DeBary Hall Historic Site

Fernando Lima

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

We had a wonderful time at DeBary Hall Historic Site. The staff is friendly and helpful. Susan our tour guide the best! She was genuinely interested in sharing about the various historical facts about the place and the DeBary family. We also enjoyed a cinematic presentation that gives you a feel for what it was like to ride on a riverboat back in the 1800s. This is like traveling back in time. Older folks will also enjoy seeing artifacts that will remind them of their past. Prepare to spend at least a couple of hours to make your visit worthwhile.

Michelle Miller

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Doing the museum challenge ( Bingo) took a tour through the Historic home .and learned alot .very nice staff as well !! thank you

Holly Shisler

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

Debary hall is such an interesting place. We have been to Christmas tours of the mansion, various programs called Lemonade talks from master gardeners about Florida gardening, and other topics in their auditorium and today we went on a "Bike ride through History." This consisted of a nine mile bicycle ride with Debary guides Tracy and Lisa giving an informative talk about the history of the area. We rode from Debary Hall do to Gemini Park and Lake Monroe Park. Both Tracy and Lisa gave an interesting and informative description of the area when the Debary's came to their winter estate for hunting and recreation. We made many stops to hear their talk about various areas as we rode to Lake Monroe so the ride was relaxing and enjoyable. There are other activities at Debary Hall like Line Dancing, Kayaking, etc. They have a newsletter that they send out each month with these events.

Rich Dugger

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

If you like a bit of history, this is something you will enjoy. A quiet little town that has managed to save a bit of the past and for a very small fee, you are welcomed to tour the home. You start in a nice visitors center ( the entrance for the parking took a bit to find, but it is not terribly difficult and not a congested area so just be mindful, you may have to pass the house, drive a short distance, and look for the road in to park) From the visitors center we were taken to a very large theater with a revolving floor. Three screens are used and it was very helpful in learning the history of the area and the people that developed this property and built / lived in the home. Our guide was most polite, very informed. We were quite fascinated at this glimpse into the past, the reasons why this family came here and how they influenced the development of the surrounding area. How ice was brought in and stored fascinated me as did other tidbits I learned that day. The thought of being on the front of the home, and looking all the way down to Lake Monroe, which the St John's River runs through, really got my imagination going as to what it might be like to have been alive and a guest at that time. The grounds of several hundred acres were used for hunting and the docent had a great knowledge of how the property was used and how they entertained, including some very influential visitors such as a few US presidents. This seems to be one of those spots that is often missed by many tourists. On our visit, we were the only two guests on property during our entire visit. We had the grounds to ourselves. Bathrooms were very clean and easily available. There is nowhere to buy food here, so eat ahead, or bring a picnic and enjoy the small park attached. A very interesting slice of history. If you go, I also suggest heading down to the lake and visiting Gemini Springs Park. You are only a few minutes away and it has a great many picnic areas, walking trails around springs that feed into the river. The water is not all that clear as these are not large springs, but it is one of the other things to see on this side of Lake Monroe that we found interesting. On the South side of Lake Monroe, there are ample shopping and dining options if you are making a day of it. Sanford is the town name, and it has a very cute revitalized historic downtown area. We did not find those options on the South side of the lake. The old train depot (Henry's Depot) has many dining options gathered together under one roof.

Bill

5 out of 5 stars★★★★★

What a great find. This is a great place to stop at while walking the tail or just diving by. For walkers it’s a good place as you can buy water and there are nice bathrooms there. It was a Wednesday afternoon and we were the only people there but for a few workers. There are benches, a bike fix station and a covered picnic pavilion with more picnic tables around the park. The parking lot is large and I would think it would be easy to find parking unless there’s a special event going on. They offer tours for $6 ($5 for seniors) but you can walk the grounds for free. This was an easy 5 Star review.