12/02/08

Hartwood Acres at Christmas

by dapmage

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.

The "crown jewel" of the county parks system offers everything from polo to the symphony.

by Contributor

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.

12/20/02

Lights Galore

by Blairit1998

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.

• Pros: beautiful lights, lots of room
• Cons: charge per car