{"id":4927,"date":"2018-11-26T15:54:32","date_gmt":"2018-11-26T20:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=4927"},"modified":"2019-01-07T11:19:00","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T16:19:00","slug":"travel-stetson-mansion-christmas-spectacular-shines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/creekline-st-johns\/travel-stetson-mansion-christmas-spectacular-shines\/","title":{"rendered":"Travel | Stetson Mansion Christmas Spectacular shines"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">By Debi Lander<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">mail@floridanewsline.com<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most folks think of cowboy hats when they hear the name Stetson, but founder John B. Stetson made a fortune selling all kinds of hats, manufactured in his Philadelphia plant. He discovered DeLand, located north of Orlando and west of Daytona Beach, on a trip to Florida and fell in love with the area. He had his DeLand mansion built in 1886, and also established a college \u2014 now Stetson University, home to some beautiful Victorian brick buildings and 3,000 students. <\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, Stetson\u2019s opulent mansion (not on the campus) is the site of the annual Christmas Spectacular Holiday Home Tour. The home, listed on the National Registry, runs guided tours (only) until Jan. 15 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 5 p.m. The event has become so popular that online reservations are required.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Owner JT Thompson said, \u201cWord-of-mouth is spreading. We expect about 12,000 visitors this year.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Florida\u2019s first luxury estate is a blend of cottage, Gothic, Tudor, Moorish and Polynesian architectural details and elegantly decorated rooms. The Christmas Spectacular goes way above and beyond all expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Co-owner Michael Solari said, \u201cWe close the mansion for two months so JT can devote every day to the installation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Call him Mr. Particular; he insists every painstaking detail be to his liking. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thompson designs a new theme and elaborate scenes each year with designer decorations from around the world. No design is ever repeated, except you\u2019ll always find a peacock inspired room (as they used to roam the estate) and a display dedicated to the military.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I had a sneak peek just as he was beginning to get to work. It\u2019s an understatement to say I was gobsmacked, overwhelmed by the task and sheer number of boxes containing Christmas cheer. Don\u2019t miss this local sensation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe Victorians started the tradition of Christmas trees, cards and decorations, so what better place to see and experience Christmas than a Victorian mansion dedicated to the holiday,\u201d said Thompson. \u201cOur tours bring you through all the rooms on the first and second floor and even include the owners bedroom, bathroom and closet.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guests marvel at the 16 different intricate original parquet floor patterns and 10,000 panes of antique window glass. Thomas Edison, who gave Stetson one of the first strings of Christmas tree lights, installed the mansion\u2019s electricity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This year, rooms will draw their inspiration from the traditional songs: \u201cI Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,\u201d \u201cAngels We Have Heard on High,\u201d \u201cWe Three Kings,\u201d \u201cOh Little Town of Bethlehem,\u201d \u201cDeck the Halls,\u201d \u201cLet there be Peace on Earth\u201d and \u201cWe Need a Little Christmas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;I see why they call it spectacular!&#8221; said Mary Corey, a visitor from Ormond Beach, about last year\u2019s Christmas extravaganza at Stetson Mansion. &#8220;The tour puts you in the Christmas spirit. The decorations are amazing and the mansion itself is a jewel.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guided tours also include insights into the house restoration. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Make plans to tour the Stetson Mansion now to Jan.15, 2019. The cost is $25 plus tax for adults; $15 plus tax for youth aged six \u2013 22 and parking is free. Ticket holders will also receive a free chocolate covered strawberry at Pat and Toni\u2019s Sweet Things in downtown DeLand. Reservations are required and can only be booked online: www.StetsonMansion.com. The Stetson Mansion is located between Orlando and Daytona in DeLand at 1031 Camphor Lane.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Please note: Wheelchairs and walkers are welcome; however, you must bring your own. Due to the historic nature of the home there is no elevator or ramp. There is a flight of stairs to the second floor. Gates open 25 minutes before tour time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Photo courtesy Debi Lander<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Stetson Mansion at night<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Debi Lander mail@floridanewsline.com Most folks think of cowboy hats when they hear the name Stetson, but founder John B. Stetson made a fortune selling all kinds of hats, manufactured in his Philadelphia plant. He discovered DeLand, located north of Orlando and west of Daytona Beach, on a trip to Florida and fell in love [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4882,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,5,4],"tags":[9],"class_list":{"0":"post-4927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-creekline-st-johns","8":"category-mandarin","9":"category-ponte-vedra","10":"tag-travel"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Travel | Stetson Mansion Christmas Spectacular shines - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLine, Mandarin NewsLine, Ponte Vedra NewsLineBy Debi Lander mail@floridanewsline.com Most folks think of cowboy hats when they hear the name Stetson, but founder John B. 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