DUNLAWTON SUGAR MILL GARDENS

By  Mike Miller May 30, 2025

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens (Botanical Gardens of Volusia) is a 10-acre botanical garden in Port Orange, Florida. Located at 950 Old Sugar Mill Road, it features ruins of a 19th-century sugar mill.

The site blends history and nature. Visitors can explore trails, native plants, and concrete dinosaur statues.

The gardens are maintained by the Botanical Gardens of Volusia, Inc., a volunteer group. 

Dinosaur Statue at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens
Reminder of Bongoland

The site began as a 995-acre land grant in 1804 to Patrick Dean. He grew sugarcane, cotton, and rice. Dean was killed in 1818, likely by a Seminole or enslaved person.

In 1832, Sarah Anderson bought the land, naming it Dunlawton Plantation. The mill processed sugar, molasses, and rum until 1835.

During the Second Seminole War, Seminoles burned it down. John Marshall rebuilt it in 1846, but it burned again in 1856 during the Third Seminole War.

In 1862, Confederate St. John Rangers used it as a camp, making salt in the mill’s kettles.

In 1948, Dr. Perry Sperber leased it for Bongoland, a short-lived theme park. The county took over in 1963. The gardens opened in 1988. 

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is at 950 Old Sugar Mill Road, Port Orange, FL 32129. From I-95, take exit 256, follow SR 421 east, turn right on US-1, then left on Herbert Street.

The gardens are open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM, except Christmas and New Year’s. Admission is free; donations are encouraged. Trails are hard-packed shell, accessible for wheelchairs.

Maps are in a green mailbox near the entrance as well as on their website. Master Gardeners are available the second Wednesday of every month from 9 AM to 11 AM, when you can discuss your own gardens and ask questions.

No food, drinks, smoking, or pets are allowed. Photographers need appointments. Visit in spring for blooming plants. 

• The mill’s kettles were used to render whale blubber in 1906.  

• Five concrete dinosaurs from Bongoland (1948–1952) remain on-site.  

• A 250-year-old “Confederate Oak” sheltered Civil War soldiers.  

• The gardens have a human sundial; your shadow tells the time.  

• Eagle Scout projects include bridges and garden features.  

• Native plant sections showcase Florida’s diverse flora.  

• The mill’s ruins include a cane crusher and steam furnace.

DUNLAWTON SUGAR MILL GARDENS WEBSITE