I lived here for about 14 years, and you would think I would know more about this place. However, as is common, I believe, we all tend to ignore what is in our own backyard. I will say, I recall Deland having a surprising amount of rather excellent food, as well as a few very nice little museums. This has been my own little lesson in what to do in Deland Florida 🙂
You should be aware that it is in close proximity to Orange City, if you’d prefer more of a “developed area.” I also recall Orange City’s Dunken Donuts to be much better, so if that’s your travel snack, drive on?
If you’re only in Deland, FL for a couple days, or are just passing through, here are five options to consider!
What to Do in Deland Florida
1. De Leon Springs ($2-6)
Ok, so this isn’t technically in Deland, it’s right at the outskirts. However, depending on where you are, it’s not going to take more than 10-15 minutes to get there. It has a pretty nice restaurant and is a nice place to relax and swim in the springs. I’ve also seen people dive here so you can do that as well. Hiking, fishing, and Florida History (Including Native American history). Well, well worth a visit. However, if you are near Deland for breakfast, I’d absolutely recommend the Sugar Mill House in the state park for some french toast or pancakes!
($6 per vehicle, $4 for one person in a vehicle, $2 for no car)
Another state park is also in close proximity, Blue Springs (same prices and the featured image). If you have the time, and if it’s manatee season, I especially recommend a visit here too. Lovely nature walks.
2. Gillespie Museum (Free)
This is a part of Stetson University, and is a Geological museum. It’s a super well-thought out little museum with a lot of information and very helpful people. Once they demonstrated how a ruby was cut which was very nice! For such a small museum and for such a small town, the collection is truly impressive – it’s one of the largest in the southeast. As there’s next to no information on this online, I’ll let you know here that it’s free 🙂
3. Angelina’s Pizzeria
While there other food is good, you should come here for the pizza. I got a rude awakening when I moved to Wichita, where pizza is massively overpriced and not nearly as good. A slice of pizza can be had for around $2. You really can’t beat it. If you’re only stopping to eat and heading back on the road, stop here.
4. Santorini’s Greek Cuisine
If you’re looking for something a little bit fancier, I would head here for dinner. Greek people settled in Florida before it was even a state, and this is some of the best Greek food to be had around. Get the lemon potatoes, whatever you do – and save one for the next day, as sometimes it’s even better. I also like to save some pita bread (served with every meal) as I like it to harden and become cracker-like. For larger meals, the Athenian chicken gets my vote (but everything I’ve ever had there was absolutely delicious). Your average entrĂ©e is going to be about $12.
5. Deland Museum of Art
Conveniently it is also very close to Stetson, so I’d recommend hitting both museums if you can. This museum often gets collections on loan, so I would head there when they have one. Definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in art! They have a surprisingly good gift shop (compared to standard American fare). Their website doesn’t appear to be working at this point in time, but I believe admission is $5.
I hope this helps those looking to “pass through” Deland anytime soon!
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