Tallahassee Museum
Encyclopedia
The Tallahassee Museum is a privately funded, non-profit corporation in Tallahassee, Florida
.
The stated purpose of the Tallahassee Museum is "to educate the residents of and visitors to the Big Bend
area about the region's natural and cultural history, from the nineteenth century until the present." "Big Bend" refers to that portion of Florida where the Florida panhandle
meets the peninsular portion of the state. Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, is centrally located in that region.
.
, and a turpentine
commissary
.
, white-tailed deer
, and bobcats, as well as several endangered species: red wolves
and Florida panther
s. There are also several aviaries, a snake
exhibit, small mammals, and a "guest" animal habitat, which was introduced in 1988.
Twice a day, there are "Animal Encounters," during which a staff member shows and teaches about an animal. They may show birds of prey, snakes. a rabbit, or a skunk. Many of the animals used for education have been injured, especially birds of prey. Since these animals could not survive in the wild, in accordance with state laws, they must either be used for education or be put down.
(once the home of Catherine Murat
, a relative of George Washington
, and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew), the 1937 Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church (founded by Rev. James Page, a slave preacher), the 1890s Concord schoolhouse, a reminder of early African-American educational facilities, and a 1920s caboose.
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
.
The stated purpose of the Tallahassee Museum is "to educate the residents of and visitors to the Big Bend
Big Bend
-United States:* Big Bend , region of Texas** Big Bend National Park, in Texas* Big Bend, California, census-designated place* Big Bend, Butte County, California, unincorporated community* Big Bend, Placer County, California, unincorporated community...
area about the region's natural and cultural history, from the nineteenth century until the present." "Big Bend" refers to that portion of Florida where the Florida panhandle
Florida Panhandle
The Florida Panhandle, an informal, unofficial term for the northwestern part of Florida, is a strip of land roughly 200 miles long and 50 to 100 miles wide , lying between Alabama on the north and the west, Georgia also on the north, and the Gulf of Mexico to the south. Its eastern boundary is...
meets the peninsular portion of the state. Tallahassee, Florida's capital city, is centrally located in that region.
History
Discussions in 1957 led to the formation of the "Tallahassee Junior Museum," a name which was eventually changed to "Tallahassee Museum," although the earlier name is still occasionally used. The museum was moved to its current 52 acres (210,436.7 m²) location in 1962, lodged between Lakes Bradford and Hiawatha, in Leon County, FloridaLeon County, Florida
Leon County is a county located in the state of Florida, named after the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. At the 2010 Census, the population was 275,487. The county seat of Leon County is Tallahassee which also serves as the state capital. The county seat is home to two of Florida's major...
.
Facilities and exhibits
A major strength of the museum lies in the diversity of its exhibits and the multiple utilization capabilities of its facilities.Big Bend Farm
A considerable portion of the grounds is devoted to the re-creation of rural life in north Florida in about 1880. Included in that effort are homes, gardens, farm buildings (with appropriate farm animals), a gristmillGristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
, and a turpentine
Turpentine
Turpentine is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin obtained from trees, mainly pine trees. It is composed of terpenes, mainly the monoterpenes alpha-pinene and beta-pinene...
commissary
Commissary
A commissary is someone delegated by a superior to execute a duty or an office; in a formal, legal context, one who has received power from a legitimate superior authority to pass judgment in a certain cause or to take information concerning it.-Word history:...
.
Wildlife Florida
Another major portion of the museum is devoted to Florida wildlife, with many animals in relatively large, well-vegetated areas, usually similar to native habitats. Of note are black bearsAmerican black bear
The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, white-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, and bobcats, as well as several endangered species: red wolves
Red Wolf
The red wolf is a North American canid which once roamed throughout the Southeastern United States and is a glacial period survivor of the Late Pleistocene epoch...
and Florida panther
Florida Panther
The Florida panther is an endangered subspecies of cougar that lives in forests and swamps of southern Florida in the United States. Its current taxonomic status is unresolved, but recent genetic research alone does not alter the legal conservation status...
s. There are also several aviaries, a snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
exhibit, small mammals, and a "guest" animal habitat, which was introduced in 1988.
Twice a day, there are "Animal Encounters," during which a staff member shows and teaches about an animal. They may show birds of prey, snakes. a rabbit, or a skunk. Many of the animals used for education have been injured, especially birds of prey. Since these animals could not survive in the wild, in accordance with state laws, they must either be used for education or be put down.
Old Florida
Buildings of historical interest or importance comprise the Old Florida segment of the museum: the 19th century Bellevue PlantationBellevue Plantation (Florida)
Bellevue Plantation was the U.S. home of Catherine Willis Gray Murat, located in Tallahassee, Florida. It was purchased in 1854 after Catherine's husband Prince Achille Murat died in 1847.-Plantation home:The home was named after the Hotel de Belle-Vue in Brussels, where Catherine and Achille had...
(once the home of Catherine Murat
Catherine Willis Gray
Catherine Daingerfield Willis Gray Murat was born near Fredericksburg, Virginia and died in Tallahassee, Florida, United States.-Family:...
, a relative of George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew), the 1937 Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church (founded by Rev. James Page, a slave preacher), the 1890s Concord schoolhouse, a reminder of early African-American educational facilities, and a 1920s caboose.