Tallahassee (founded 1824), capital of the state of Florida, is a quiet town of some 127,000 inhabitants at the east end of the Panhandle. Its main features of interest are the Old Capitol (1839), the New Capitol (1978) and the richly stocked Museum of Florida History. Outside the town are the Lake Jackson Indian Mounds (an Indian cult site), the Natural Bridge Battlefield (on which the defenders of Tallahassee defeated the Union forces), the Spanish fort of San Marcos de Apalache (1679) and Wakulla Springs, with one of the biggest karstic springs in Florida, part of an extensive cave system of which little has so far been explored.
Alfred B Maclay State Gardens is a 28-acre botanical garden known primarily for its collection of camellias, but with many other native and exotic flowers as well. In blooming season, from January to April, visitors can see more than 200 varieties of flowering plants. New York financier Alfred B Maclay and his wife founded the gardens in 1923. She donated the property to the state in 1953. The Barclay home with period furnishings is open to visitors during the blooming season.
Hours:
8am-Sunset
Tips: Gardens are open from 9am-5pm daily.
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
The Black Archives Research Center and Museum chronicles the history of African Americans in the South and in the United States. Housed in the 1907 Carnegie Library on the campus of Florida's A & M University, the center covers time periods from ancient Africa to present day with a collection of photographs, artifacts, documents, archives, maps, audio recordings and more related to Black history and culture.
Address: Black Archives Research Center and Museum, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee, FL 32307, United States
Phone: 1 (850) 599-3020, Fax: 1 (850) 561-2604
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
Florida's first state capitol consisted of three log cabins. The brick Capitol was completed in 1845 and serves as a museum to this day. Exhibits cover the political history of Florida, constitutions, and the history of the building.
Top of the Florida capitol building in Tallahassee.
Knott House Museum is an 1843 Classic Revival house with Victorian furnishings and exhibits on local history. During the Civil War, both Confederate and Union troops occupied the house. On May 20, 1865, General Edward McCook read the emancipation proclamation from its steps.
Former state treasurer William Knott lived here with his family from 1928 to 1985. It is known as the "house that rhymes" because Knott's wife used to write poems and attach them to the furniture.
Tips: Visit by guided tour only. Guided Tours on the hour:
Wednesday-Friday: 1:00, 2:00, & 3 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00, 11:00 a.m., Noon, 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 p.m.
Closed major holidays.
Museum of Florida History is housed on the ground floor of the State Archives Building tracing the history of Florida from prehistoric times to the 20th century. The eclectic collection of artifacts including Seminole baskets and other Native American ceremonial objects, Spanish coins, a reconstruction of a Civil War camp, Civil War flags and memorabilia from the Citrus and Cigar industry. A notable piece in the collection is a 12,000-year-old mastodon skeleton.
Hours:
9am-4:30pm; Sun:12pm-4:30pm; Sat:10am-4:30pm
Always closed on: Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Originally built in 1845, this white stucco, neo-Classical building served as Florida's State Capitol until 1978, when it moved to the modern office building in back. In 1979, the city began to restore the Old Capitol to its 1902 appearance and it opened as a museum in 1982. There are exhibits on Florida's state history and self-guided tours visit the house and senate chambers, the governor's suite, the Supreme Court and the rotunda.
Neoclassical Old Capitol in Tallahassee.
The Old Capitol in Tallahassee.
Address: Old Capitol, 400 South Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-6507, United States
Phone: 1 (850) 487-1902, Fax: 1 (850) 921-2540
The Tallahassee Antique Car Museum features a collection of antique automobiles such as a horse-drawn hearse. Some of the collectibles include pedal cars, boating items, motorcycles and sports memorabilia.
Address: Tallahassee Antique Car Museum, 6800 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308, United States
Phone: 1 (850) 942-0137, Fax: 1 (850) 576-8500
The Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science contains exhibits related to the history and environment of Northern Florida. The museum is surrounded by 52-acres of woodlands with interpretative walking trails. There is a 19th century Cracker farmhouse, a one-room schoolhouse, a church and a natural habitat zoo with animals found in the region. As well, one will find the 1841 pioneer residence of George Washington's great-grandniece, Catherine Daingerfield Willis.
Address: Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science, 3945 Museum Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32310-6325, United States
Phone: 1 (850) 576-1636, Fax: 1 (850) 574-8243
Hours:
9am-5pm; Sun:12:30pm-5pm
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Thanksgiving - USA (4th Thursday, November ), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
Facilities: Gift shop, Restaurant or food service
Transit: Located at Lake Bradford, about four miles (6.4km) southwest of downtown.
Reputedly the oldest surviving bank building in the state, the Union Bank originally opened in 1841 to finance cotton plantations. However, it closed two years later due to a combination of crop failure, financial mismanagement and the Seminole Wars. In 1984, the Union Bank opened as an extension of the Florida A&M University Black Archives, Research Center and Museum. Exhibits related to the bank's history along with period furnishings are displayed as well as artifacts and cultural items related to black history.
Hours:
9am-4:30pm; Closed: Sun, Sat
Tips: Visits by reservation only, 24 hours in advance.
Disability Access: Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
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Old Capitol, Tallahassee
Old Capitol, Tallahassee
Florida State Capitol, Tallahassee
