Tallahassee served as Florida's First Capitol because it was located midway between St. Augustine…read moreand Pensacola. Lawmakers needed a central location as the journey from east Florida to west Florida was treacherous during the early 1800s. On a mission to find a mutually agreeable location, two sets of explorers met midway at former abandoned Native American settlement known as Anhaica. This became early Tallahassee which means Old Town (Talia+Hasi) in Creek/Seminole. The first Florida Capitol was a log cabin built in 1824. One hundred years later, a temporary replica was built. Another temporary full sized replica was built in 1974 for the sesquicentennial celebration. My dad was on that committee which inspired him to advocate for building a permanent replica for the bicentennial celebration in 2024. It was so interesting to hear about the process of building this most recent First Florida Capitol replica. So many people donated their time and energy. From sifting through historical records, to creating authentic floor plans when few existed, to donations of logs, to getting permits, it was a challenging to bring this project, a dream for my dad, to life. Having grown up in Tallahassee, I have always loved Florida history. It is nice to see a piece of history being brought back to life and to have my family play a role in that legacy. Florida is so different from when my grandparents moved to south Florida a century ago in the 1920s. I am happy to see history preserved while the city and state continue to grow. #2900

One of the best areas in Tallahassee right here! Cascades Park is a beautiful and sprawling park &…read moreleisure area close to downtown that's perfect for a walk, run, family outing or other activities in the fresh air. There are walking paths that loop around and through and must go for several miles. They have a small amphitheater in the middle where I'm sure there are performances and concerts here and there. A big splash pad is on one side, and I know the kiddos love that especially on a warmer day. They have a big playground on the other side, and there are some bathrooms as well just in case. Intertwined are some pond/ creek areas that add to the beauty of this park. It's a super lovely walk around, and my favorite part are the pillars towards one end that tell the history of Tallahassee- racial tensions, civil war and repair and more. It brings more light onto the capitol city and its roots.

Optimist Park is a nice enough park with s basketball court, volleyball court, a children's…read moreplayground, a baseball field and more. It has a pleasant ambiance and was pretty packed with people enjoying this park. I would definitely recommend this park.

Beautiful park with large playground and sports fields and lots of grass. There's even a free…read morelibrary

Wide and wild nature here in Lafayette Park! It's just…read moreperfect for Runner, Jogger, Walker or just chilling with your friends. There's trees and flowers, lake and fishes, birds. Everything in this park will give you therapeutic time. There's so many pro, not con! Also, I don't know why this park doesn't have any human trash. People whoever come to this park are so clean and honest.

Beautiful and peaceful. Lots to explore and lovely neighbors to chat with. Lots of ground to cover…read moreand the wildlife is amazing.

Lake Ella Park was such a fun surprise during our stop in Tallahassee!…read more We were driving back to Tampa from Destin and wanted a place to stretch our legs. As lifelong Floridians who had somehow never visited Tallahassee, this was the perfect stop. The park is peaceful, walkable, and surrounded by cute local shops and a coffee café. We loved seeing people enjoying the park, relaxing on benches, and musicians playing nearby. The geese definitely stole the show! There are lots of geese and ducks, so be prepared for... plenty of goose poop. Watching a flock of geese cross the road was an experience all by itself. If you're passing through Tallahassee, Lake Ella Park is a great place to take a break, enjoy a stroll, and support a few local businesses.

This is a place full of memories for me. There is a good Wikipedia article if you want to know the…read morehistory of what was originally Bull Pond and was used to water cows back when this area would have been "out in the country". My memories start in the late '50s when there was an annual Fish-a-thon around the lake. Imagine a bunch of children with cane poles surrounding the lake and trying to catch the biggest fish. Watch out for that hook! Sealey Elementary School (now the Tallahassee Police Department) was right there on 7th Avenue and we walked home around the lake after school. Sometimes we had to alter our route due to the frequent flooding of the lake that occurred and the usual resulting fish kills from the runoff that caused the flooding. Somewhere along the way the City of Tallahassee realized that Lake Ella wasn't much of a lake anymore and did the work necessary to end the flooding and make Lake Ella the stormwater control project it needed to be. There is now a sidewalk all the way around the lake for those that want a brisk walk or a leisurely stroll. Benches along the way are available. There is a gazebo on a spit of land that juts out into the lake. Lots of curbside parking is available. There is an old oak tree with limbs parallel to the ground that many a child (and some adults) have climbed all over. There is a small playground there with that oak. The American Legion Hall is on the edge of the lake. Many a Tallahassean has kicked up their heels to a variety of bands on a Friday or Saturday night there. The former Motor Court is now the Cottages at Lake Ella and several of those stone cottages house businesses that offer food and refreshments. There is a farmers market on Wednesdays. The only negative, for some people, will be the ducks that have made themselves at home. There has been a love-hate relationship with the ducks for as long as I can remember. Some people love to feed them but they can become a pest when their numbers grow.

