to sign our guest book and for a brief explanation of the changes that have been made to our procedures which have changed because of COVID restrictions.
If you are interested in the history of Clermont or in history in general, why don’t you consider joining the Clermont Historical Society? Membership is just $25.00 per person or $35.00 for a couple annually. At this time only board members are attending the society’s monthly meetings which are held on the second Tuesday of each month but members and guests are invited to join via Zoom. You can also see lots of pictures and information about the Village on our Facebook page. A new website will be launching soon. For questions or further information please call 352-242-7734. We hope to see you all now that the Village is reopened. Stay hopeful and safe!
