Touring Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom (Attractions, Shopping, and Dining)

We’re off to Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. We’ll discuss the attractions, dining, and shopping options you can expect to find during your next visit. Whether you pay much attention to it or not, theming at Walt Disney World significantly impacts your experience. For example, Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square is themed to the colonial period of the United States.

Other details reveal educational aspects in addition to historical references. Time spent in this land’s attractions might leave you feeling inspired or, even better, questioning the saga of our current time—when the word “Patriots” shows up at the top of search engines as a football team instead of a type of person.

It had been a while since I spent quality time in Liberty Square. As you can imagine, these Magic Kingdom land tours occasionally require updates. Those updates include spending a good portion of a day in each land, taking photos, and experiencing each attraction. We provide these updates so that you will know what’s available. Who knows? You might want to try something new on your next visit.

Or, in this case, something new to you because everything here dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries, even more specifically, the American Revolutionary War period. You can also get a giant turkey leg here, which is, from what I’ve read, the equivalent of drinking a milkshake, calorie-wise.

Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom

Here is a list of the attractions, dining, character meets, and shopping you’ll encounter while touring Liberty Square.

Attractions and Entertainment

• The Hall of Presidents
• Haunted Mansion
• Liberty Square Riverboat

*It was announced that the Liberty Square Riverboat will eventually permanently close for the construction of a Cars-themed area in Magic Kingdom.

Dining

• The Diamond Horseshoe
• Columbia Harbour House
• Liberty Square Market
• Liberty Tree Tavern
• Sleepy Hollow

Characters

• Possible Character Meets in the Enchanted Glade Gazebo

Retail

• Liberty Square Parasol Cart
• Liberty Square Portrait Gallery
• Memento Mori
• Ye Old Christmas Shoppe

Extra

• Liberty Bell
• The Liberty Tree

*Unfortunately, the Muppets Present Great Moments in American History performance is no longer offered.

Liberty Square Attractions

Liberty Square sits directly between Fantasyland and Frontierland. An additional walkway connects the land to the center hub at Cinderella Castle. Each of Liberty Square’s three attractions offers historical references. For example, The Hall of Presidents was built to resemble Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

The Hall of Presidents

The Hall of Presidents is an original attraction that opened with Magic Kingdom in 1971. It was inspired by Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, which debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

The Hall of Presidents lasts approximately 25 minutes and plays every half-hour. A lobby is available for guests waiting for the next show to begin. The lobby is an attraction itself, with museum-like displays reflecting various presidents.

You’ll enter the theater and find a seat when the next show begins. It’s an impressive theater with three giant projection screens. As the film begins, it reflects on the office of the President of the United States. Dating back to George Washington, it shares our nation’s history, emphasizing the presidents who helped mold it.

Toward the end, audio-animatronics of each President appear on stage. A roll call of sorts is performed, and each President gives a nod in respect to the highlighted President. It is a moving performance that plays to no political sides, promoting unity overall. Don’t be surprised if you applaud with the rest of the audience at the end. You’ll leave feeling refreshed by more than just the air conditioning.

Related: The Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom

Haunted Mansion

For many, the Haunted Mansion is a must-do attraction. Located on the outskirts of Liberty Square, its facade was inspired by various Gothic and Greek Revival styles of architecture.

Haunted Mansion has an interactive standby queue that offers several fun elements. However, Lightning Lane guests will bypass that portion of the queue. Unfortunately, this attraction is so popular that it often has excessive wait times. So don’t be surprised if you end up waiting an hour or more if you elect to ride in standby.

Once you enter the mansion, you’ll be escorted through various rooms, including a stretching room. After exiting the stretching room, you’ll board a doom buggy to explore the rest of the mansion. Ghosts await your presence ahead. However, they are the friendliest of spirits. While the Haunted Mansion is considered a dark ride, it is slow-moving and more fun than scary. Additionally, this ride has no height requirements.

Related: Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom

Liberty Square Riverboat

Our last attraction in Liberty Square is the Liberty Square Riverboat. This attraction sets sail down the Rivers of America, traveling around Tom Sawyer Island on an authentic steam-powered boat sporting a large paddle wheel.

You can experience the Liberty Belle daily up until dusk. Since this attraction has a high capacity, the longest wait should be for the next departure. It takes approximately 17 minutes for the boat to travel full circle. You’ll see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and the Haunted Mansion along the way.

We enjoy riding this attraction reasonably often and find it an excellent way to escape crowds on a busy day. It’s on our list of go-to attractions for busy holidays.

Related: Liberty Belle Riverboat at Magic Kingdom

Character Meets in Liberty Square

Over the years, several characters have met in the gazebo at Liberty Square. At one time or another, we’ve seen Mary Poppins, Anastasia, Drizella, Tiana, and Merida have character meet-and-greets at this location.

This location is also used seasonally. It’s where Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny meet during Easter. Additionally, Santa Claus formerly met here over the Christmas holidays.

Related: List of Magic Kingdom Character Meets

Dining in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom

Now, we’ll look at the dining options offered in Liberty Square. Liberty Square is home to several popular dining options, including one of the most popular counter-service restaurants in the park.

The Diamond Horseshoe

This table service restaurant is open seasonally and serves lunch and dinner. It’s located at the very edge of Liberty Square, bordering Frontierland.

The Diamond Horseshoe serves the same offering as Liberty Tree Tavern next door. This makes sense, given their proximity and the fact that the restaurants share a kitchen. Here is a photo of their menu, and we’ll go over the specific items below.

Liberty Tree Tavern

Liberty Tree Tavern invites guests to step back in time to Colonial Williamsburg for a family-style meal that can be compared to Thanksgiving. The restaurant is divided into six rooms, each representing a figure in our country’s history.

