The town of Eustis is part of what is called the “Golden Triangle” in Lake County, together with sister communities of Tavares and Mount Dora. The three towns sit roughly equidistant from each other, with roadways that provide access to all three.

Like many other communities in Central Florida, Eustis began in the late 1800s, when homesteaders from more northern areas came to Florida to settle on their promised acreage—sometimes as much as 80 acres—and create a new home in a sparsely settled region. Eustis is named after Colonel Abraham Eustis, who was in the U. S. Army in Florida in the early 1800s.

The St. Johns River provided the main means of steamboat transportation in the early days, and the river area was the favorite location of many of the pioneer settlements. Eustis was connected to what is now Sanford and Jacksonville through this waterway, allowing the area to expand and grow.

By 1882, the St. Johns and Lake Eustis Railway began replacing water travel. Eustis was a primary agricultural area, growing citrus and vegetables and shipping the produce throughout a wide area. Because of its abundance of citrus, despite some well-documented freezes, Eustis became known as the “Orange Capital of the World.”

Although Eustis no longer holds the distinction of being the “Orange Capital,” agriculture is an important part of the community, and some of these agricultural areas are open to the public, a practice known as “agritourism.”

Santa’s Farm, presented by Santa’s Christmas Tree Forest, is open during the holiday season for families to cut their own Christmas tree. In addition, the farm has year ‘round attractions for the whole family, including pumpkin sales in the fall, field trips for school groups, Jack’s Barnyard with friendly animals, Santa’s Flight Zip Line for the more adventurous and the lower Rudolf Kiddie Zip Line for younger guests. Reservations are a must—go to santachristmastreeforest.com and click on Admission Pricing for reservation tickets.

Like farm to table? Eustis is your destination! King Grove Organic Farm will either have your five-pound box of blueberries ready to pick up or will ship to most locations in the continental U.S. Bear Tracks Farms in Eustis provide U-Pick opportunity for those who love blackberries. Check 407-421-8540 for farm days and hours. And Amber Brooke Farms offers a variety of crops during the year. In the spring, blueberries and sunflowers are available for picking. The farm is open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, depending upon the weather. On weekends, there is lunch, craft beers and wine, and kid’s activities with the purchase of a $10 farm fun pass.

One of the more interesting enterprises in the Eustis area is Southern Oaks, which is owned and operated by the Pinske family as a training center for harness racing. Not only does the family have its own horses in training during the winter months, but it is also open to other horse owners to train their trotters, and offers 232 stalls in seven barns, large paddocks, a mile and half-mile training tracks and dorm rooms for grooms for the horses.

Tourism isn’t a recent attraction in the Eustis area. It was a vital industry, even in its early days, and hotels, parks and clubs sprang up to accommodate both residents and visitors. One of the local hotels was the Fountain Inn in downtown Eustis, which operated from 1923 until the middle of the Great Depression. In 1936, the owner, Frank D. Waterman (of Waterman Fountain Pen fame), turned it over to a group of local doctors, and until 2004, it was the Waterman Memorial Hospital. When the facility moved to U.S. Highway 441 the new hospital became Florida Hospital Waterman.

Motor boating was one of the key attractions of the city and is still one of the favorite pastimes who love Lake Eustis, one of the largest lakes in the region.

 In 1913, the city purchased land and built a bulkhead of concrete some 250 feet into Lake Eustis and 950 feet along the shoreline of the lake. The land was filled with sand, and the first public park, Ferran Park, named after one of the town’s pioneers, Edgar L. Ferran, was created. Ferran Park is the site of many activities in the community.

Like the communities of Mount Dora and Tavares, Eustis has evolved, working diligently to make the community relevant and interesting to encourage economic growth and city pride.

In 2013, the City of Eustis created the Downtown Waterfront Entertainment District, which attracts gatherings of residents and visitors, with an abundance of restaurants and retail shops located within the district. In addition, from Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m.  to 10 p.m., patrons of local establishments in the district are permitted to carry clear plastic containers with up the 16 ounces of their chosen beverage. Entertainment is provided to increase the festive atmosphere. The First Friday Street Party takes place the first Friday of the month from 6-9 p.m. and classic car shows are part of the district every fourth Saturday of the month. 

