Tallahassee history weaves a fascinating tapestry of politics and cultures, agriculture and innovation, higher education and religion, and liberty and justice, with southern charm, and international flavors. You don’t have to be a history buff to experience and appreciate the depth and diversity of Tallahassee’s history and heritage. Florida’s capital city plays a big role in the stories of Florida’s and American histories.
Today Tallahassee boasts diverse cultural heritage and is flourishing with many rhythms and flavors. Museums, festivals, cuisine, arts and crafts, and year-round events honor and celebrate Asian, Greek, Hispanic, and Celtic heritage in the Tallahassee area.
For a complete listing of Tallahassee history and heritage events, visit our online Events Calendar and check out our list of featured historical attractions below.
Featured Listings:
22nd Floor of the Capitol at the Capitol Complex
400 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
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Phone: (850) 488-6167
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One of only four state capitols in the U.S. featuring a panoramic view of the city from the 22nf Floor observatory/art gallery. House and Senate viewing galleries also come alive during the annual legislative session March – May.
Beadel House at Tall Timbers
13093 Herny Beadel Dr.
Tallahassee, FL 32312
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Phone: (850) 893-4153
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The former antebellum and hunting plantation of famed naturalist Henry Beadel comprises 4000 acres on the north shore of Lake Iamonia is part of the Tall Timbers Research Station Land Conservancy focusing on fire-ecology, wildlife management and land conservation.
Dubbed “Gold Dust Street” in the late 1800s because of the affluent political and social residents who built homes here from 1840-1940, six of which still stand today.
Carrie Meek/James Eaton Sr., Black Archives Research Center and Museum
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Phone: (850) 599-3020
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The Carnegie Library was completed in 1907 and is the oldest standing building on the FAMU campus. The impressive facility houses one of the most extensive collections of African American Artifacts and source material in the Southeast. Campus tours are also available by calling 850-599-3869.
Desoto Encampment
1022 De Soto Park Dr
Tallahassee, FL 32301
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Phone: (850) 922-6007
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Spanish conquistador Hernando De Soto arrived in “Anhaica”, an Apalachee Indian Village near today’s downtown Tallahassee and his men spent the winter of 1539-40 here This is the only confirmed site of De Soto in North America. A historic marker and kiosk display mark the site behind the current office complex but artifacts from the encampment are preserved at the Museum of Florida History.
First Presbyterian Church
Downtown, 102 N. Adams Street
Tallahassee, FL 32301
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Phone: (850) 222-4504
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Built in 1838, still has its original slave gallery, the north gallery, set aside for slaves who were allowed membership, but sat apart from their masters. The only Tallahassee church still standing from territorial days, the Classic Revival style building with Gothic doors and windows is prominent in downtown.
Florida A&M University
Office of the President
Tallahassee, FL 32307
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Phone: (850) 599-3000
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Established in 1887 as the Florida State Normal College for Colored Students, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) is the oldest historically black public university in Florida. The first president, Thomas DeSaille Tucker and legislator Thomas Van Renssaler Gibbs, guided the school’s beginning including its move from Copeland Street to its present location.
Restored to its 1902 appearance with stained galss dome and candy-striped awnings, it houses the Florida Legislative Research Center and Museum, restored House and Senate Chambers, Supreme Court and Governor’s Suite
Florida State University
211 Westcott Bldg.
Tallahasse, FL 32306
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Phone: (850) 644-1085
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Florida State University (FSU) is a public, fully accredited, coeducational research institution with an international reputation in the sciences and humanities. With a budget of more than $1 billion, FSU has 15 schools and colleges that offer more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, professional and specialist degree programs covering a vast array of disciplines. Its 40,000 students have the opportunity to work and study alongside an outstanding faculty that has included Nobel laureates, members of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and winners of the Pulitzer Prize
Fort Gadsden Historic State Park/Apalachicola National Forest
Brickyard Rd
Eastpoint, FL 32328
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In 1814 an abandoned fort located 50 miles from the then-U.S. boundary, served as a base for the recruitment of Indians and blacks fleeing slavery in Georgia and the Carolinas. In 1815, Andrew Jackson constructed Fort Scott directly across the Apalachicola River from the other fort. Fort Scott’s primary purpose was to destroy the “Negro Fort” as it had come to be known. It was a devastating attack that killed almost all of the 300 inhabitants and Fort Gadsden was constructed on its site. Fort Gadsden and the remains of the Negro Fort are located in the wilderness of the Apalachicola National Forest.
