Liberty Square |

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Liberty Square is the smallest land in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, but it contains an incredible amount of detail that you won’t want to miss.

The attractions in Liberty Square include The Hall of Presidents, Haunted Mansion, and the Liberty Square Riverboat. And you’ll find the restaurants Liberty Tree Tavern, Columbia Harbor House and Sleepy Hollow Refreshments here as well.

Homeschooling with Liberty Square

As you enter Liberty Square, you’ll see a replica of the Liberty Bell. Fun fact: The Liberty Bell displayed in the park was cast from a mold of the original.

Here’s the story: In 1976, 50 replicas were cast and molded in honor of our country’s 200th birthday. Each state would receive one and place it in a spot of their choice. However, the state of Pennsylvania had a problem. They already had the original Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Why would they want a replica? Years later, Walt Disney World realized Pennsylvania had the replica and asked if they could have it for Liberty Square. Pennsylvania agreed and on July 4th, 1989 the replica Liberty Bell was hoisted and lowered into its permanent spot inside Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom where it still sits today. Florida remains the only state with two of the 50 replica Liberty Bells.

If you look in the tree in front of Liberty Tree Tavern, you’ll see 13 lanterns representing the original 13 colonies of the United States. The “Liberty Tree” tree is named after the song by the same name, which was featured in the 1957 Disney film adaptation of the book, Johnny Tremain.

And a great photo-op in Liberty Square is at the authentic wooden pillory (stocks) that you can put your head and hands in.

Also in Liberty Square, notice that the sidewalk has a brown ‘path’ built into the pavement. In colonial times, there was no sewer system, and so many streets had a stream of sewage flowing within them.

If you’re looking for a great curriculum for middle school students, America the Beautiful is top notch!

Some books you might enjoy:

Watch Liberty’s Kids, an award winning animated series voiced by many film legends or Drive Through History, another award winning series.

You can read about money in Colonial times, or study Colonial architecture.

Speaking of architecture, the Haunted Mansion is based on the gothic architecture used in the New York region when it was known as Dutch New Amsterdam. Liberty Square also has architecture reminiscent of the city of Boston in the mid-1700s. As you move through the land, the buildings begin to take on the Georgian style popular in Williamsburg during the late 1700s. The Hall of Presidents is modeled after buildings in Philadelphia at the time of the Constitution’s creation in 1787. Liberty Square leads into the American frontier and westward expansion as you continue into Frontierland.

The Liberty Belle Riverboat is a Colonial-era riverboat that features meticulously detailed wood craftsmanship. An actual steam engine converts water from the river into steam that powers the large paddle that in turn propels the boat. Read more about the attraction at the Walt Disney World site or consider learning more about how steam powered riverboats work.