Gamble Plantation Historic State Park

This antebellum mansion was home to Major Robert Gamble and headquarters of an extensive sugar plantation.

It is the only surviving plantation house in South Florida. It is believed that Confederate Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin took refuge here after the fall of the Confederacy until his safe passage to England could be secured.

In 1925, the house and 16 acres were saved by the United Daughters of the Confederacy and donated to the state. Today, the mansion is furnished in the style of a successful mid-19th century plantation. Guided tours of the house are given six times a day, Thursday through Monday, and there are picnic tables on the grounds. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday; it is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Located in Ellenton on U.S. 301 South.