Home of the Holly Hills Gnomes – Holly Hill, Florida - Atlas Obscura
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Home of the Holly Hills Gnomes

Holly Hill, Florida

What started as three small gnomes at the base of a tree has grown into a full-blown gnome home. 

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The Home of the Holly Hills Gnomes pinkspoonbill1 (Atlas Obscura User)
The Home of the Holly Hills Gnomes pinkspoonbill1 (Atlas Obscura User)
Delightful display! TAT (Atlas Obscura User)
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If you take a drive down Riverside Drive next to the Halifax River, you need to watch for a tall oak tree on the river side of the road. There are hundreds of gnomes who live at the tree, but the whole thing started in 2003 with just three gnomes.

Virginia Morris is responsible for the tree full of gnomes, which has been growing since she put the first few figurines in place nearly 20 years ago. According to Hometown News Volusia, Morris was inspired after hearing about a man who left out papers and pencils for children along his walking route. Morris and her husband bought a trio of gnomes (whose names are Hall, Lee, and Hill) and placed them at the tree. They started adding more, and then members of the local community dropped off gnomes and other small pieces of artwork.

Eventually, they added a notepad at the site, for visitors to leave notes, share stories, or create drawings of the gnome community. Morris and her husband still maintain the Holly Hill Gnomes today, even bringing them inside when bad weather hits.

Know Before You Go

People leave notes and letters with the gnomes.  All of the notes and letters are catalogued at the city museum.  The museum is where you can buy the book about the Holly Hills Gnomes.

gnomes art outside trees
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