Eden Gardens State Park

Eden Gardens State Park is a look at the Old South. The park is in the Florida Panhandle just inland from Santa Rosa Beach.
Eden Gardens State Park is listed in our e-book, 100 Florida “freebies” and “cheapies”: Vacation Fun for $5 or Less.

The centerpiece is the circa 1897 colonial revival Wesley House, whose two main floors are filled with Louis XVI furniture, and whose balconies give a grand view of the gardens and the immense lawn sloping gradually down to Tucker Bayou. There are guided tours and a portion of the gardens, and a pavilion, have been set aside for weddings. Hoop skirts optional.

Wesley House at Eden Gardens State Park

 

 

I love old homes and spend a lot of time writing about historic preservation so, as you might imagine, I went for this like a bee for honey. But the vistas are grand too, and there are side gardens with magnolias, camilias, and more. The front of the house faces the bayou, across a large water feature with lily pads, and then the lawn.

Out on the lawn, I spent some time trying to figure out why the 30-foot-long horizontal live oak limbs managed to stay up and not break off and fall to the ground. Panhandle Florida is covered with live oaks but these are among the finest examples I’ve seen. The lawn makes a great picnic spot for, oh, you and a few thousand of your close friends. I don’t know who mows that lawn but he earns his pay.

Hours of Operation: Guided tours of the Wesley Mansion are available hourly Thursday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (including holidays)

Directions: Eden Gardens State Park is located in Point Washington, off U.S. 98 on C.R. 395.

Park Fees: Entrance to the park is $3.00 per vehicle,
$1.00 for Bikes and Pedestrians (as if anyone would walk all the way out there).
Guided tours of the house are $3.00 per adult and
$1.50 per Child.

More Information: Phone: 850-231-4214
Web: http://www.floridastateparks.org/EdenGardens
Address: Eden Gardens State Park, 181 Eden Garden Road, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459  

— Steve Morrill