Mission San Luis — Attraction in Tallahassee

The year 1704 brought an end to the peaceful village that originally stood here. In that year Col. James Moore of Carolina brought a small army of colonial militia and a much larger mixed force of allied First Peoples from different tribes to bring the Spanish colonial system to an end here. The invaders both sought slaves and an end to further Spanish expansion in the region. While the numbers remain in dispute, at least a thousand or more Apalachee were carried off into slavery with another thousand forced to immigrate under threat of enslavement. What you see here is a re-creation of what the village and fort are thought to have looked like.

I grew up in Tallahassee in the 70's and 80s and as a child who visited on a school field trip there was nothing here but an outline of where the council house had stood (it had been excavated), an open field and a monument or two. It was quite a shock to return for a visit a decade ago and find all this built.

It is a special place as well because I brought my father here a few times in his final years---one of his best friends and mentors was the chief blacksmith of the site. And when my father passed away five years ago my family held my father's celebration of life here in the conference center. The staff were extremely helpful and supportive and we gave my father a great send off.

As you visit the site imagine it as it was and how, for a time, it was the single largest Spanish/native village and population center outside Pensacola and St. Augustine in the entirety of what later became the US State of Florida. Much of the remainder of northern Florida remained wilderness with scattered villages of various native peoples spread throughout. Only tiny vestiges of native peoples inhabited central and southern Florida.

You cannot really tell it from the tree cover today---back then it would have been largely cleared of trees for construction and for planting crops---but the site sits atop one of what are called the Seven Hills of Tallahassee. The Florida capitol sits atop another. You get some sense of the height from the photo showing the view looking straight down the site's dirt road to the modern West Tennessee...

I wish I could give them more stars than five! We arrived there on a Friday at 2:00. They are open until 4:00. Everyone there, from the registration desk, to the costumed reenactors, went far beyond anything expected. It was a very quiet day with school still in session. Being Homeschoolers, we try to take advantage of visiting museums, etc. during the week when there aren't a ton of people visiting. Everyone went out of their way to make this a great educational experience for us. We were not rushed, in fact, the 2 'soldiers' in the fort stayed 20 minutes after closing to answer questions, and let our 9 year old granddaughter hold a cannon ball and check out the armory. The blacksmith was able to tell us a lot about the Mission as well as the Appalachee and Appalachacola Indians and their conflicts. The 'trader' impressed my granddaughter with how they traded goods with the Appalachee and actually slept in their 'trading area'. The Mission had a scavenger hunt for kids, and she loved looking for treasures. The movie we watched before stepping out into the 1700's was very interesting and shouldn't be passed on. Upon leaving, our granddaughter got gifts for completing the 'hunt' and brought home a color book on the times and we got a lot of information to share with our homeschool group. In fact, I decided to call and request more informational booklets sent to me, so that I could share with each family in our Florida History co-op. I received much more than I ordered and within 2 days! Again, all the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. We will definitely go there again. If you go, plan on more than 2 hours! Don't pass this place up - it is...

My review for the Mission San Luis is really overdue. This is a great place for its history - but also for its beauty, and for the people who work at the Mission. While it is a really good and well-built - although very small - museum, Mission grounds offer more than just immersion into history. It is really beautiful here! There are magnolias, oaks, and sweet gum trees. Foxes and owls live on the ground.

I first arrived to Tallahassee in 2010 on a temporary basis. One day I came to the Mission as a visitor and was immediately "adopted" by the crew. Naturally, I became a costumed volunteer. A couple years later - after we made Tallahassee home - my son chose Mission for his 7th grade volunteering and then for his Bright Futures volunteer experience as well. For everyone who I met here - volunteers, museum staff, and researchers, this is special - and you can feel it when engaging with those people.

Finally, Mission San Luis is a great place for special occasions. Last Fall we decided to come here when a relative was getting married. MSL creates the most beautiful background for the pictures! And everyone around helps make the special day so much appreciated!

Of course, this short cannot include everything. Best way to find out is to come and experience Mission San...