DeBary Hall Historic Site

"This is an amazing historic site you just have to check out! For a mere $5 you get a short 15 minute documentary movie about the City of Debary in a theater with a rotating floor. It's give the feeling that you are traveling down the Saint Johns River. After that you will receive a private tour of the grounds and the Debary Hall, the private winter hunting "cottage" of Frederick Debary. I was there on a weekday during the summer, so there was a summer camp happening in the stables, and visitors were not allowed. This place is a short bicycle ride from Gemini Springs."

Kristen Hyland

"We had a lovely tour of the grounds and the house. Since we were there on a weekday, the 2 of us had a more intimate tour with lots of interesting information. We love history and recommend this site highly."

Michelle Guillaume

"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."

Rich Dugger