Orlando swan boats return to Lake Eola with changes to boats, dock

Swan boat fleet expands to 12, with new paint jobs

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando’s iconic swan boats have returned to Lake Eola after more than a month of renovations.

During a ceremony Friday, city leaders unveiled the changes made to the boats and dock at the northwest corner of the lake.

“The swans are the most recognizable icon in our city,” District 3 Commissioner Patty Sheehan said. “We’re so happy to have our live swans and also have an experience.  People love these swan boats.”

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The boats have been closed since early March so the city could reconstruct a new dock to accommodate a newly expanded fleet from eight to 12 swan boats.

The project was $105,000 and included a new dock constructed with modern materials and LED lighting.

“People understand what a great investment this is and people love this and we already had people waiting in line ready to take rides this morning,” Sheehan said.

The refurbishments also included painting the boats to reflect each breed of swan and renaming them after some of Lake Eola’s most famous residents.

“It was so nice to see Queenie and have a boat named after her because she’s such a special swan,” Sheehan said. “We finally got her a mate and she had babies and now we got five black neck swans there. The rarest swans.”

The swans are available to rent for 30-minute trips around Lake Eola on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

For details about how to rent a swan boat, visit the city of Orlando website.


About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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