Eden Garden State Park

Eden Garden State Park is Located in Northwest Florida between Destin and Panama Beach City in Santa Rosa Beach.  Travel back in time as you visit the Wesley Mansion, the focal point of Eden Garden State Park.

Enjoy the beautiful grounds that were once the site of the Wesley Lumber company.  Walking paths wind around the well kept grounds.  Enjoy the picnic areas, canoe and kayak launching area, and hiking trails on the setting of Tucker Bayou.

Visiting in January is a little on the cool side, (at least for me) however it is nice enough to explore and take a lot of pictures. On a little warmer day we will plan to come back with a picnic lunch and spend the afternoon just sitting under the beautiful oak trees. Although tis time of the year most of the flowers are still dormant the oak trees were so impressive.

The size of some of the trees was simply amazing and the Spanish Moss was just picture perfect. According to the guide one of the trees just outside the home was 500 years old and the “Wedding Tree” the back drop for many weddings is 600 years old. Hard to imagine that a tree could be that old.

Wesley Mansion Tours

Tours are on the hour and well worth the $4 per person, only about 10 people per tour.  We had ten people on our tour so not sure how busy this will be in season.  Photography is no allowed in the home, so you will come see for yourself and hear the story and history. How William Wesley built the home and after his wife died 10 years later sold the property to Lois Maxon.  Lois then renovated the home and garden and later donated it to the State of Florida. Do not miss the petticoat table, morracan style footstools, and the original walls found in the stairwell.

The history and pictures in the home will take you back in time. Try to imagine, the original home there was no kitchen or bathrooms. Lois added the bathrooms and indoor plumbing and changed one of the original bedrooms into a dining room. The kitchen was in another building that is no longer on the property.

Eden Garden State Park is very clean and well kept. Weddings can be scheduled. There was a small reception hall for special events.  

They also had a small stage for outdoor entertainment.

Pets are welcome on a leash, so bring your fur baby.  We look forward to bringing Letterman to explore the trails and enjoy a picnic on the beautiful lawn.

If you are ever in the 30A area worth the time to come for the day.

Sunshine, Smiles, & Blessings,
Donna & AJ