Quick answer: Historic DeLand is the Florida heritage archive for DeLand — a Central Florida city founded on December 6, 1876, by New York businessman Henry A. DeLand. It is home to Stetson University (the state's oldest private college), the 1886 Stetson Mansion, a three-time award-winning downtown, and nine walking tours of landmarks, parks, and murals.
Henry A. DeLand founded DeLand Academy on November 5, 1883. Renamed John B. Stetson University in 1889 — the first private university in the state. DeLand Hall (1884) is the first building in Florida continuously used for higher education.
Source: Stetson University [S20], Wikipedia [S19].
The 1886 Stetson Mansion was Florida's first luxury home. Grover Cleveland and King Edward VII were guests. Thomas Edison personally supervised the installation of electricity — one of the first residences in the world built for it.
Source: Visit Florida [S14], National Trust [S17].
MainStreet DeLand was a charter Florida Main Street city in 1985, won the National Trust's Great American Main Street Award in 1997 (Florida's first), and won America's Main Street in 2017 — the only Main Street in the U.S. to hold both.
Source: MainStreet DeLand [S31], Orlando Weekly [S33].
Henry A. DeLand first visited Persimmon Hollow in March 1876, bought a large tract of land, and on December 6, 1876, the settlers met at John Rich's cabin and voted to rename the community in his honor [S01, S02, S04].
He donated $400 and an acre of land for the first school, the one-mile strip of land that became Woodland Boulevard, and coined the city's nickname — the Athens of Florida — because he wanted DeLand to be "a place of culture, education and beauty like Athens, Greece" [S07, S12].
Read the full founding storyIndependent restaurants, coffee shops, galleries, and specialty stores in the historic downtown — with addresses, hours, and directions.
Shopping
112 S Woodland Blvd
Independent new and antiquarian bookstore in downtown DeLand since 1980.
View BusinessHome & Design
128 S Woodland Blvd
Family-owned handcrafted furniture and home decor store in downtown DeLand.
View BusinessHealth & Wellness
112 W Indiana Ave
Chiropractic and sports-injury clinic in downtown DeLand.
View BusinessGifts & Specialty
101 S Woodland Blvd
Family-owned florist and gift shop serving DeLand.
View BusinessCoffee & Desserts
109 E New York Ave
Independent coffeehouse in the heart of downtown DeLand.
View BusinessCoffee & Desserts
136 W Georgia Ave
Specialty coffee roaster and cafe in downtown DeLand.
View BusinessEvents, markets, shows, and festivals happening in and around historic downtown.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM EDT
Downtown DeLand
As part of Adventures Unbound, we are celebrating America 250 by inviting you to experience the places that define America’s story through nature, adventure, and time well spent outside. At Hontoon Island State Park, we are offering 25% off small-boat rentals through December 31, 2026. Book your tour at and use promo code AMERICA250 at checkout.
Event details9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT
Downtown DeLand
As part of Adventures Unbound, we are celebrating America 250 by inviting you to experience the places that define America’s story through nature, adventure, and time well spent outside. At De Leon Springs State Park we are offering 25% off paddle craft rentals (kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards) through December 31, 2026. Valid on walk-up bookings only. Mention promo code AMERICA250 at the b…
Event details10:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT
Downtown DeLand
As part of Adventures Unbound, we are celebrating America 250 by inviting you to experience the places that define America’s story through nature, adventure, and time well spent outside. Blue Spring State Park is offering a 25% discount on a 2-hour narrated cruise along the St. Johns River. Enjoy historical insights and spot abundant local wildlife, including birds, manatees (during manatee seaso…
Event details7:30 PM – 9:30 PM EDT
Downtown DeLand
Steve Perry Returns to Journey!? It’s the dream of every Journey fan: to witness the incredible lineup that dominated arenas worldwide in the late ’70s, ’80s, and mid-’90s. Journey Tribute: Never Stop Believin’ makes that dream come true! This is the ONLY Journey tribute show on the planet that captures the look and sound of the band from the ’70s and ’80s! The show begins with a performance that…
Event detailsSelf-guided tours of downtown, the Stetson campus, the Old Northwest district, and four surrounding state and county parks, plus the DeLand Wings mural trail.
The buildings, museums, and sites that define the Historic DeLand archive.
"Mount Dora has charm. Winter Park has money. St. Augustine has age. DeLand has the receipts — a founder who literally built the main street, Florida's first Gilded Age mansion, the state's oldest private college, and the only Main Street in America to win both the Great American Main Street Award and America's Main Street. Here's how we measure up, line by line."
