A large orange buoy painted with "Greetings from Florida -- Showcase of Citrus, Clermont" stands at the entrance to Showcase of Citrus, a nod to the famous buoy marker in Key West, with 4x4 ride signage visible in the background.
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Monster Trucks, Orange Creamsicles, and Old Florida Charm

ByWendy Gilbert

There’s a giant creamsicle statue that used to sit beside US-27, visible from the road as you drove past Showcase of Citrus. It’s gone now, which is probably for the best. Toward the end it was looking less vanilla-orange creamsicle and more chocolate-dipped roadside survivor.

I live in the neighborhood next door to Showcase of Citrus — close enough that when the tour guide asks where everyone’s from, Jon and I just gesture vaguely through the treeline.

Showcase of Citrus is a 2,500-acre working cattle and citrus ranch that’s been in the Arnold family for years. Entry is free. You pay for things like the monster truck tour, the feed bucket ($10), gem mining, that kind of thing. It sits just off US-27 in Clermont, about 30 minutes from Orlando, and from the highway it still looks like one of those old roadside attractions that somehow survived development — a little weird, a little kitschy, but fun and endearing. Most disappeared years ago under subdivisions, chain restaurants, and master-planned communities. Showcase of Citrus somehow didn’t.

The Showcase of Citrus monster truck vehicle -- zebra-striped with massive tires -- parked near the boarding area, with a vintage red tractor mounted on a pole in the background.
Close-up of the monster truck's oversized tires and zebra-striped body from ground level, showing just how large the vehicles are up close.
Passengers aboard the open-air monster truck tour vehicle, seated in rows with the zebra-striped railing visible, out on the ranch.
A yellow caution sign reading "Bigfoot Breeding Area -- Avoid Eye Contact" spotted from the monster truck, with Florida pine trees in the background.
A wooden fence along the tour trail with a yellow warning sign featuring a Bigfoot silhouette, marking the edge of Bigfoot territory on the Showcase of Citrus ranch.

The 4×4 monster truck ride is advertised as the largest in the world. The vehicles sit you about 12 feet off the ground and take you through citrus groves, Florida scrubland, cattle pastures, and swamp for about an hour. You’ll see things like a Texas longhorn, ostrich, pigs, alligators, sandhill cranes, and bison depending on the day. As we pulled in we spotted a pair of sandhill cranes crossing toward the groves, followed by a fluffy-butted baby sandhill trying to keep up.

The ride is surprisingly smooth — bumpy enough to feel like you’re off-road, but not the kind of thing where anyone’s getting bounced around. Easy for kids, grandparents, and honestly just about anybody.

By the 6pm tour the heat had finally backed off enough to feel pleasant instead of aggressive. The light gets softer around the groves that time of day too. The feed bucket is worth getting. Goats, capybaras, kangaroos, llamas, rabbits — they all know what that bucket means and they will come for it.

Our guide mentioned that the orange blossom honey from the store makes a surprisingly good Old Fashioned. He was right, so grab some. And while you’re there — get the orange creamsicle. It’s an orange juice slushy with ice cream and it will absolutely give you a brain freeze if you’re not careful. We split a large and were not careful.

Keep in mind — the last tour is at 6pm and they close at 7. If you’re doing the late tour, come an hour early so you have time to wander around beforehand. We went straight from the truck to the store afterward, which worked out fine, but there’s more to poke around than one hour allows.

Pick season runs December through March — that’s when you can do u-pick citrus and buy small trees to take home. May is quieter.

Showcase of Citrus: 15051 Frank Jarrell Road, Clermont, FL 34714. Monster truck tour $25/person, military free. Reservations recommended — (352) 394-4377 or showcaseofcitrus.com. Last tour 6pm, closes 7pm.

Two visitors at the Lucky Gator statue at Showcase of Citrus, reading a sign that invites guests to rub the gator's back, toss a coin, and make a wish.
A restored vintage blue tractor with red wheels on display in the grounds at Showcase of Citrus, surrounded by red mulch and colorful decorations.
A woman in red pants poses beside a classic vintage flatbed truck on display at Showcase of Citrus, with the open-air country store visible in the background.
A large capybara in a wire enclosure at Showcase of Citrus, one of the exotic animals guests can visit and feed on the property.
A collection of restored vintage tractors on display at Showcase of Citrus, including a green John Deere and a red model, arranged on red mulch under a blue sky.
The animal feed sign at Showcase of Citrus marking the 4x4 adventure area, with a walkway leading toward the animal enclosures and boarding area beyond.
A white bucket filled with citrus fruit pieces -- the animal feed bucket available for purchase at Showcase of Citrus.
A bison grazing on open pasture land during the Showcase of Citrus monster truck tour.
A Texas longhorn with impressive wide-spanning horns standing in the pasture at Showcase of Citrus.
A camel walking across the open ranch at Showcase of Citrus, seen from the elevated monster truck tour vehicle.
An ostrich looking up toward the camera from below the monster truck, its long neck and distinctive black feathers visible up close.
A young bison photographed from above from the monster truck, grazing near a weathered piece of driftwood.
An ostrich standing beside a low wooden shelter structure in the open pasture at Showcase of Citrus.
A wide open view of the Showcase of Citrus ranch pastureland stretching toward the tree line, showing the scale of the 2,500-acre property.
A bison and a camel sharing a covered feeding shelter on the open ranch at Showcase of Citrus.
The Tractor Bar beer and drink menu at the Showcase of Citrus

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