Developed by Tampa Attorney J. Wm. Dupree, the gardens opened to the public on December 1, 1940. The attraction consisted of 900 acres of flowering trees and plants and included a lodge and a tearoom with gift shop. It also featured electric powered glass-bottomed boats on Dupree Lake.

Even though gasoline rationing had caused the facility to be "Closed For The Duration" in 1943, a New York City auction of Dupree Gardens' camellia blooms netted $250,000.00 for the War Bond effort in 1944. Dupree Gardens, still a beautiful garden spot, briefly reopened in 1946 for some civic events.

The tearoom burned in 1995. The lodge (converted to a home by the Hendrix family), the gatehouse (now in ruins) and some scattered plantings are all that remains of this early Florida theme park.

Beginning in 2003, Beazer Homes developed 468 acres as Dupree Lakes.

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