Murals of Punta Gorda, Florida – Postcards from the Past
What a beautiful set of Murals. Some place I never thought of visiting :)
Punta Gorda: Mural Town
During a recent trip to Punta Gorda, Florida we discovered several beautiful murals found all around the historic city center. Walking around the sleepy streets, using a map provided by the Charlotte Harbor Visitors Bureau, we felt like we were taking a step back in time. The murals literally painted a picture of the life and times of people throughout the history of this small town.
The Conquistadors at Dean’s South of The Border
Hurricane Charlie Strikes
The Punta Gorda Historic Mural Society started as a result of an idea of one local, Dr. Robert Andrews, to bring to life the history and culture of the area through historic and educational murals we see today. The first mural was completed in September 1995 and they kept on coming! By 2004 there were over 20 completed murals, then disaster hit in the shape of Hurricane Charlie. During the devastating storm over half of the 20 murals were destroyed.
End of the Line on the Idewu Building
Rebuilding Punta Gorda – Murals and all!
The town of Punta Gorda found itself rebuilding much of the historic city center as a result of all the damage but thankfully, the committee serving the Historical Mural Society had the support to re-build the murals as well. Today there are 28 murals decorating the sides of buildings and walls all over the town and Punta Gorda is now recognized as one of the top Mural Towns in the country.
One of a series – Saving Dollars Makes Sense on the Bank of America Building
Visiting the Murals
Punta Gorda is located in Charlotte County in Southwest Florida about 100 miles south of Tampa.
Take a look at the Punta Gorda Historical Mural Society interactive map. Don’t forget to download a QR Code reader as each mural will provide you more detail when you scan it into your smart phone!
QR Scan Code makes it easy to learn more about each mural
A few more of the amazing murals:
Lest We Forget – Kiwanis Veterans Garden
More from the Saving Dollars Makes Sense series
More from the Saving Dollars Makes Sense series
Wow, very interesting recovery for Punta Gorda. On August 13, 2004, hurricane Charlie made a direct hit on Punta Gorda and during this massive storm, we lost our house. For weeks there was no power and we survived in the heat cooking on grills and lighting with flashlights. For Linda and I we had no home and had to move in with a dear friend in Port Charlotte.
In May of 2005 we left the area and have not been back to the downtown Punta Gorda area since. I have been to the Port Charlotte area, but it really hasn’t changed. However, the city on the south side of the river made a big effort to recover and move on.
Seeing this does two things for me. First it brings back terrible memories of homes wiped out, our roof gone and front yards piled to over 10 feet high with trash, rotting foods and molded wall interiors. Secondly, it can bring some healing to this season of our lives with a fresh look.
You have caused me to want to visit this town again and I will do so next month. Thank you for starting the healing process through your wonderful pictures.
Thanks for your comment Dan – So sorry for all your loss during Charlie. We live in the Tampa Bay area so recall all the devastation occurring just 2 hours from our home. I think you will be quite surprised by the way the area turned itself around! During our tour we saw so many beautiful buildings re-built on spots where Charlie did the most damage. We felt an immediate community connection and you could see people were proud of the rebuilding efforts! Enjoy your trip “home”!
Oh, yes, I remember Hurricane Charley well. It hit on Friday the 13th of August, 2004, and that was the end of my home in Punta Gorda … along with many others. I’m very impressed by how the town has rebounded. It certainly looks a lot spiffier with all those fabulous murals! What brought you to P.G.?
Thanks Linda! The re-building effort was incredible. It was inspiring to see the community so engaged and proud of their work! We live just a few hours from PG and woudl you believe, NEVER visited! While we are home for a few months we want to take full advantage of being tourists at home.
Wow, this looks like a nice way to keep the history of a town alive! Beautiful historically inspired murals which most likely attract a lot of extra visitors.
Just love seeing the creativity and artistry that can inspire tourists and civic pride. If you ever get to the NW check out the murals throughout the city of Anacortes on Fidalgo Island.
Thanks Elaine – We lived in Seattle for some time and loved taking the ferry from Anacortes. Such a beautiful area, but we have never been to the murals.
Wonderful murals. There are such quirky towns and attractions in that area.
So great to see this unique restoration. Murals like these can give a town such personality. 🙂
So cool that they restored the murals after the storm. What a great way to bounce back.
These are great murals. What a wonderful way to depict history. The QR codes are a nice way to supply more information.
First, I never knew there was a Punta Gorda, Florida! Love these murals. It would be great to see the work continue, documenting current times for the future.
The murals sound like a great history lesson as well as a terrific walking tour and a fun way to learn more about Punta Gorda’s history. The town looks charming and I would love to visit someday.
Punta Gorda sure brings back memories. Forty years ago we spent the winter in Arcadia- a cattle town. Punta Gorda was one of the places we would get away to. Wasn’t much there at the time. We had our first anniversary dinner at a seafood restaurant. We ordered lobster only it was spiny lobster and we hated it. We also had Christmas dinner at the Holiday inn there- it was well before the USA culinary revolution and before it was a mural town. They’ve come a long way!
Punta Gorda sounds worth a visit just to see the murals! Thanks for sharing.
It’s fascinating that the city is one of the top mural destinations in the country! It’s so fortunate they continued on even after the hurricane. Very interesting!
What a beautiful set of Murals. Some place I never thought of visiting 🙂