Lake Placid is a small town in Highlands County, Florida, set in the lakes region of central Florida about 15 miles south of Sebring along US 27. Chartered on December 1, 1925, under the name Lake Stearns, it began as the center of a citrus operation during the Florida land boom. Its identity shifted when Melvil Dewey—the librarian who devised the Dewey Decimal System and founder of the original Lake Placid Club in upstate New York—established a second Lake Placid Club here in 1927 and successfully campaigned to rename the town. That dual heritage of agriculture and resort history still shapes the community today. The town is known by two nicknames that capture its character. As the "Caladium Capital of the World," Lake Placid sits at the heart of Florida's caladium-growing region, where fields of the ornamental plants color the landscape and support a signature local industry. As the "Town of Murals," it has transformed its downtown into an outdoor gallery: more than 40 large murals, launched through the Lake Placid Mural Society founded in 1992, depict local history, wildlife, and culture on building walls throughout the commercial district. Water defines daily life. Lake Placid and Lake June offer boating and lakefront living, while 28,000-acre Lake Istokpoga, a well-known bass-fishing destination, lies a few miles to the northeast. Nearby preserves such as Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park add hiking and nature viewing. With a population of roughly 2,400, Lake Placid retains a sparse, small-town feel. It is served by Highlands County schools, including Lake Placid Elementary, Middle, and High School. For residents, the town offers an arts-rich, lake-centered lifestyle in one of Florida's quieter inland corners.