Those rooms include:

• Benjamin Franklin
• Thomas Jefferson
• John Paul Jones
• Paul Revere
• Betsy Ross
• George Washington

On the menu, you’ll find the following:

• Roasted Turkey, Pot Roast, Oven-roasted Pork
• Seasonal Vegetables, Herbed Stuffing, Macaroni and Cheese
• Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake

Columbia Harbour House

Columbia Harbour House is the primary quick-service restaurant in Liberty Square. This location serves seafood, chicken, and sandwiches.

Since I moved to Orlando, Columbia Harbour House has become one of my go-to quick-service locations at Magic Kingdom. I usually stop for a bowl of their New England clam chowder or the fried shrimp kids’ meal, which are great options.

You can dine downstairs or upstairs.

But most will agree that upstairs is more fun, especially if you can get a window seat.

When I was taking photos to update this article, a teenager walked through Liberty Square carrying a tray with several shrimp boils. I immediately decided that if I could figure out where he got it, I would also have it for lunch. Of course, it was Columbia Harbor House, which turned out to be one of the best quick-service meals I’ve had in the parks. It was packed with eight sizable shrimp, several slices of sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob, and two Parker House rolls. Between us, it was a steal at less than $20.00.

Liberty Square Market

Liberty Square Market is located in the center of Liberty Square. Here, you can pick up a turkey leg. They look and smell delicious.

You can also pick up other snacks at this location, including an all-beef grilled hot dog and Mickey-shaped pretzels.

A case in front of the market sells items like Gold Peak Sweet Tea, Minute Maid Apple Juice, Powerade, Sodas, Smart Water, and Bottled Water. They also had pickle-in-a-pouch, Cuties (three-packs), and mini Babybel snack cheese.

A few pre-packaged chips and individual fruits were part of the display.

Sleepy Hollow Refreshments

Sleepy Hollow is another popular quick-service restaurant in Liberty Square. It is the first building on the right after entering from the castle.

Sleepy Hollow Refreshments has funnel cakes, waffle sandwiches, and hand-dipped corn dogs.

In addition to these popular treats, a standard beverage menu is available.

Shopping in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom

Several shopping locations are unique to Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom, including one that sells Christmas items year-round.

Liberty Square Parasol Cart

For starters, the Liberty Square Parasol Cart sells parasols. You can have one custom-made by adding your name or other details. Here are a few photos and the price list.

Liberty Square Portrait Gallery

Across from the parasol cart sits the Liberty Square Portrait Gallery. This is an excellent place to have a silhouette made or have your portrait sketched. Here are a few photos and the price list for each item.

Memento Mori

Memento Mori is located outside the Haunted Mansion in one of the most obscure locations. We recently visited with friends who talked about how the store had probably been sitting there for years before they realized it. Years ago, I remember reading about someone else browsing the store and wondering how I missed that. So, if you love the Haunted Mansion, you might enjoy browsing Memento Mori the next time you’re in the area.

It’s a small gift shop, but all the merchandise is related to the Haunted Mansion.

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe is another well-themed store that sells Christmas ornaments. It sits across the walkway from The Hall of Presidents.

This popular gift shop tends to stay busy. Many guests have traditions of picking out a new ornament each year to commemorate a return visit.

Ornaments can be personalized. Here are the options.

A cast member usually sits in the corner of the shop, hand-painting the customizations.

Children can compose a letter to Santa while visiting the gift shop. A mailbox sits nearby.

A Few Extras in Liberty Square

In addition to all we’ve discussed, a few more items in Liberty Square are worth mentioning.

Liberty Bell Replica

For starters, there’s the replica of the Liberty Bell flanked by flagpoles centered in Liberty Square. The flags surrounding this semblance of American Independence represent the original 13 colonies that formed our great country.

The bottom of the plaque reads, “This replication was truly cast for Liberty Square using the same mold from whence the original bell was sprung.”

The Liberty Tree

An elm tree sits near the Liberty Bell, representing the Liberty Tree.

Thirteen lanterns hang from its branches, representing the original colonies.

Fun Facts About Liberty Square

If you take a moment to look at the building facades in Liberty Square, you’ll notice that some of the shutters are crooked. During this period, England had quit shipping metal to America so the colonies wouldn’t use it for ammunition.

In turn, the people began removing the metal used to hang shutters and using it to make ammunition. They replaced the metal with leather. Naturally, as the leather became worn, the shutters shifted and were no longer evenly hung, resulting in crooked shutters.

Another fun fact is that Liberty Square doesn’t have public restrooms. This is because there was no such thing as indoor plumbing during this time period. Therefore, the nearest restrooms are in the Tangled restroom area that borders the land. Additionally, restrooms are available in nearby Frontierland.

Lastly, the Festival of Fantasy Parade marches through Liberty Square daily. Liberty Square is an excellent location if you want to enjoy the parade without all the hassle of finding a spot an hour beforehand.

Final Thoughts

Liberty Square is one of those park areas where you’ll probably spend more time than expected if you appreciate it. I was again surprised at how long it took me to pause and consume everything the land offered. Sometimes, we get caught up in rushing through the parks, thinking attractions like The Hall of Presidents are skippable. I’m guilty of this, too.

But, ultimately, they are both excellent attractions that I doubt you’ll regret taking the time to do. Besides, this representation of history wasn’t so long ago and is not something we should easily forget. So far, we’ve visited the following lands in Magic Kingdom:

• Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom
• New Fantasyland (The Enchanted Forest)
• Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom
• Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom
• Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom
• Adventureland (Magic Kingdom)
• Frontierland in Magic Kingdom

In the Comments

What do you think of Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom? Do you enjoy touring the area?