With a nod to its history, and its location near natural areas, Eustis is a fun-loving community, with a variety of activities throughout the year.

• In late February, the City of Eustis celebrates our first President’s birthday, not just on one day, but with week-long activities during Georgefest. Started in 1902, Georgefest is the longest running celebration of George Washington’s birthday, both in Florida and in the country. It features carnival rides and games, the Running of the Georges Race, a bass tournament (of course!), a parade and live entertainment.
• The Eustis Busker Festival, held each March, is a celebration of street performers, such as musicians, comedians, jugglers, acrobats and dancers, who perform two, 30-minute acts throughout the day, hoping to earn the vote of the spectators as they watch the performances. During the month of March, customers of any Eustis business receive receipts for their purchases, and on the day of the festival, attendees use the receipts to earn one voting ticket per $5 spent at the local businesses. At the end of the festival is the Grand Finale, where the top performers from each division are featured at the bandshell at Ferran Park and compete for the $3,000 grand prize.
• Many of the buildings in Eustis are on the National Register of Historic Places, such as the Eustis City Hall, which still houses some governmental offices, the Alice B. McCelland Memorial Bandshell in Ferran Park, the Italianate Grand Magnolia Inn and the Iron Block Building. One of most beautiful historic buildings is the Clifford House, on the corner of Bay and Bates Streets, designed in antebellum style. Although Clifford House was originally designed by Guilford Davis Clifford in 1894, wasn’t built until 1910. Construction was delayed by the freezes of December 1894 and February 1895. The home has 4,500 square feet of living space and is constructed of Propecia Florida cypress, with double layers of Heart of Pine floors that are much coveted today. There are six fireplaces, and the walls are plaster of Paris—they have never been painted and remain beautifully white. It was created with indoor plumbing and large windows to capture the breezes during Florida’s hot summers. Three generations of the Clifford family lived in the home until 1983, when their descendants made it the home of the Eustis Historical Museum. The building, now owned by the City of Eustis, is operated by volunteers, and offers tours each week. Also on the property is the Citrus Museum, which has a large collection of memorabilia connected to the citrus industry.
• For those who love the outdoors, Lake Norris Conservation Area is a favorite spot. The conservation area was purchased to protect the hardwood swamp that is on the eastern shore of Lake Norris and along the Black Water Creek, which is a major tributary of the Wekiva River, a popular location for water sports in the area. Visitors particularly enjoy seeing the abundance of osprey nests in the conservation area. Canoeing and kayaking are favorite activities on Lake Norris, as well as hiking, fishing, horseback riding, bicycling and primitive camping (with permission from the Lake County Water Authority).
• Trout Lake Nature Center is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., with the fee at $5 per vehicle. The Nature Center features exhibits in the Educational Building and Natural History Museum, an observation dock on Trout Lake, plus educational displays and picnic areas along the walking trails which wind throughout the 230-acre property. There are several large oak trees in the center, with the king of them all being the Grandfather Oak.
• Hidden Waters Preserve just south of Eustis, is a 90-acre site protected by the Lake County Water Authority which acquired the property to protect the seepage slopes, the sinkhole and high aquifer recharge areas from trash dumping and nearby development. A variety of bird species call this area home, and because of this, the property is on the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Statewide Birding Trail List. There are several short trails within the preserve, some of which reach the height of more than 100 feet in elevation—a high area for Florida. Because of the unique trail offerings, the preserve is popular among hikers, joggers and those who love to see the natural habitat of herons, hawks, foxes and turtles. What is unusual is that some trails, such as the Lake Alfred Trail, has rising and lowering water, depending upon the seasons, and high water can flood the trails during the rainy seasons. The Ravine Trail is interesting. In addition to the sound of running water that can be heard along this trail, the Ravine Trail goes from the sinkhole up the eastern slope of the uplands. Hidden Waters Preserve is open daily from 8 a.m. until sunset.