Tallahassee Vacations - Florida

Tallahassee Vacation Highlights

163 miles west of Jacksonville, 191 miles east of Pensacola

The Spanish Franciscan Mission San Luís de Apalachee dates to 1656. Set on a hilltop in a village of the Apalachee Indians it was the key to a chain of missions across north west Florida.

The mission consisted of a tribal council house, Franciscan church, a fort and residential areas. The council house and the thatch-roofed church have been reconstructed and are open to the public. The Maclay State Gardens date to 1923 when planting of these magnificent gardens began at the home on Lake Hall of Alfred and Louise Maclay.

In 1953 the land was bequeathed to the state of Florida and by that time more than 300 acres featured over 200 varieties of flowers. 28 acres are devoted to just azaleas and camellias.  Gardens bloom from January through April, with the peak about mid-March. The adjoining state park offers lakes, hiking, biking, and horseback-riding trails, making this a popular venue.

The Lemoyne Art Gallery is housed in Meginnis-Monroe House, an historic antebellum home restored in 1852 which provides an excellent setting for fine art. The gallery carries the name Jacques LeMoyne, a member of a French expedition to Florida in 1564 and  the first European artist known to have visited North America.

It features spectacular gardens during the Christmas season and is the venue for musical recitals.

For serious students of Florida history, the Museum of Florida History is a must. Look back over 12,000 years to the first Native Americans to live in Florida plus reminders of Florida's past with a reconstructed steamboat and treasures from sunken Spanish galleons. 

The stately mansion known as Knott House Museum is preserved as it was in 1928 when it was bequeathed to the city by politician William Knott and his wife, poet Luella Knott.  During the Civil war, the building was occupied by both sides.

Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail State Park is a very popular route covering 16 miles (26km) of the historic rail system that now attracts joggers, hikers, bicyclists, and horseback riders.

The Apalachicola National Forest has an extensive network mountain-biking trails and there are 5 1/2 miles (9km) of nature trails at Maclay State Gardens.

Tallahassee takes football to its heart whenever the Seminoles of Florida State University (FSU) take to the field. The Florida A&M University (FAMU) Rattlers are cheered on by the school's high-stepping, world-famous Marching 100 Band. 

Golfers, as is usual throughout Florida, are catered for with several excellent and inexpensive courses in the Tallahassee region. 

Tallahassee Florida
Tallahassee Scene
Tallahassee Vacations
Florida vacations