Take a Delightful Tour!
Spend part of your day taking a relaxing tour of daffodil gardens and historic homes. All tours originate from the First United Methodist Church Welcome & Hospitality Center (121 Harrison St.).
JUMP TO:
Daffodil Garden Tours
• Grace Hill
• Beale Daffodil Farm
• Dawson Daffodil Farm
• Oakland Farm
• Oakland Cemetery Walk
• Dining with the Daffodils
Historic Homes & Buildings Tours
• McCollum-Chidester House Museum
• The Morgan Parker Dietrich House
• The Postmasters Grill
• The Ouachita County Courthouse
• St John's Episcopal Church
Other Activies & Other Locations
Antique Car Show
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot
Driving Tour Information
Daffodil Garden Tours
Friday & Saturday, 9 am - 4:30pm
Walk among and view hundreds of thousands of daffodils in our three Showcase gardens; the Beale Daffodil Farm, Grace Hill, and the Dawson Daffodil Farm, with self-guided visits to Oakland Farms. The Garden Tours originate from the First United Methodist Church at 116 Jefferson St. in downtown Camden.
The Festival Committee strongly recommends Festival Guests take advantage of the Shuttle Service provided while visiting the Gardens and Homes. Very limited parking is available at these locations. Considerations will be given to handicapped patrons and other special needs.
Click here for Garden & Home Tour Ticket information
Grace Hill
Old Wire Road / 3675 Ouachita 3
‘Welcome to Grace Hill’ reads the sign at the street . . . and ‘welcome’ it is to this country home and garden.
Grace Hill is the home of Frank and Joy Wright Wietecha. The name “Grace Hill” comes from Joy’s Aunt Grace, who gave Joy this family farm land which has been in Joy’s family since the 1830’s.
Completed in 1992, the home is a copy of the George Wythe house (circa 1740) in Williamsburg, Virginia. Attention to detail has proven to present a simple home with a lot of ‘presence.’
Beale Daffodil Farm
290 Ouachita 42. Deep in the backwoods of south Ouachita County, among the towering pine trees, hidden treasures are multiplying every year, and they wave golden greetings to all who come to visit. The Camden Daffodil Festival is fortunate to offer the Beale Daffodil Farm for a fourth year on the Garden Tour. Visitors are warmly greeted by Anne Beale, who will personally introduce visitors to her extended family of daffodil bulbs, and encourage all to walk throughout the naturalized landscaping of “The Property”. The Beale’s pursue, with permission, the rescue of abandoned bulbs from old house places, and have designated acres to cultivating Heirlooms, as well as Hybrids, to be transplanted later around the place. Grady Beale is a retired teacher and coach, and approaches his hobby with enthusiasm. With a cordless drill and garden auger in his hand, he is a gardener on a mission – planting more bulbs! Enjoy this hidden jewel, and be sure to come back next year to visit again!
The Beale Daffodil Farm Story
By Grady and Anne Beale
Nineteen years ago, we bought land at Buena Vista. We called this "The Property", and every weekend, my husband worked with a machete and chainsaw to make a path into the property and clear walking paths throughout.
Later, we had a road bulldozed in and two ponds added.
In about 2000, Clara Freeland was selling daffodil bulbs for the historical society and my husband bought 500. He planted each one with a dibble on the property in the woods.
That spring was a glorious sight!
The next year, he bought 1,000, and so on, over the years. It was amazing to drive in our gate and see these flowers out in the woods - in the middle of nowhere - blooming their hearts out.
We since have discovered the beauty of the species of daffodils that you see blooming in pastures, at old home sites, and in the woods.
We have many of these old historic bulbs in our yard and thanks to Thera Lou Adams and her friend and bulb expert, Celia Jones, I know their names:
• Butter and Eggs, • Texas Star,• Van Sion,• Lent Lily,
• Jonquilla - (aka 'Early Louisiana,')
• Campernelle, and more!
This is a very short history of our daffodils. It has been a happy journey, and we are still planting daffodils yearly.
In 2005, we moved into our home on "The Property," and that's how our daffodil story came to be.
Dawson Daffodil Farm
2698 Ouachita 3 Carrying on the family tradition started by the late John Dawson, Jr., the Dawson children are opening the Dawson Daffodil Farm to the public during the Camden Daffodil Festival. John Jr. had the foresight to preserve this property after the original owner, Mrs. O.L. Fellers passed away some years ago. By doing so, he preserved thousands of daffodil bulbs to showcase to the public and pay tribute to the lady who spent her whole life developing new bulbs and sharing those with others. This place is truly a naturalized diamond in the rough and offers serene paths through the woods and daffodil drifts. Bring your camera – the photo opportunities are numerous and may include wildlife!
Oakland Farm
2474 Oakland Six generations of the Tate Family have cultivated the land at Oakland Farm, starting in the late 1870s - the early generations with cotton; the fourth, fifth, and sixth generations with daffodils. A simple farm house for the early settlers has evolved into the location of one of the largest Fall arts and crafts festivals in the South – the B&PW Barn Sale.
Walter and Ruth Tate began developing the semiformal gardens in the early 1950s, and planted hundreds of azaleas, daffodils and daylilies among the pecan trees. To this day, many of the original plantings thrive and bloom every year. Ruth pursued transplanting daffodil bulbs from Mrs. O.L. Fellers' gardens (now the Dawson Daffodil Farm) upon her death. Massive naturalized offerings were added to the existing floral landscaping, and provide an extended blooming season in the spring. Visitors are welcomed to take a self-guided tour of Oakland Farm and enjoy the genteel surroundings under the shadow of the old Barn and around the ponds. Natures’ own resident deer and other animals may also join the tour.
