William John Howey (January 19, 1876 - June 7, 1938) was an American real-estate developer, citrus…read moregrower, and Republican politician from Florida. He founded and served as mayor for the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida where he developed and sold citrus groves, becoming one of Florida's greatest citrus developers. He was one of the first citrus growers to send fruit from Florida to England. In 1921 he opened Florida's first citrus juice plant. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 1928 and 1932. Mr. Howey's prominence led to many distinguished guests visiting the Howey mansion, These included Lord Bathhurst of England, H.B. McNeal, publisher of Golfer's Magazine, golf master Chick Evans, Kansas Governor Alfred Landon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillip's of petroleum fame, and President Calvin Coolidge who was guest of honor at an all-male dinner party in February 1930. Mr. Howey's former home near Lake Wales, Florida became the site of Florida's Bok Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens. In 1925 Mr. Howey commissioned a 20 room mansion in the town he founded. The architect was Katherine Cotheal Budd. During WWI she designed temporary lodgings known as hostess homes for women who were visiting their husbands at military training camps. Budd is credited for creating 72 lodgings with a homelike atmosphere and the Howey House is one of a few existing examples of her work. The Howey Mansion was designed in the popular Mediterranean Revival style. The house is set back on a wide lawn with wrought iron gates and a long horseshoe drive. The entrance to the home features an elaborate, two story bas relief frontispiece .The massive front door and the woodwork on the first floor is made from peaky cypress. Leading to the second floor is a graceful curving stone stairway with a wrought iron banister. Other features of the home include three large fireplaces, a ballroom-size drawing room, enormous beamed ceilings, and a servant call-bell phone system. There is even a hidden passage behind a sliding bookshelf panel in the library. The original 15 acres grounds of the mansion were called The Park and included many botanical plants and shrubs. On March 6, 1927 The Park was the host site for an open air concert performed by the New York Civic Opera Company bringing the top opera singers of the day to the mansion for a concert for the community. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Place on January 27, 1983. On April 12, 2017 it was listed for sale at $480,000. The new owners are Brad and Clay Cowherd, Orlando real estate investors who have made period-accurate restoration of the house. I visited the Howey Mansion for the Founders Day Festival. Admission for tours of the home was discounted to $10. The Howey Mansion is available for private rentals like weddings while historical tours are also available Monday through Friday at 11am. The Founder's Day event included a local market, food trucks, live music, and family activities. I enjoyed visiting the tents and touring the mansion including the hidden bar in the basement that was created during prohibition. Behind the mansion, is a trail through the woods that will take you to the Georgian marble mausoleum where the Howey family is interred including William J. Howey (1938), daughter, Lois Valerie Howey (1941), and Mary Hastings Howey (1981). This year Centennial Founder's Day Celebration, marked100 years since the town's founding in 1925.

What an incredible place! We really enjoyed the tour Fran and Mercy gave us. They were extremely…read moreknowledgeable about the property and you can tell they love what they do. The property itself is gorgeous. If you're looking for an event space, you're in luck they rent it out for weddings and other events.

Captain Bob is very knowledgeable about the animals and rivers and land in the area. He's also a…read moregreat air boat pilot. I've ridden other airboats. His ride was really exciting and informative

Airboat ride was awesome!!! Capt. Bob was great, gave us some very good insight about the ecology…read moreof the area, some of the changes that have occurred in the recent years and by of course the gators!!!

I took two tours with Ryan: the boat/walking island tour to Atsena Otie Island and a golf cart tour…read moreof Cedar Key's history. Both were fabulous and I had a wondrful time. Ryan was an informative host and I learned so much more about Cedar Key and its history. I have a much greater appreciation for the island town and will definitely be taking additional tours with Ryan. I highly recommend Living Cedar Key!!

Ryan was an excellent host for our golf cart tour of Cedar Key. He was very knowledgeable about…read moreCedar Key and patient with our questions. Highly recommended!

It was a great day on the water with the Amelia River Cruises & Charters company at the helm…read more It was my first time visiting Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach and wanted to get an overlay of the area and the river cruise seemed like the perfect thing to get an overview of the area. And I wasn't wrong! The tour lasted about 90 minutes (and it leaves promptly FYI) and takes you along the shoreline of Amelia Island - past the shrimping boats and past a Civil War era fort - before heading towards Cumberland Island National Seashore. This is where the true fun of the tour was for me. I had no idea really the history of the island and found it fascinating how the Carnegies and Rockefellers and more of the country's elite used this random Georgia seashore as their private escape. The history of both Cumberland and Amelia Islands is incredibly fascinating and the guides for both the Florida and Georgia sides respectively were well informed and personable. Plus - you'll very likely see a ton of great wildlife throughout including dolphins and wild horses and pigs. It's a great way to spend an afternoon in the area and a fabulous introduction to Cumberland Island National Seashore/Park.

Really nice boat Super friendly tour guides…read moreStunning g views of fort an horses on Cumberland Island Wonderful sunset.! Good pricing!

One of the most beautiful parks I love coming here even just for a walk.Workers there always…read morefriendly

Had a beautiful day! Got to see turtles and alligators and even the monkeys! Worth our time and…read moremoney for sure! My 11 yr old had an awesome time and was happy to have gone! She asked the boat man 100 questions and he politely answered them all .. which was super nice. Also he informed us about the museum that was close but not in the property and it was very informative for our visit and homeschool information! Definitely go there too if your visiting

The first time I visited this museum was in 2017. It was awe and there's so much to see here and…read morenew things to learn about. This facility also includes a butterfly garden, which is very interesting. I have managed to visit every year. There plenty of parking at this facility, to include a parking garage as well. If you love museums and live in Florida, I highly recommend visiting this museum.

