DeBary Hall Historic Site

Offering tours, hosting Books, Balls and Blocks and Story Time programs.

DeBary Hall: Story Time
Children are invited to Kids Corner, a free story time featuring stories, songs, and activities, at DeBary Hall Historic Site, 198 Sunrise Blvd., DeBary. The program is designed for preschoolers, but children of all ages are welcome. Reservations are not required.

Hosting Volusia County ECHO Rangers programs
Children in grades 1-5 are invited to join Volusia County’s ECHO Rangers, an educational program that focuses on the county’s ecological, cultural, heritage and outdoor resources. The program is offered at more than 50 sites including parks, museums, libraries and historical sites. For more information, contact Lisa Perez at 386-668-3840 or lperez@volusia.org.

Specialty tours

Tea time:
Gather a group of close friends or your social group and schedule a tea-tasting at DeBary Hall Historic Site. Tour the home, then sip tea and learn about high and low tea traditions. This is a great opportunity for your group to meet and socialize while learning about an interesting activity from the past.

Our education coordinator will work with youth groups to complete badge requirements or lesson plans. Just let us know.

Basic school and youth group tour:
Want to get out of the classroom for an educational, but memorable, experience? Bring your class, scout group or youth club to DeBary Hall! We start with a virtual ride down the St. Johns River. Then we tour the 140-year-old DeBary Hall. Learn about vacationing in early Florida, gizmos and gadgets, and the deBary family. DeBary Hall also offers a picnic area.


About the Facilities
The site is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and includes DeBary Hall, the oldest intact building in southwest Volusia County.

Built in 1871, DeBary Hall was the winter retreat of a European-born wine merchant who chose the St. Johns River country for his hunting estate. Frederick 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 and 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 hunting lodge, stables and other structures.

We invite you to explore history at DeBary Hall Historic Site. You’ll find remarkable buildings, a treasure tro