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Come spend the day in a charming Victorian "Chautauqua" town, with over 150 buildings on the National Historic Register. See a variety of architectural styles as you travel around the almost circular Lake DeFuniak which provides the centerpiece of the DeFuniak Springs Historic District. Make your first stop the impressive Chautauqua Hall of Brotherhood to pick up a walking tour brochure from the Walton County Chamber of Commerce office which is housed there. As you walk or ride around Circle Drive you will travel back to an era of elegant afternoon teas and friendly porch visits. See the quaint St. Agatha's Episcopal Church, the only one remaining built in the Chautauqua era of the late 1800's - early 1900's, with it's beautiful stained glass windows and hand-crafted pipe organ. Also plan to visit the Walton-DeFuniak Public Library, the oldest structure in Florida built as a library and still serving that purpose, to see its collection of medieval armor and other interesting artifacts. |
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You will want to save time to peruse the charming shops of DeFuniak Springs including The Big Store, housing 2 unique shops with antiques and hand-made dolls and gifts, and the recently opened Little Big Store, a general mercantile store patterned after those of the last century with authentic antique store fixtures. Other antique and gift shops can be found within a few blocks.
A visit to DeFuniak Springs is not complete without a stop at the newly renovated Hotel DeFuniak for lunch, dinner, or a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres in the afternoon. They will be glad to accommodate your request for a tour of their rooms and suites. The ice cream parlor next door will be opening soon with an authentic carousel! Another "must see" is the Busy Bee Cafe, where you can have a fried green tomato sandwich in a recreation of the original turn-of -the-century DeFuniak Springs eatery of the same name. If arrangements can be made, your group can visit local artists in their studios and tour one of the magnificent Victorian homes of the Lake DeFuniak Circle Drive area. And, of course, the Chautauqua Winery at the I-10 intersection is open daily for tours and tasting of their award winning wines. A trip to DeFuniak Springs, although only a short drive from the famous Beaches of South Walton, takes you a hundred years away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives to an era of elegance and ease. We look forward to your visit!" Please call the Walton County Chamber of Commerce (850-892-3191) for more information. |
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Find more information about Walton County here. |