Historic Spanish Point

Delightfully historic. Take the time to see it all, and to read all the history. This is probably not the best place for children, but the grounds are well worth more then just a quick stroll. I suggest you pack a picnic lunch and some water. Pets are welcome if leashed. We did not spot any gators.

Not worth paying $ 12/​pp super disappointing. The butterfly garden needs to be maintained and its just a boring trail. Go to the beach for free.

Went for a wedding out by the water, it was absolutely stunning. For about 80 people it was the perfect sized venue. The lights that they put in the bushes and trees are beautiful, and the garden area was just serene for the ceremony. Growing up in Sarasota I wondered where the best places to get married are and honestly Spanish Pointe never crossed my mind, I always just thought of it as the historic place we went to on field trips as kids (which that part is great too). But the venue was wonderful and the staff were so helpful.
I hear they also have a small chapel for even smaller weddings, but I thought the place by the water was just perfect.

Spanish Pointe is an excellent place to get a look back in time. Beautifully, shaded grounds to explore and learn about Florida’s rich history. Wear good walking shoes and be prepared to take your time to enjoy the scenic stops along the way. February was an absolutely gorgeous time of year to visit.

Spotted the sign while driving by on my way to lunch. Stopped in the museum to ask what it was they staff greeted me and answered all my questions. It was a nice hike thru the woods. The houses are set up like they were several years ago. It was nice to see the historic aspects while seeing nature as well. Very pleased! I will recommend and return.

I ended up here on accident, walking from nearby area, so I did the whole thing in reverse. It was very interesting. I like learning about older human history, so the shale mound was the best part for me. Also liked learning more about Bertha Palmer and the early orange industry. Very pleasant walks. Beautiful scenery. I would bet that teens would be bored out of their minds, though

We had friends visiting us and since we were new to the area we hadn’t been on the tour and didn’t know what to expect.
We were greeted by a volunteer at the museum who started a video for us to watch for a few minutes so that we had a nice overview of what we would be seeing. A tour began about a half hour after we arrived which lasted for approximately 1.5 hours. Our volunteer tour guide was fabulous. He was knowledgeable and easy to hear and understand. In total the walking area is probably a mile but each segment was only a 10 minute walk between so it’s not strenuous for most seniors. There is a tram that will bring you from site to site but it didn’t seem to be operating the day we were there.
I was surprised to read Alk K’s negative review and have to wonder if he/​she took the tour or just walked around by themselves.
We went on a windy overcast day so it was a little uncomfortable but the experience was well worth while. I’m going to put this on the A tour for our visitors.

Wonderful walking tour — just don’t do it during the summer!

Probably the most historic site in SW Florida. Definitely worth a visit. Covers original Calusa Indians who build the shell mounds to early pioneers to Bertha Palmer who settled in the area and made Spanish Point her winter home. Enjoyed viewing a totally excavated shell mound.

Ten bucks entrance fee at the gate to roam around the estate. Nothing worth seeing here. good to kill time when you have nothing else to do but the 10 bucks fee is expensive just to walk around and check out old houses.

My husband and I visited this place on 7÷30÷2011. This is really worth more like 3.5 stars. My advice — don’t be stupid like us and go during the summer! Any other time of the year you will enjoy it a lot more. Wear cool clothes if you plan to visit any month from April to September, and also wear good walking shoes. The paths are all crushed shells, and it’s about a mile from beginning to end. This is a good place to visit if you enjoy history in general. When you get your ticket, they also give you a map that includes family activities on it (a scavenger hunt of sorts). I thought this was a neat way to get kids more interested in history.
There is some interesting history here and some good photo ops of the bay. Historic buildings include an old school house which now doubles as the visitor center, a church, a recreated orange packing plant, a boat house, and various homes. One of the homes is done up in the way it would have looked at the turn of the 20^th century. We both really enjoyed the movie room half way around the trail. You watch a small video on the history of the natives and other settlers and walk around to see the Indian mounds behind the glass. There are various places to stop and enter AC, but they don’t keep it cool enough and you end up sweating indoors as well. Lots of little things to read at the various stops along the trail, again all on the history of the natives and a lot of the Palmer family. A good place to spend 3 hours max. Be aware that they do not have a place to eat, but you can bring a picnic and eat on the grounds. They do offer bottled water in the gift shop for $ 1.