The Florida Museum of Natural History is absolutely amazing! They have different seasonal exhibits…read morewhich are always pretty interesting. The exhibits are beautifully curated, educational, and captivating. The butterfly rainforest is a must-see and well worth the extra charge- it's magical walking among so many vibrant butterflies. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and the whole experience was both fun and inspiring. Great to bring kids and my niece who is 4 years old loved the area for kids , she didn't want to leave . It was engaging and creative of them to have a little area dedicated for kids. Whether you're a nature lover, history buff, or just looking for a great day out, this place won't disappoint.

Awesome place to spend a cool winter day with family, friends or your partner…read more We really enjoyed walking around the grounds and taking in the historical surroundings of this home. My only complaint is the story that's shared while touring is extremely long winded and standing in place for an hour can be very uncomfortable for older folks or those out of shape. They offer you a seat but it's kind of awkward because nobody opts for that and you have no idea the interesting tales will take as long as they do. My advice, SIT before they begin the storytelling -- history behind the house.

If you're looking to learn more about Florida history, check out Chinsegut Hill! The historic site…read moreis now owned by the Tampa History Center, which offers guides tours of the manor house. We did the guided tour, which lasts about 30-45 min. The tour walks you through the manor house while you learn about the several decades of Florida history the house has witnessed. The house sits on 114 acres that you can walk around and explore, as well!

As an English teacher, a lover of nature, and someone who loves to travel, I can say that our long…read moreanticipated journey to visit Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park did not disappoint. I first stumbled upon "The Yearling" earlier this year after having a conversation with a wonderful woman on the Cumberland Island boat ferry tour over the summer. She mentioned how much she enjoyed her visit to cross Creek. As a California resident, I borrowed the book from a family member who had it, and thus my love for Marjorie, her life, and work was born! We first arrived at her house, and walked around the citrus orange groves. We played with the pet chickens, and made numerous observations of the property. Shortly after, the tour began. The house tour was led by Emma, a young, extremely warm, and knowledgeable tour guide. Emma made everybody feel extra comfortable, inviting questions and comments openly. The tour takes you through her living quarters, her bathroom, master bedroom, and guest rooms. The artifacts, decor, and design have been preserved to fit the exact historical era of Marjorie's life, and the artifacts are original belongings. The tour offers visitors a chance to learn colorful stories about Marjorie's life, a close look at her literary accomplishments, and a bonus is to get to see her kitchen to truly appreciate her love of cooking. After the tour, it's highly recommended that you make a stop at the yearling restaurant, just around the bend in the country road. It is there were you can enjoy delicious southern cuisine inspired by her, and buy from the incredible selection of books and gifts they offered in their gift shop. The tour guide also had mentioned that the park offers great cooking demonstrations from her cookbook "Cross Creek Cookery" in the spring months. I certainly look forward to visiting again to participate!

This place was surreal. It's was a flash in the past, made you feel like you were in the early…read more1900's. The trails are beautiful, have inspirational quotes along the way, and safe/short. I was totally impressed with the tangerine trees full of fruit. The park rangers were super helpful and friendly. We also enjoyed the park area. Bathrooms were okay, kinda outdated but adequate. It's not a big place but you can feel the history in this park.

Absolutely venue! The outside area was the setting for a wedding overlooking the lake. The various…read moregathering areas housed a cocktail area, dinner seating, and a coffee/dessert station. Another covered area served as the cocktail bar and buffet. The venue has beautiful gardens, a cog pond and several seating areas. The staff ensured that everything ran according to the bride and groom's schedule. They even had bug spray on hand as needed.

You'll feel like a time traveler visiting Sydonie Mansion, a historic property situated like a…read moremirage among the green hills of northwest Orange County. Surrounded by old, moss draped oaks, the exterior of house itself has a Mediterranean appeal with barrel tile roofs, an elegant courtyard, and architectural details original to the property. There's an authenticity here. It begins with Amy, the owner and our tour guide, who has orchestrated the property's renovations with painstaking care. Every room opens like a diorama, where somehow she has managed to add new warmth and interest while letting the old patina shine through. It is a fascinating place, and my granddaughter and I loved walking the grounds after the tour. We couldn't have felt more welcome today, and we look forward to coming back to Sydonie Mansion in December when it sparkles for Christmas!

The Knott House Museum is a cute southern home that maintains a pieces of Tallahassee History. It…read morewas built in 1843 and was owned by many people during the years after. It is known as the Knott house because the last owners were William Knott and his wife Luella. William worked as the state treasurer during the times of the great depression. This house shows a lot of the items his wife collected and the kind of lifestyle they had back in the day. The museum gives daily tours and the day I came there were free mini versions. We were shown the downstairs floor of the house. It has old furniture that was brought throughout the country and though some of it does not completely match, the house looks cool. Poems were written to pair off with each item of furniture to give a little entertainment. All of the decorations and furniture are fragile and nothing is to be touched without cloth gloves. The staff is super friendly and welcoming. The house is decorated for the holidays and so it is ever changing style while maintaining its history. If you ever seem to wander around downtown Tallahassee or want to get some easy education then stop by the Knott House.

We were fortunate to have an excellent tour of this lovely historic home by our fantastic…read moreguide,Holly.This very well informed young lady made our tour come to life vividly with her extensive knowledge and enthusiasm.She is such an asset to the museum,I would definately recommend considering offering her a full time position.Thanks again,Holly !