Gamble Plantation Historic State Park

Gamble Plantation Historic State Park is a historic plantation house museum located in Ellenton, Florida. The antebellum residence features thick white columns, wide verandas, and tabby walls made from local oyster shells, sand, and lime.

Major Robert Gamble built this Greek Revival residence between 1845 and 1850 as the center of a 3,500-acre (1,416-hectare) sugar cane plantation. More than 200 enslaved people were forced to work on the estate and maintain its operations.

The house displays furniture and household items from the mid-1800s that show how a wealthy planter family lived in Florida during that period. Guided walks explain how rooms were used and what role the estate played in daily life at the time.

Guided tours of the house run six times a day from Thursday through Monday, and the visitor center opens from 9 AM to 5 PM. Wear comfortable shoes and allow enough time for the full tour.

The property holds a covered cistern that once stored 40,000 gallons (151,000 liters) of water. This structure is the only remaining plantation house in South Florida from that period.

Location: Florida

Inception: 1925

Website: http://floridastateparks.org/gambleplantation/default.cfm

GPS coordinates: 27.53330,-82.53330

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29