This historical tour was fantastic! We did the last tour of the day with Kayla, the owner. She was…read moreextremely knowledgeable and shared so much information on the home and what's happened over the years. I'm going to have to take this tour again just to try to remember it all! Lovely maintained home with so much history. Who visited, who contributed to the building and maintenance of the home, the restoration efforts. It was fascinating. We happened to be there on a day when they received a gift of an original Edison grammaphone with the beeswax songs in paper wrappers! And it actually worked! Amazing. Also loved the Louis Comfort Tiffany windows - just gorgeous!

If you're planning a visit to nearby Blue Springs State Park, the Stetson Mansion is an absolutely…read moremust-visit stop. Yes - Stetson - as in the hats. I was just as surprised to learn that the famed hat-maker once called the small town of DeLand, FL home. I happened to be visiting during peak manatee season and so had the privilege of being able to still enjoy the mansion during its special holiday tour season. During the holiday tour, each room of the mansion has a unique theme to it that you get to learn all about from your helpful docent. Not only do you get to the enjoy the wonderful story of that room's decorations theme but the history of the home and family is wonderfully blended in. I'm told that obviously during the regular historical tour you dive deeper but I left learning waaaaay more about the Stetson family than I ever expected (or knew). The home is privately owned and you the love and passion the new owners have for the historic property is evident in every room. We even had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners (the super sweet and DeLand native, Kayla) I was surprised to learn she had even created many of the decorations herself that adorned the opulent rooms in the mansion. The Stetson Mansion is a great example of one of the many historical gems tucked away in Florida small towns that you can stumble upon when exploring the state. Whether you're doing the regular history tour or holiday tour, you're sure to have a fabulous visit to the Stetson Mansion.

A house that has…read morechanged The Henry Deland house was actually built back in 1886 by Arthur Hamlin on land purchased from Henry Deland, the founding father of the town of Deland. Hamlin was the first lawyer of the area and was also interested in agriculture and was instrumental in developing new varieties of oranges. Quite a renaissance man. His house was used by his family for a while but then went through several different owners. By World War 2 the upper floor was used as apartments and the house had lost a lot of it's Victorian character and flavor. Fortunately the building was donated to the town and became a museum in 1990. Work was to done to restore it's original appearance and furniture and items were donated by generous patrons to fill the house. In fact 95 percent of the furnishings are not original to the house but have been donated. They have been painstakingly selected to reflect the the earliest occupation. The house is absolutely packed with all kinds of cool things to look at, each one complete with a story. Plan on spending some time here, the docent we had was an incredible source of information and had zillions of facts and figures about the people and items in the house and related one fascinating story after another. He obviously loved his work and was extremely good at it. Not a boring history lesson but an interactive walk through time. The Deland House is a cool way to spend some time and learn lots and lots and lots of stuff about the history of Deland, Florida. So many tours of old houses and historical sites are tedious and difficult. This one is bouncing and lively. I may not remember everything that was said, but it was sure was fun listening to.

Saw this driving by.... had to stop. Supposedly haunted by old past owners…read more Place is set up with a narrated and walking tour of the house and assorted spooks and ghosts that ljve??? Inhabit the house... Interesting little artifacts within the house. And some things are up for sale. I guess be careful what you buy.... you might bring home a hitchhiker.

One of the best little antique shops ever! My family and I love a curiosity shop and this place…read morereally fit the bill. They offer a guided tour on your cell phone to take at your own pace. They even give you an EMF reader to detect "energy" to see if a ghost is nearby. Ours actually spiked a few times! The store has a tarot room off to the side where you can get a reading. It was roped off when we were there. There was a jewelry designer on-site and an author who was also the shop owner. I bought one of the many books she had for sale and she autographed it for me. There are many treasures for sale in this shop, and we all chose our treats. Lots of handmade jewelry, some real antiques, books, tarot cards and crystals. Such a fun place and one of our favorite shops in the area.

