Community hub is shaping up
Ocala Main Street’s new Heart of the Park venue inside Tuscawilla Park will include space for iconic local memorabilia.
Jessica Fieldhouse, executive director of Ocala Main Street, and Adam Sines, an Ocala Main Street volunteer and the museum volunteer chair, look over James Melton items that will be on display in Ocala Main Street’s new Heart of the Park in Tuscawilla Park on June 24, 2025. Ocala Main Street is planning a soft opening for VIP members on the Fourth of July and a grand opening for the public on July 5. The former American Legion building will feature a museum, corner store, expansive deck and daily programming based on health and wellness. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.
Some quiet but important activity has been underway in the past few weeks at the Heart of the Park building inside Tuscawilla Park in Ocala. The former American Legion building is being transformed by Ocala Main Street into a “community hub” as part of overall park revitalization efforts.
A soft opening of the Heart of the Park, at 516 NE Sanchez Ave., for stakeholders and invited VIPS, will take place July 4 during the Patriotic Skies celebration. The public will be able to visit the center and museum on July 5.
A prior article in the “Gazette” noted that renovations to the building include replacing and moving HVAC units and redoing the electrical system. The project received a $50,000 donation from the Miller Family.
“Plans include a corner store and expansive deck, satellite museum exhibit center in partnership with local museums and organizations, daily programming focused on wellness and community, and enhanced connectivity throughout the park,” OMS Executive Director Jessica Fieldhouse noted in the article.
One of those involved with putting together historic displays for the venue is Adam Sines, who works for the city of Ocala.
“My involvement with Ocala Main Street is separate from my employment with the city of Ocala. I just volunteer on my own time. I connected with Jessica in March of 2024 through a mutual acquaintance. Jessica and I met for coffee, and she shared the vision for the Heart of the Park project. Since then, we have worked together to develop and organize an exhibit space to highlight local history. We have the beginnings of the infrastructure for the exhibit space, however we plan to order custom display cases and improve the quality of what we have, as we raise funds to make improvements,” he shared.
“I work two jobs outside of this project, for the city of Ocala and for AdventHealth. Even working 70 hours a week, I still find time to volunteer and help bring this wonderful project to fruition. The real driving force though comes from Jessica. Her passion for our community and the work she does through Ocala Main Street is one of the greatest assets we have here in Ocala,” Sines added.
In organizing exhibit spaces in the Heart of the Park, Sines noted that, “I had the privilege to sit down with Scott Mitchell of the Silver River Museum a few months ago and he was gracious enough to provide us with insight on what curating an exhibit space entails. We have also worked with organizations and individuals in the community to create a space where the achievements of people in our community can be shared and celebrated. For example, Delee Perry has been such an invaluable resource, and I have had the great honor of working with her to develop an exhibit that highlights her father’s achievements and contributions to the community. We are also very fortunate to have a collection from the late Lamont ‘Monty’ Pharmer, on loan to us from the Veterans Exhibit and Education Center, that highlights a local hero and dedicated community volunteer.”
When asked if he feels it’s important to preserve/showcase local history, Sines offered: “Absolutely, our history is what makes our community special. Ocala is blessed to not only have such an abundance of historic buildings, but also fascinating stories from individuals in our community. These are stories that deserve to be told, and we are honored to provide a space where we can preserve and share local history with our community. We look forward to working with various museums, organizations and individuals in our community to continue to improve the exhibit space at the Heart of the Park.
Fieldhouse said on Wednesday that the website heartoftheparkocala.com is where people will be able to access a calendar of events, museum hours and more.
“We will have our official grand opening in October, when we hope to have the corner store and deck completed,” she noted.
As for revitalizing the park, she said the city of Ocala is expanding the skate park and that other planned activities are geared to generating more pedestrian foot traffic throughout the expansive campus. Upcoming activities are expected to include festivals and events, yoga and other classes, and more.
“We still are in the fundraising mode, and we hope the community can wrap its arms around us and support us,” she said.
The Patriotic Skies 4th of July celebration will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on July 4 at Tuscawilla Park, at 800 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala. The city of Ocala, in partnership with Ocala Main Street, the Marion County Board of County Commissioners and Ocala/Marion County Visitors and Convention Bureau, is hosting the event. Access to the park is free. The city is hosting entertainment, family activities and food trucks, while Ocala Main Street will present the fireworks. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. To learn more, go to ocalafl.gov/julyfourth
For more information, go to heartoftheparkocala.com and ocalamainstreet.org
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