Twelve acres in Port Orange hold three attractions stacked on one site: an 1830s sugar plantation ruin, a volunteer-run botanical garden, and the concrete dinosaurs of Bongoland, a tiny theme park that operated here from 1948 to 1952. Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens is free, county-owned, and one of the strangest — and best — short stops in the Daytona area.

Forgotten Florida: The Ruins Of BONGOLAND & Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens

ViewFromTheCheapSeats

A morning walk through Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange covers both of the site's personalities: the coquina-era sugar mill ruins from its plantation days and the concrete-and-chicken-wire dinosaurs left from Bongoland, the small theme park that operated here from 1948 to 1952. The free, county-owned park packs a numbered map of dozens of stops — the giant ground sloth propped against its tree, a fairy garden, a gnome home and native plant areas — into a quiet neighborhood setting, with a pointed warning to stay on the paths because of the poison ivy.

Key takeaways
  • Free Volusia County park in Port Orange with sugar mill ruins and gardens
  • Bongoland (1948–1952) concrete dinosaurs still stand among the plantings
  • Numbered map at the entrance; stay on paths — poison ivy is common

Dunlawton Plantation and Sugar Mill - Port Orange, FL

The Time Traveling Tourist

This history-first tour walks the 12-acre Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens from the entrance map to the mill ruins, tracing the Dunlawton Plantation from an 1804 Spanish land grant through its destruction in the Second Seminole War to its 1846 rebuild with machinery salvaged from the Cruger-dePeyster mill in New Smyrna Beach. The site joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and the film closes by hunting down the surviving Bongoland statues — Triceratops, Stegosaurus, T-Rex, Dimetrodon and the giant ground sloth — hidden in the plantings.

Key takeaways
  • Plantation site traces to an 1804 Spanish grant; mill destroyed in the Second Seminole War and rebuilt in 1846
  • Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973
  • Paper maps sit in the green mailbox inside the entrance gate

Sugar Mill Gardens (1832 Dunlawton Sugar Mill Ruins / Bongoland) *****, Port Orange, Florida

This Is Florida

The Gardener's Library mixes fresh footage with the creator's own photos from 20–25 years ago to show how Dunlawton has changed — including the T-Rex statue that has since crumbled and been removed. The narration covers Sarah Anderson's sons building the mill around 1830, the January 1836 Seminole destruction, and John Marshall's rebuild using Cruger-dePeyster machinery, then lingers on the mill's remarkable collection of more than ten iron vats, the outdoor wedding chapel, the Dimetrodon and the giant ground sloth.

Key takeaways
  • Mill built about 1830 by Sarah Anderson's sons; destroyed 1836, later rebuilt
  • The mill yard holds a collection of 10+ iron sugar vats
  • Older photos show statues (like the T-Rex) that no longer survive

The plantation underneath

The land traces to an 1804 Spanish grant. The mill was built around 1830, destroyed in January 1836 during the Second Seminole War, and rebuilt in 1846 with machinery salvaged from the Cruger-dePeyster mill up in New Smyrna Beach. The mill yard still holds more than ten iron sugar vats — one of the most complete sugarcane grinding displays anywhere, per the county's own segment — and the site joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

Then came Bongoland

In 1948 the ruins gained a second life as Bongoland, a small attraction whose concrete-and-chicken-wire dinosaurs still stand among the plantings — a giant ground sloth propped against its tree is the unofficial mascot. The films note the losses honestly: a T-Rex visible in photos from 25 years ago has since crumbled and been removed.

DUNLAWTON SUGAR MILL GARDENS - BONGOLAND - DAYTONA BEACH

Mitch and Marcella

A short, cheerful family walk through Sugar Mill Gardens that hits the fairy garden, the playground, the solar-lit miniature campground display and one of the chicken-wire-and-concrete dinosaurs before closing time cuts the visit short. The film notes the protected archaeological area around the mill ruins and that the gardens close at 5 p.m. as filmed — a quick taste of the park rather than a full tour.

Key takeaways
  • Quick-visit film: fairy garden, playground and a Bongoland dinosaur
  • The mill ruins sit in a protected archaeological area
  • Gardens shown closing at 5 p.m. in this film

Exploring the Different Sides of Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens| Port Orange, Fl

Off Our Couch

Off Our Couch's Port Orange visit frames Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens as three attractions in one — a sugar mill, a former amusement park and now a botanical garden — across about 10 acres roughly 7 miles from Daytona Beach. Admission and parking are free, the gardens are maintained entirely by volunteers (donations appreciated), and the walk takes in the mill ruins, a bird-watching corner crowded with birdhouses, the gnome home, a heart garden and the nature chapel used for events.

Key takeaways
  • Free admission and parking; volunteer-maintained, donations appreciated
  • About 10 acres, roughly 7 miles from Daytona Beach
  • Bird-watching area, gnome home, heart garden and nature chapel

Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange

County of Volusia

A 'Volusia Here and Now' news segment profiles Sugar Mill Gardens as a volunteer-run botanical garden: the land was donated to Volusia County in 1963 by J. Saxton Lloyd, the nonprofit Botanical Gardens of Volusia has operated it since 1988, and about 15 volunteers maintain it with no salaried staff. The segment notes one of the most complete sugarcane grinding mill displays anywhere, the 1948–1952 Bongoland years (miniature train, Seminole village replica, prehistoric monsters), and weddings held under the big Confederate Oak.

Key takeaways
  • Land donated to the county in 1963; gardens operated by volunteers since 1988
  • One of the most complete sugarcane grinding mill displays, per the segment
  • Bongoland era (1948–1952) included a miniature train and Seminole village replica

The garden today

The land was donated to Volusia County in 1963, and volunteers have run the gardens since 1988 — no salaried staff, donations appreciated. A numbered entrance map strings together dozens of stops: fairy garden, gnome home, heart garden, nature chapel, bird-watching corner. Practical notes from the films: stay on the paths (poison ivy is common), paper maps live in the green mailbox inside the entrance, and the gardens close at 5 p.m. as filmed.

Sources: the 9 videos on this page, filmed at Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange.

Watch: Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens, guided

3 videos · summaries from the actual guides

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens Daytona Beach Full Tour 2026

Fantabulous Travels

A 40-minute full tour of Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens from Fantabulous Travels — the longest walk-through of the gardens on this page, covering the mill ruins and the Bongoland dinosaurs end to end. (Watch film — no usable transcript was available, so it loads without one.)

Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens: 4K Virtual Tour| Travel Guide

The Global Wanderess

An 11-minute 4K virtual tour and travel guide to Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens from The Global Wanderess, walking the garden paths, the mill ruins and the concrete dinosaur statues. (Watch film — no usable transcript was available.)

Bongoland Dinosaurs & Dunlawton Sugar Mill Ruins | Port Orange FL

Travel Towner

Travel Towner's 14-minute visit pairs the two halves of the site in its title: the Bongoland dinosaurs and the Dunlawton sugar mill ruins in Port Orange. (Watch film — no usable transcript was available.)

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