took my uncle on a day trip here and had the best time. the guy working the place was super helpful…read more and was helping these sweet little older ladies the whole time. free to get in but u should always leave a donation for places like this. also you can do a free dig for cute little crystals as soon as u walk in and theres microscopes set up with a bunch of stuff to look at or even whatever you get there

From the owner: Rocks and Minerals, Earth Science, Environmental Science and Sustainability, Florida Sandhill…read moreEcosystem, School Field Trips, Science Cafes and Science Saturdays! The Gillespie Museum, Stetson University's earth science museum, houses an historic mineral collection, with nearly a thousand of its 15,000 specimens on display in changing exhibits. There are also small galleries devoted to natural history, collecting, Florida ecosystems, fluorescent minerals, volcanism and the rock cycle. The grounds of the museum and of the adjacent Rinker Environmental Learning Center provide outdoor classrooms and native plant landscapes. Hours may vary during holidays and university breaks. Please see website for more information.

Everything is displayed beautifully. Truly honoring to the artists. Staff is friendly,…read moreknowledgeable and helpful.

This downtown branch of Deland's Art Museum is very nice in that the small size hosts excellent…read moreexhibits in a very open beautiful space without being overwhelming. It is located in the heart of the downtown historic and tourist area, easily accessable. The gift shop is surprisingly large with a great variety of merchandise, some that I saw recently in DC's National Museum gift shops. The photos I share are from the current Jan. 2025 exhibit by Carlie Trosclair

Every neighbourhood park tends to be unique, and this one definitely has its charm. The park's main…read moreappeal for me is the walking trail that basically envelops the square-shaped park ground along four roads, and I like how safe it feels perhaps because of its location in a residential area. Although I've never personally visited, there's more than one parking area, picnic shelter and benches with tables, a fancy children's playground, butterfly garden, and a museum.

this is a little hidden gem in DeLand! the Butterfly Sanctuary is quite small and, unfortunately, i…read moredidn't see any butterflies other than the large sculpture. the park itself take up a good bit of space with its large playground, 4 covered pavilions with picnic tables, and many benches. it's a great place to come to for a little walk, breath of fresh air, or to host a picnic, cookout, gathering, or birthday party. there's plenty of parking all around, nice public bathrooms, and water fountains. it's also home of the DeLand Memorial Hospital and Veterans Museum.

I booked the "hold on tour" and was an experience I'll never forget!…read moreWe saw beautiful widlife. The river and swamp are gorgeous, the guide friendly and knowledgeable. I'll also share that I really did have to hold on!!

Took my mom, sister, wife and daughter for an awesome 1.5 hr trip with Captain Justin…read more Great time and he answered tons of questions while showing off the gators and birds (herons, hawks, bald eagles) Note: Bewares the Giant Spider!

Not happy with them. I purchased a interceptor with mag wheels. Later found I couldn't get my leg…read moreover the top. With in a week I wanted to exchange it for a step through bike no mag wheels priced $400 less. Chuck would not credit me the $400. He would not even let me exchange for accessories. Basically I paid $400 for the exchange. I'm sure if the new bike was $400 more I'd have to pay for it. We were thinking about buying two fat tire bikes too. He won't be getting any more of my money.... Btw: if you have any issues with the bike. There first reaction is to blame the customers.

I just purchased an Element from Deland Pedego, and I have nothing but raves for this store and the…read moreowners. I highly recommend this store and the brand Pedego

Awesome experience!!!!! I was so impressed with the…read moreprofessionalism and dedication our captain showed and all the alligator sightings. He really knows his stuff!

We didn't actually get to book with Capt Duke's, but he so graciously offered a referral so that my…read morefriend and I could squeeze in a ride before we left for home. Thanks for your help!

Had a great time and learned alot. Jaime was our tour guide and I loved her energy, she didn't rush…read morethrough anything and she did a pre tour show that explained everything and even inspired me to buy a point and shoot camera for my own spirit photography. She answered any and all questions no matter how small or how many times she got the same question. I got most of the pictures she took of our tour emailed to me and I emailed my 4 that I caught things in and she said good job! Would do the tour again!