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Get your history fix at DeBary Hall Historic Site, which has reopened after a two-month hiatus.
Tours of the mansion are available 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and noon-3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Admission costs are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for children ages 3-12, and free for children age 2 and younger.
Built in 1871, DeBary Hall was the winter retreat of Frederick deBary, a champagne merchant who chose the St. Johns River country for his hunting estate. DeBary tried his hand at orange growing and commercial steamboating, but his Florida estate became a center of sport hunting and hospitality.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, some of the country’s wealthiest people visited DeBary Hall to spend winters hunting, fishing and swimming in the cool springs nearby, then relaxing in the shade of the veranda enjoying a cool drink and the news of the day. DeBary reportedly entertained Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and Grover Cleveland, the Astors, Goulds, Vanderbilts, and the Prince of Wales, who went on to become King Edward VII. Today’s historic site covers 10 acres and includes the 8,000-square-foot mansion, stables and other structures.
Staff will continue to offer online educational programs in lieu of onsite presentations until further notice.
DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd., is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s owned by the state and managed by Volusia County’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Division. For more information, call DeBary Hall at 386-668-3840 or visit debaryhall.com.
