gamble plantation historic state park

ckatmomi

This was very close to the travelers information center and was suggested. I had been to plantation houses before and expected i to be larger. We were lucky to arrive just as the next tour was starting. You are only allowed in on a tour which lasts an hour. It is very informative. Maybe more information than I really needed. I skipped the last 10 minutes.

nyvics

Our tour guide was incredibly good. He knew everything about the history of the home and all of its occupants. This old plantation is well worth a visit. The tour takes about an hour.

floridaboy22

A look back at the history of Florida is interesting. This plantation is a look how some people lived back before the area was developed. A must see for those visiting or driving through the area.

arthurb417

Enjoyed our tour very enjoyable and informative. Tour does not take long about 45 minutes. Lovely Grounds and plantation.

811CherylK

The mansion is in good condition and the curators have done a good job of finding furniture and accessories that match the age of the home. It's a shame the original furnishings were moved elsewhere by the plantation owner and then accidentally destroyed. We attended the site during a festival they were having which included some craft tents and carnival food. It appears they have some hard working volunteers who did a nice job of sharing the tour duties and communicating the story of the mansion to the visitors. Grounds were ok, nothing special. Maybe if we would have visited on a day other than their event day we would have enjoyed it more.

Wives-would-not-go

We spent some time at the Mansion this past Saturday and Sunday (March 7& 8). It was their free open house. Tours of the mansion, with food (very good yummm) and several vendor. It was all good. Mansion is small compared to many others. Only plantation mansion left in Florida. Staff were informative and very nice. Visitor center was also small but worthwhile. It was a pleasant afternoon with great Florida weather. Yes, now we know where the word “hush puppies” comes from! Tour time with museum and grounds approx. 2 hours.

894maryannv

We finally made it to the Gamble Mansion Florida State Park and were very impressed! The grounds are quite large with one of the last antebellum mansions in Florida sitting in the middle.The house is in surprisingly good shape due to the fact that it was restored after a long period of neglect. It is furnished with period style furniture. Some of the furnishings were very surprising and I saw things that I had never seen before in any historic house. The guide was very well versed in the history of the house and made the tour very informative and interesting. Guided tours are offered six times daily from 9:30 am until 4:00 pm. They are closed for lunch from 11:45 am until 12:45 pm. The tour lasts about an hour. The house is only wheelchair accessible on the first floor.I highly recommend this tour for a glimpse into early Florida history.

205gailt

My friends and I visited on a chilly Thursday afternoon. The visitors center, plantation, and grounds were very well kept. Unfortunately, our docent was not very good. Although he appeared to know a great deal about the plantation and its history, he seemed irritated when asked question and only offer yes and no answers. That being said, this is a great piece of Florida history and well worth the price of admission.

bettyr656

We have visited here several times over the years and went back for a Christmas visit, mainly to see the home decorated. The Daughters of the Confederacy were the hosts and hostesses and made a tour of the home interesting. The weather was beautiful which added to the day. The home gives you a feel of what life was like for wealthy plantation owners in the 1800's in a sparsely settled area of Florida. I believe a tour is normally $6, but the day we went it was donations only.

diamondbabydoll

We happened to stumble upon this due to trip advisor - so glad we found it. The Gamble Plantation was packed with history and offered something for everyone--the grounds are beautiful and the plantation itself was super interesting. We had a terrific ranger/tour guide that was happy to answer any questions as well as providing much needed pertinent information as to the property. A great stop - one I would encourage all to visit!

530joanneh

I decided to tour the Gamble mansion after reading some of the other Trip Advisor reviews. I was also very interested in learning more about life in the 1800s on a plantation.As it turned out, I was the only person there for the first tour of the morning and so ended up with a private 1 1/2 tour of the mansion and grounds by tour guide, Tom. He was very knowledgeable, entertaining and willing to answer all my questions. I learned a lot about life in the 1800s and about the fate of Gamble and his family.

msjradennis

We arrived in Ellenton around 3:30 in the afternoon so things were pretty slow at the plantation. It was a weekday and the weather was drizzly and cool. The museum was small but had a good history of the property and the family/owners of the plantation. On site were many artifacts but they were not original to the home. Seems Gamble had some really bad luck and all of his belongings burned in a fire in Tallahassee. Touring the mansion the docent brought the place to life. His history knowledge is extensive and he talks about the former plantation owners as though he knew them personally. Well worth the $6.00...and a donation.

robengland14

If you are in the area, and have the time, it is well worth taking a step back in time to visit this old plantation house. Imagine living in the Florida climate with no a/c or modern conveniences. Then imagine living here. This is great for kids and should give a great insight to real history. A great attraction.

1516EFL

Well maintained home and grounds Tours are detailed and very interesting Tours take about 45 minutes to an hour and very reasonable Small gift shop inside Nice to see how life was back then

Digitalburn

I'd been to the Gamble Plantation as a child but hadn't returned since. Being a history buff, I wanted to return and finally did. I went on a Sunday morning and it was quiet; we were the only ones there. The Park Ranger was friendly and prompt to give a tour at 10:30am. He was knowledgeable and quite easygoing as he did not rush through the home. The explanations of how the mansion was built, and how they dealt with such things as heat, mosquitoes, fresh water, etc, was all fascinating to learn. The grounds were peaceful and worth a walk to see the memorials erected in the 30's. Anyone interested in Civil War history should stop by to even see the small museum. Overall, a solid, enjoyable experience!