Oakland Farm is now owned and protected by Bob and Amanda Tate Wunnenberg
Bob and Amanda Tate Wunnenberg keep the garden auger busy by continuing to add daffodils to the landscape yearly. They have recently designated an area of the St Louis garden for bulbs shared from Shaw Gardens and other sources by friend and daffodil guru, Beth Holbrook.
Oakland Cemetery Walk
107 Maul Rd - Available on Home Tour Shuttle Route
107 Maul Rd Oakland Cemetery was Camden’s first community cemetery. The land was donated to the City in 1830 by William Bradley an early pioneer and community leader. Within the gates of this beautiful old cemetery are the graves of Camden’s oldest families.
Twice yearly costumed re-enactors share the stories that shaped and impacted this community on the banks of the Ouachita River. Stories of River boats, enterprise, Indians and war.
Come join us at Oakland from 10:00 until 3:00 on March 13th and 14th, during the Daffodil Festival while we take a “Walk Back in Time”
Admission included with armband OR
Families $15.00
Adults $7.00
Children 6-18 $3.00
under 6 free
Dining with the Daffodils
Historic Homes Tours
Friday & Saturday, 9 am - 4pm
Step back into history on this tour of Historic Homes.
- McCollum-Chidester House Museum, 926 W. Washington St.
- The Morgan Parker Dietrich House, 807 Washington St.
Click here for Garden & Home Tour Ticket information
The Festival Committee strongly recommends Festival Guests take advantage of the Shuttle Service provided while visiting the Gardens and Homes. Very limited parking is available at these locations. Considerations will be given to handicapped patrons and other special needs.
Tickets can be purchased at:
First United Methodist Church Atrium
(121 Harrison Ave SW, Camden, AR 71701)
or Downtown at the Information booth (at the corner of Washington and Adams)
McCollum-Chidester House Museum
926 Washington St. 9-4 pm
The McCollum-Chidester House Museum was built by Peter McCollum, a local merchant, in 1847 on land received by a grant from the United States Government. It was the first house in Camden built of planed lumber, had the first wallpaper, and the first kitchen in Camden to have an iron cook stove. The home was purchased by the Ouachita County Historical Society in 1963 and opened as a museum. This house was the setting of the TV miniseries, "North & South" and entertained movie stars, Patrick Swayze and Kirstie Alley.
Leake Ingham Library
Friday and Saturday 10:00am - 4:30pm -- FREE EVENT!
Dr. Carl Drexler is a Conflict Archeologist and Station Archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey located in Magnolia AR.
He will be displaying artifacts from the Civil War found in South Arkansas along with maps and survey work from sites.
March is Arkansas Archeology Month.
The Morgan Parker Dietrich House
807 Washington St. Presented by Dr. Fred Dietrich. 9-4 pm
This handsome English Tudor structure of seasoned pine and white stucco was built in 1927 by John Henry and Marguerite Morgan. Tom Harding of Little Rock was the architect. Two other families lived there and Dr. Dietrich purchased it in 1969.
The entrance and downstairs feature a split level foyer, sunken living room, dining room, kitchen, sun room, powder room, breakfast room and a 180 degree (half circle) spiral staircase with a wrought iron railing. The mantel, woodwork and ten panel doors are constructed of a special red gum. The upstairs has three bedrooms, two full baths, trunk room, laundry room and back stairway down to the kitchen. The partial basement has a garage, bath, second laundry room, small kitchen and den.
The Postmaster's Grill
133 W Washington St.
Located in the heart of downtown Camden, the Old Camden Post Office was built in the late 1800’s to service the bustling port city. In the early 1970's the building was scheduled to be demolished, but was saved in an effort that led to it being listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. It was then sold in 2010 and after an 18 month renovation the Old Camden Post Office was reborn as Postmasters Grill.
The restaurant has an amazing selection of tantalizing appetizers, salads, and extraordinary contemporary American Cuisine to pair with its award winning wine selection. Our chef's focus is on bringing you only the finest and freshest ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible. Postmasters Grill is the perfect spot for a romantic evening, business engagement, or relaxed dinner in our dining room, Coal Room, or on our patio. The outdoor patio features a professional sound stage for live music events during the warmer months.
Ouachita County Courthouse
145 Jefferson St. SW
The Ouachita County Courthouse is located at 145 Jefferson Avenue in Camden, Arkansas, the seat of Ouachita County. The two-story brick and concrete structure was designed by Little Rock architect Thomas Harding, and completed in 1933.
St John's Episcopal Church
117 Harrison Ave NW
The St. John's Episcopal Church is a historic church at 117 Harrison Street in Camden, Arkansas. It is a large cruciform structure, built out of brick with trim of concrete cast to resemble stone.
Other Activies & other Locations
Step back into history on this tour. Includes our renown Historic Homes and one of South Arkansas' largest Antique car shows.
Antique Car Show
1108 W. Washington 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Free (Saturday Only)
Come and see one of South Arkansas' largest Antique Car Shows.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO
Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot
314 S Adams open only on Friday 9-4 pm.
Built in 1913 and lovingly restored in 1995, the Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot now houses the Camden Area Chamber of Commerce. The depot served first as a passenger station, then primarily as a Freight station until it closed in December of 1983. The Mo-Pac, as it is familiarly known, was the largest and most important railroad in Arkansas.
Tickets can be purchased at:
First United Methodist Church Atrium
(121 Harrison Ave SW, Camden, AR 71701)
or Daffodil Junction (at the corner of Washington and Adams).
*FREE Festival maps are available on location.