I stopped here on a road trip. It was the perfect place to stretch my legs. I had the park all to…read moremyself. When I was leaving around sunset, it started to get more busy.

Beautiful park and gardens to visit while in the Tallahassee area. I loved the beautiful, big oaks…read moreoverlooking the lake. The trails and flow of the park makes you feel like you're entering a secret garden. We visited in the winter when many plants and flowers were not in bloom, but it was still beautiful. I hope to visit again during the spring to see how the park truly comes to life.

It was very clean and well maintained. The staff was great. The playground was awesomeread more

If this were any other day, I'm sure I'd rate this park higher, but please be aware that this…read morereview is based on my experience from Independence Day. That being said, we went for the holiday celebrations, and well, this was packed more than a can of sardines. We were only there the last hour of the festivities, but it felt like an eternity. Lines, lines everywhere, with lots of disorganization as there were minimal lights and a lot of staff that were directing people to park in places further when there was parking up front. Ugh. Definitely a place to come early for a special day because it's hard to get a decent spot otherwise. The lines, lines everywhere continued everywhere honestly. The food trucks, the finding a good spot, the entering and leaving the park. Sigh. At least the fireworks were pretty. Will have to return on a regular day to see if I can actually enjoy this park rather than just think of all the stress it brought us.

This is definitely a park that you will never happen past by chance. Governor's Park is basically…read morean open field surrounded by trees next to railroad tracks. If you have a dog, they would love running around this giant field. I would suggest you check this out if you have a dog or want to play Frisbee with friends or something else that requires an open field.

Beautiful park but a little confusing to find the trail. I crossed the rail road even a big sign…read moresays not to trespass and it's private but then I found it. Parking under the bridge all shade which is great.

We paid a weekend visit here to Dorothy B Oven Park to enjoy an afternoon stroll…read more Tip: There are a good number of beautiful gardens, trails, and boardwalks here; there's even a bridge :-) If was surprising to see how nice this place is, because we had driven right past it several times without noticing or thinking that it was in any way unusual.  I suggest you take the opportunity to pay this place a visit and enjoy it!

Lovely park that is unbelievably lit up during the month of December to walk through and see Xmas…read morelights. Many people were walking through with hot cider or chocolate. We drove through since we were coming from dinner . DEFINITELY WORTH stopping for a quick look .

A 13 acre park just south of Betton Road. The park includes baseball/softball fields, soccer…read morefields, tennis courts, a large shaded playground, restrooms, several rose gardens, and plenty of open green space. Beautiful park!

nice park with lots of pace and equipment for kids to play one. They have a few pavilions too, to…read morerent for parties.

Well last time I was there the water bowls for dog was slimy so I took it soon myself to rinse them…read moreout myself, there usually more dogs and ppl and it was a Saturday so I expected more dogs for my dog to play with.

San Luis Mission Park is an amazing park in Tallahassee, Florida and is now on my list of…read moremust-visits whenever u am in Tallahassee. The path around the lake is stunning sand truly added a peaceful state of mind and soul after a busy day of business meetings. There was a nice children's playground and someone was grilling here, which added a wonderful aroma to the air. San Luis Mission Park is an amazing park and if you are in Tallahassee, Florida, you owe it to yourself to check this park out. Overall, San Luis Mission Park gets a five star rating and it definitely earned a recommendation from me. Go check it out yourself and I am sure that you will agree.