by Donna DiGennaro South Lake County Historical Society
Think you know about World War II? Why not come to Clermont’s World War II Museum and see first-hand what the men and women went through as they fought Nazi Germany and its allies. Every item on display has been donated and is an authentic piece of history. Housed in a Quonset Hut that was constructed on its current site in 1943, the museum has displays of books, medals, clothing, footlockers, souvenirs, photographs and much more. If you are lucky, you may even come at a time when a former World War II pilot is there to share his stories.
The Museum is a part of Clermont’s Historic Village. Located at 490 West Ave. on the shores of beautiful Lake Minneola, the Village is a unique partnership between the City of Clermont and the South Lake County Historical Society that is dedicated to preserving the history of this area from around 1883 until the end of World War II. Admission to the Village is always free. However, a donation of $2.00 per person is requested. The Village is open every Friday from 1:00 to 3:00 pm and every Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Volunteers are on hand to give tours or you can simply stroll through the 6 buildings at your own pace listening to recorded information. Bring your children and let them vie for prizes with a historical scavenger hunt.
If you are interested in history in general or the history of Lake County in particular, contact the South Lake County Historical Society by going to our website, ClermontVillage.org; by calling our manager, Roxanne Brown, at 352-432-3496 or by attending our membership meetings which are held on the second Monday of every month at 7:00 pm in the Train Depot in the Historic Village. Our next meeting is on March 11th.
