Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee Invites the Tallahassee Community to Visit Local Museums During Third Annual March of Museums

Sixteen participating museums in the Tallahassee and surrounding areas

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. –

Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee today invites the Tallahassee community to visit local museums during the third annual March of Museums, which kicks off tomorrow, March 1. March of Museums is a statewide initiative led by the Florida Department of State throughout the month of March that celebrates the diversity of Florida's museums and the many benefits they provide to local communities. There are 16 partner museums in the Tallahassee and surrounding areas participating in this year's March of Museums.

Local museums enhance the quality of life in our area by providing opportunities for learning and cultural enrichment as well as serving as important economic drivers," said Secretary Lee. "March of Museums is the perfect opportunity to plan a visit to your favorite museum or explore a new museum that you have not yet visited in Tallahassee or the surrounding area."

 

A full listing of partner museums in Tallahassee and the surrounding areas is below.

 

Leon County

Florida Historic Capitol Museum

Florida State University Museum of Fine Art

Goodwood Museum and Gardens

John G. Riley Center Museum

The Grove Museum

Knott House Museum

Meek-Eaton Black Archives

Mission San Luis

Museum of Florida History

Tallahassee Automobile Museum

Tallahassee Museum

 

Franklin County

Apalachicola Center for History, Culture & Art

Apalachicola Maritime Museum

Camp Gordon Johnston

 

 Gadsden County

Gadsden Arts Center and Museum

Havana History & Heritage Society

In 2017, the Department piloted the March of Museums initiative with museums in Tallahassee, and in 2018 it expanded to include 75 partner museums statewide. This year the initiative includes more than 160 partner museums throughout Florida.

MarchofMuseums.com includes a full listing and map of participating museums by region as well as the mission, collections and/or special events each museum is hosting during the month. Visitors are encouraged to use #MarchofMuseums to share pictures from their museum visits on social media.

A full calendar of events for the participating museums in Tallahassee is included below.

Friday, March 1

Goodwood Museum and Gardens - Lecture on Frank Cline (Noon)

Goodwood and the Panhandle Archaeological Society of Tallahassee (PAST) present a lecture on Frank Cline.  Frank Cline was born enslaved, but by the end of his life was a free, land-owning man.  Cline lived on Goodwood's property as a caretaker for several years.  In early 2018, an area surrounding "Cline's Cabin" was excavated and several items were found that relate to Cline's daily life, giving us a window into his world. Attend this presentation to learn more about what PAST found during the excavation and how this might further develop our understanding of Frank Cline.

Saturday, March 2

Tallahassee Museum - World Wildlife Day Celebration (10 a.m. -  4 p.m.)

In celebration of the United Nations' World Wildlife Day, the Museum celebrates wildlife across the grounds. There will be educational stations set up throughout the Wildlife Florida Trail, Keeper talks, and special enrichments for animals.

Saturday, March 9

The Grove Museum - Grove Day (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.)

Grove Day 2019 marks the second anniversary of the opening of The Grove Museum on March 11, 2017. Enjoy special versions of regular programs, including a Director's Tour at 10:30 a.m. and a Nature Walk at 2:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Grove Day is free and open to the public.

Mission San Luis - Spanish Colonial Adventure Day (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.) All recruits needed! The residents of Mission San Luis are preparing to embark on an expedition to the West, and everyone's help is required to make this journey a success. Visitors will help the villagers of the 17th century Spanish and Apalachee community perform critical tasks and make important decisions necessary to survive on the Western Florida frontier. Experience life in colonial Spanish Florida with crafts and interactive activities. Get your "orders" upon arrival and complete questions and fun activities at each station throughout the historic site 

Monday, March 18

Florida Historic Capitol Museum - Coffee at the Historic Capitol (7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.)

Enjoy a fresh brew with a refreshing view from the Historic Capitol Museum. Drop in anytime between 7:30 and 9 a.m. for an informal gathering or arrive by 8 a.m. to enjoy a curator-led tour of the Historic Capitol Museum.

Thursday, March 21

Museum of Florida History - Florida's Female Surfers (5:30 - 7:30 p.m.)

Women have been a part of Florida's surfing history from the earliest days, and despite the male domination of the sport, many female surfers have succeeded in becoming champions. The Museum will host three of these champion surfers, Mimi Munro, Kathy Jo Anderson and Pam Hill as they will share their passion for surfing and their experiences in Florida's surfing culture. The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with complimentary refreshments. The presentation begins at 6:30 p.m. Florida's History Shop and the Museum galleries are open until 7:30 p.m. This program is free and open to the public. The talk is part of the ongoing exhibit Surf's Up, Florida! which presents a broad overview of the history of surfing in Florida from the first beachgoers to ride the waves in the early 1900s, to the '60s boom, surf culture, and competitive surfing of today.

Thursday, March 28

Knott House Museum - Tallahassee Music and Theater 1900-1940 (5:30 - 7 p.m.)

The Knott House Museum offers a musical talk by Diane Whitney, humanities professor at Tallahassee Community College. The presentation explores early twentieth-century music and theater in Leon County. Themes include parlor sheet music, spirituals, school music, the beginning of recorded music, and performances from Gallie-Munro Opera House. Participants take a journey through song and image and may sing along to favorites from the past with live accompaniment. This program is presented free of charge, sponsored by the Friends of the Museums of Florida History. Refreshments follow the presentation. 

Throughout the Month:

John Gilmore Riley Center Museum

Through May 13 - A Virtual Harlem Experience  

Virtual Harlem is a special moment you will not forget at J.G. Riley Center Museum. This traveling exhibition comes to Tallahassee on a national tour. The innovative virtual reality technology allows visitors wearing an oculus lens to visually transport back in time to the Harlem Renaissance era of the 1920’s. Virtual Harlem was created by Dr. Bryan Carter (University of Arizona) whose artistry takes the viewer to historic jazz clubs in Harlem like the Savoy Ballroom and Cotton Club. Many historical leaders of the Harlem Renaissance were native Floridians James W. Johnson, Augusta Savage and writer Zora Neale Hurston.

FSU Museum of Fine Art

Through March 31 - Le Sang Noir

Le Sang Noir, an exhibition featuring the work of Brandon Ballengée. Ballengée is a visual artist, biologist and environmental educator who creates multidisciplinary artworks from his ecological field trips and laboratory research.

To learn more about March of Museums, follow along on Facebook or Twitter @MarchofMuseums or visit MarchofMuseums.com.

  

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