metallibadge457

Joined 5 years ago

Very nice location for pictures and general tours. BUT, do not have your wedding here. I was in a wedding at the Mansion, and the coordinator was atrociously rude to the bride and the bridal party. We were told we needed to be out by 7pm. Everyone was busting their butts to clean up and load cars, but this wasn't good enough. The coordinator yelled at the bride and made her very upset 30 minutes before 7 because the DJ was still playing music and the bartender was still handing out drinks. She should have addressed the DJ and bartender, not the bride. At 6:45, this lady threatened to have the police escort everyone out at 7 if everyone was not in their cars by then. Ridiculous. You can find other venues where the staff won't treat you like shit for the same price.

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dapmage

Joined 5 years ago

Hartwood Acres at Christmas. Just returned from a tour of the Mansion at Hartwood Acres. Very friendly. As far as mansions go this is a smaller mansion but neverftheless very nice. its $5.00 per person. After our tour we had some time before the light show which was to start at 6:00. We came back about 5:20 and there were already cars lined up. They were letting the cars in early. The light show path goes through the park past the mansion and is 3 1/2 miles long. We really enjoyed it. You pay at the end of and it is a "suggested donation of $12.00" which we paid, I thought it was well worth it.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

The "crown jewel" of the county parks system offers everything from polo to the symphony.. Features
Guided tours of the Hartwood Mansion, the former estate of Mary Flinn Lawrence, are available by reservation, and an outdoor amphitheater graces the grounds. Horse trails and bike trails are an integral part of the public park, as well as cultural events such as theater, symphony music and a summer concert series.

The Experience
The 629 acres of outdoor exhilaration here are perhaps best known for the Eckerd Celebration of Lights, an annual holiday light display that draws thousands. They trek here to experience the magic of the season, minus the agony of untangling those strands of lights themselves. The celebration begins in mid-November and lasts through mid-January.

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Blairit1998

Joined 11 years ago

Lights Galore. beautiful at Christmas time but definetly not free....

They charge per carload. I don't know why this was rated as a top "free" attraction.