Well'sbuilt Hotel, Historic hotel and African-American museum in Parramore District, Orlando, United States.
The Well'sbuilt Hotel is a historic building and African-American museum in Orlando's Parramore District. It features exhibits with period furnishings, personal objects, and memorabilia that tell the story of the local African-American community.
Dr. William Monroe Wells, one of Orlando's first Black physicians, arrived in 1917 and built the hotel in 1921 for African Americans barred from Florida's segregated hotels. He soon added the South Street Casino next door, a performance venue and community center where no gambling took place. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 2000.
The space displays guestroom settings from the 1930s and photographs documenting the Civil Rights Movement in Orlando. Visitors can experience how guests lived in these rooms during that period.
The museum occupies the former hotel at 511 West South Street, in the Parramore district. Its 6,000 square feet hold a 1930s period guestroom, exhibits on the South Street Casino and the Chitlin' Circuit, and African art on loan from local collectors. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 4, 2000.
The hotel served as a gathering place for famous artists and activists including jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, singer Ella Fitzgerald, and baseball player Jackie Robinson during segregation. This connection to Black cultural history makes it a meaningful destination for many visitors.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,036 contributors worldwide.