Historic Haile Homestead
Historic Haile Homestead
4.5
About
In 1854 the Haile family, from South Carolina, established a 1500 acre Sea Island cotton plantation. The 6,200 sq ft home was the site of house parties attended by Gainesville’s finest citizens. The Hailes had an unusual habit of writing on the walls. See the "Talking Walls," over 12,500 words written by family and friends in every room. Exhibit on the enslaved builders. On National Register.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles49 reviews
Excellent
26
Very good
16
Average
7
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Jill H
Williamsville, United States133 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
Very interesting for Floridian early history. The house had some very unusual features like writing on the walls. these included recipes for cures and reviews of parties, comments on the weather. cartoons.
Written 6 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

OrlandoGal22
Orlando, FL624 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
We visited on a recent Sunday afternoon and had a great tour by a knowledgeable docent.

Lovely grounds, well-maintained historical site with the extremely unique "talking walls, and informative visitor's center with very small but nice gift shop "area." The short video played in the visitor's center is a must-watch to orient yourself to the property.

Clean on-site bathrooms.

Highly recommend for any North Central Florida history buff!
Written 29 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Colleen J
New Albany, IN91 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020
Interesting historical site. The story of the Haile family is worth visiting if you are in the area. The house itself, however, is very sparsely furnished, and there are no other outbuildings still standing. The visitors center has a lot of information. The house is unique in that the family and guests had written extensively on the walls!
Written 16 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cynthia Snodgrass
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019
We toured the Hale Homestead at the Christmas season, and it was beautifully lit and musical groups were singing and performing at certain times. It added just the right touch of history and true beauty!
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ChrisH
Frederick, MD525 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Two adults went here on a Saturday in early January and had a great visit. Took one of the guided tours and the guide was great. It was only the two of us with the guide. The guide took his time and we ended up spending about two hours all together. YMMV as we really enjoy history. The tour consists of the first floor and you self-guide on the second. Unique house.
Written 15 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Geoffrey G
Gainesville, FL23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2018 • Friends
A wonderfully preserved plantation house, with well-balanced historical accounts of the family on panels thrroughout. The best time to visit is in December, when the home is lit by candles, and enhanced by Christmas decorations throughout.
Written 7 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

311charlesg
The Villages, FL47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
Tour guide had relatives involved with the property for decades. Extensive knowledge of the property, family history and writings on the walls. Talked nonstop to get it all in during the hour.
Written 24 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Louis F
Altus, OK1,025 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2018 • Solo
I went because I was interested to see what was written on the walls. There are a lot of names from guest lists for parties and random writings. It was cool to take some time to read parts of the wall and see what actually was written.
Written 30 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wheninroam05
Gainesville, FL194 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2017 • Family
The staff seemed ill informed and unable to answer even the most basic questions. We found it interesting but were expecting more of an informational tour.
Written 6 June 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

msessions91960
Gainesville, FL3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Family
Haile is a wonderful place to see what once was in the Gainesville area. It reminds you of how we use to live, and how far now technology has taken us. The Haile Village is also a nice are to walk around and enjoy the atmosphere. They have hometown shops and not franchises -- cater to the community. The eatery's there are wonderful and you will love where ever you pick to try.
Written 16 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Historic Haile Homestead - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

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