Nestled on the rare and beautiful Lake Wales Ridge Scrub, the Historic Corridor showcases those natural and architectural wonders that make the Lake Wales area unique. Railroad right-of-way along the tracks which run parallel to Scenic Highway (S.R. 17), stretching from Polk Avenue on the south to the northern city limits, is used by the City of Lake Wales in agreement with CSX transportation. The Historic Corridor encompasses sites of great significance to Lake Wales' early history and development, as well as the railroad itself, upon which the City of Lake Wales was founded.

All of the National Register Historic Districts lie in close proximity to the CSX Historic Corridor. Situated on the east side of the corridor between Central Avenue and Polk Avenue are the Stuart-Dunn-Oliver House (1920), the Seaboard Airline Depot (1916), Crystal Lodge (1920), and the Atlantic Coastline Depot (1928). All of these historic buildings have been restored and serve today as museums, depicting the early life and development of the Lake Wales community.