Treehouse, man cave highlight popular Seminole County Airbnb rental

Lifelong inventor gives inside look into 'Danville'

GENEVA, Fla. – Tucked away near Lake Harney sits 25 acres dubbed "Danville" that has quickly become one of the most popular spots for Airbnb renters. 

Dan Shaw is the mayor of this unofficial community, which boasts a wide range of options for guests to stay. 

"Airbnb corporate has decided that my wife and I were the most creative hosts in the world," Shaw said. 

A two-ton hydraulic garage door opens out of the side of an unassuming home to reveal an airplane hangar filled with its own downtown community, featuring a bar that hosts "goat happy hour" with Nigerian pygmy goats. 

"You might have someone who holds their self in high esteem, until you hand them a goat," Shaw explained. "You hand them a goat, and everybody is at the same level."

"Downtown Danville," as its called, features a two bedroom, two bathroom inn for guests that comes with its own theater. 

"You can't duplicate it," Shaw said. 

Shaw's grownup getaway playground in Geneva also houses three other options for potential stay-cation guests and tourists from all over the world.

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A quick drive across the property on a golf cart or Segway takes you to the man cave, which he first built as a place to hang out with friends. 

"They said you need to look up Airbnb," Shaw recalled. "So I looked it up and I said, 'Who would want to rent my man cave?'" 

A lot of people, apparently.

A map inside the man cave adorns pins placed all over the world where guests came from, and his online listings feature more than 1,500 reviews since he started listing on Airbnb in 2011. 

The mancave also features a working garage filled with classic cars, plane parts, and is covered from top to bottom with lost pop culture. 

"All foreign guests will stay here because it's Americana," Shaw said. "Motorcycles hanging, airplanes and cars out in the garage." 

If you're looking for a little touch of the outdoors and a chance to sleep under the stars, Shaw has built a luxury yurt equipped with air conditioning, plumbing and Wi-Fi. 

The most popular spot for guests is nicknamed "The Treehouse," a two-story, 15-foot high yurt set up between two oak trees, with its own elevator made to look like a tree trunk. Need a hot tub? Only Shaw makes one with a DC-10 jet engine.

"It depends on what I found, or my son found that day or what we use," he said. "That's why you can't duplicate it. I don't know how you would find the things I put in it." 

Shaw is a lifelong inventor and his work can be seen just about anywhere. A wall of 23 patents displays his work, including the automatic soap dispenser, the automatic faucet and the automatic paper towel dispenser. 

"We were way ahead of our time," Shaw said. 

And Shaw isn't slowing down. In addition to the four existing options for guests, Shaw is also building four more, including a 19th century-inspired Florida bungalow, a floating Airstream trailer that will sit atop a pontoon boat, two refurbished Volkswagen buses that will be reminiscent of Woodstock, and a plane. 

"The Airstream will go in the middle (of the plane), and then it may say 'Dan-Am on the side," he explained. "Some of these projects are too fun not to do. What a great way to end a career. I meet some of the most interesting people from all over the world, all over the world." 

The cost of each these rooms range anywhere from around $75 per night to about $150 per night. Danville also hosts around 30 weddings a year.

To see other unique Airbnb rentals in Central Florida, click here.


About the Author:

It has been an absolute pleasure for Clay LePard living and working in Orlando since he joined News 6 in July 2017. Previously, Clay worked at WNEP TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he brought viewers along to witness everything from unprecedented access to the Tobyhanna Army Depot to an interview with convicted double-murderer Hugo Selenski.

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