debary hall historic site

See a gilded age mansion, guided tours and you can walk the grounds and see a carriage house/stables and other out buildings. They show a 15 min movie that is interactive taking a ride down the St Johns River! Very nice.

This attraction was close to the hotel we were staying at during a recent visit to the Stetson Mansion in Deland. We enjoy touring historic sites and this one was quite interesting. The tour starts out with an informative 20 minute video about early travel and trade on the St John river. After the video, our guide Matt gave us a great tour of the mansion. Because of events that took place in the DeBary family, there are only a few artifacts and possessions of the family left in the house. Matt did a terrific job of explaining the history of the family, the home and the surrounding area as we toured the home. There are also a few outbuildings still on the grounds as well as a gift shop and picnic area. A very enjoyable morning.

I really enjoyed everything about DeBary Hall. There is a really informative movie before the guided tour of the house which explains a lot about the history of eastern Florida.The House is amazing & you can easily imagine what it would have been like to have lived there.

I go to monthly gardening classes on the grounds, There is a gift shop and picnic area. The Hall is really decked out at Christmas,

DeBary hall is a great place to go if you want some history of the area. The home is amazing and has some unique features such as a lightning rod system that is not grounded traditionally and pump/water system.The grounds are beautiful and well maintained, the docents knowledgable and friendly.

The Historic site is a great place to stop on a bike ride on the Volusia county trail. Their is lots to see and do! Even a little historic movie, but if you want to tour the house on property they will charge you and arm and a leg! Keep you arms it's not that nice the story tellers are not that great but the old barn is fun. It is also a great place to have a picnic they have good clean grills and nice pavilions.

I enjoyed the tour..You could tell the guide really cared about the house.. They were in the middle of repairs. We will have to check it out next year when we come back from Indiana..

What a great find in my own back yard! DeBary Hall has an interesting history. The tour guide was informative, fun and interesting. There is a movie of the history as well. A wonderful find in our back yard - a must see for everyone visiting us in the future. Very affordable for everyone!

Built in 1871 this grand Victorian mansion was originally built as a seasonal hunting retreat. You can tour the grounds, visit the gift shop / information center and take a guided tour of the old mansion. Guided tours are $4 for seniors, $5 for adults 13 and older, $2 for ages 3-12. The tour takes approx. 1 hour. You can also bike or walk the spring-to-spring trail from the De Bary Hall trailhead, stroll the grounds or bring a picnic lunch. Gift shop, restrooms, picnic tables, grills and play area are all open to the public. A beautiful site worth exploring - no bells and whistles, just old Florida history at it's best.

We camped at Blue Springs State Park and came to DeBary Hall while there. The tour was informative and interesting and the docent very knowledgeable and kind. My kids even did pretty good during the tour as there were bed pans and service bells that captured their attention! The tour was very affordable. There is also a Imagidome Theater presentation of steamboats on the St. Johns River which was pretty good. Gift shop has some affordable souvenir options. If youare in Debary it is totally worth the visit.

So informative of historic mansion and great reseach of lineage of owners. A truly great history lesson of Florida herigage.

They put on some great charity events, and it is worth the time to visit. The restoration has gone well, and it's small but enjoyable.

As locals, we watched this place from the ruins to the total restoration. It waWS A MIRACLE. This is a must historical trip for the area. Museum, the building and the history well worth the visit.

I feel somewhat honored to be the first to write a review of a local museum that’s been in existence for years and, for some reason, everyone seems to overlook. As a resident of West Volusia County for 30+ years, I’ve been aware of Debary Mansion for decades, but for some unknown reason, I never toured the facility until last year when tourists, that I met on the Spring to Spring trail, told me what a neat little site it was and for the $3.00 fee (last year’s pricing – currently $4.00 and still a great deal) the best bargain in the area. I agree with enthusiasm! The gift shop at the entrance has a nice selection of gifts and some items associated with the Mansion. We went into the new Imagidome Theater and thoroughly enjoyed the mixed media presentation and the added affect of the moving floor that tries to give a better feel of what the area was like back in the Steamboat era. A very nice touch. When this was concluded, we met our tour guide who was knowlegable about the history of Fredrick Debary, the grounds and building. Through the building tour, our guide was accommodating and patient. He obviously enjoyed his job and we enjoyed his attitude. Please keep in mind that this is not to be compared to all the attractions in Central Florida, but if you find yourself in West Volusia or, like me, live in the area, this is an afternoon you should plan to do. You will enjoy it.