DeBary Hall Historic Site — Attraction in DeBary

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...

Kyle Gutierrez A Visit to Debary Hall Historic Site Debary, FL

The historic site is one of Frederick Debary's sprawling estates complete with a main house, a stable, servants, quarters, and an attached trail. The estate was built in 1871 as a vacation home for Debary and his family where he would hunt and spend part of his retirement. It is located on a hill overlooking the St. John's River where Debary operated a shipping enterprise and which he favored due to its quiet and calm atmosphere. The site itself gives insight to the growing immigration and tourism in Florida during the Reconstruction Era, the commerce during that time, and the daily life of high-class individuals of the late 1800s.

The site itself is well kept and keeps true to the original condition of the way that the estate would have looked like when it was built. Everything that you can see is characteristic of any aristocratic society of that time and is like stepping into a movie. Being at the site made me feel as if I was in a different point in history and had gone back in time. It seemed to me that the unfamiliarity of what I was seeing was characteristic of the fact that the estate was from a long time ago when things were vastly different to what we experience now. One such characteristic of it was the role of servants and the aspect that they lived with the Debary family. This is something that we do not see typically in our own society.

In the present day and age, the site serves as a history museum where tourists can tour and learn about the history that it encompasses. Although many artifacts have been lost from the site, much of what is there is kept in pristine condition and many of the artifacts seen are genuine and original. The preservation efforts for the site have done a phenomenal job and continue to preserve the history to a high degree.

Some FAQs that I had were: Are you allowed to take pictures? Yes, you are allowed to take pictures of everything outside and inside the properties except for the Audobon prints.

Is the Debary family still prominent today? No, their bloodline ended in the mid 1900s and their holdings are scattered to secondary and tertiary relatives unrelated directly to the Debary family.

Who takes care of the property? There is an attendant who actively lives on the property who is tasked with...

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...