Land O' Lakes, Florida: Dupree Gardens Ruins
A historical marker and a couple of small rock structures are all that remains of this once-lavish attraction, which opened in 1940.
- Address:
- Ehren Cutoff, Land O' Lakes, FL
- Directions:
- From FL-54 turn north at the stoplight onto US Hwy 41. Drive 3.5 miles. Turn right at the stoplight onto the Ehren Cutoff. Drive three-quarters of a mile. You'll see a pull-off on the right.
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This is right beside the road and passed by many without even seeing it. The ticket booth and gates are crumbling but what a story they could tell. Love the history lesson.
[EC, 10/01/2020]
Spooky! My niece and I went during an afternoon and felt that we were being watched, even though no one was around. We saw a carcass (deer?) toward the left of the property and some fur toward the center of the property. We both had an uneasy feeling -- bad juju? -- so we quickly left. It's sad, because I bet in the 1940s the Gardens were beautiful.
[Tracy K, 01/22/2020]
Dupree Gardens is an abandoned botanical gardens theme park from the 1940s. It was one of the first major attractions in Florida for tourists. All that remains today is the original entrance sign and ticket booth.
[Jaycob Porter, 01/14/2019]Nearby Offbeat Places
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The Gardens had glass-bottom boats and opened to the public on Oct. 1, 1940. Classical music was piped in through speakers hidden along the pathways. World War II gas rationing dealt it a blow from which it never recovered. It closed in 1954.