Built in 1886 by Henry Addison DeLand, it changed hands numerous times until it was donated to the city of DeLand in 1988.It opened as a Victorian era historic house museum in 1990. The museum also contains materials related to the history of western Volusia County, and is operated by the West Volusia Historical Society. Docent-led tours Tuesday - Saturday- 12 noon - 3 pm.
The Memorial Hospital and Veterans Museum was DeLand's first 'modern' hospital built to serve the growing needs of a population expanding during the land boom era of the 1920s. The museum houses eight different galleries and exhibits.
The Gillespie Museum features one of the premier historic mineral collections in the southeast, and seasonally changing exhibits on an array of earth science and natural history topics.
Developed by the MainStreet DeLand Association, the City of DeLand, the West Volusia Tourist Authority and the West Volusia Historical Society, the tour includes fifteen authentic scenes from DeLand’s past. A comprehensive brochure is available at the Visitor Information Center at 116 West New York Avenue or the West Volusia Historical Society at 137 West Michigan Avenue or at the web address above. The Historical Society also offers a “Walk DeLand Tour.”
The Legendary Florida Collection features paintings by Jackson Walker that hang in the rotunda of the Historic Volusia County Courthouse. The courthouse is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located at 125 West New York Avenue. The courthouse is closed on federal and state holidays. Tours are available by calling the Museum of Art - DeLand at 386-734-4371.
Florida's First Luxury Estate, built in 1886 for famed hat maker John B. Stetson is the largest, grandest, and most historic home ever built in Florida before the 20th century. This Gilded Age estate is still a private estate. It is not a museum or a home frozen in time, although it predates all other grand mansion museums in Florida. The home of Florida’s first snow bird and famous hat baron was hidden and lost for 100 years. It has recently been rescued, restored and updated in a timeless fashion. Historic tours are offered between February and September.
The Muse Book Shop was founded in 1980, in Historic Downtown DeLand. In 1985, Downtown DeLand became the first MainStreet City in Florida. The Muse today is a new and antiquarian book shop, featuring bestsellers, new releases, new paperbacks, along with antiquarian books dating back to the 1700s. We also offer area topographical maps. The Muse showcases local, regional and national authors. Check out our events calender for the next author’s book signing or downtown event.
Download the Florida Humanities Council phone app, Florida Stories. As you stroll through the city, listen to colorful stories about a dozen important historic sites. Photo courtesy of Ray Johnson