The Florida Historic Capitol Museum in Tallahasee tour is as much about the politics of the state through the years is at is about the capitol building.  You see, the capitol building in Florida has evolved through time, and what you see from South Monroe Street is not at all what you see from the back side of the building, on South Duval. That’s because the building on South Monroe has changed through time. It wasn’t even the original, though.  The first was actually a couple log buildings. What you see now from Duval is where the nitty-gritty of state lawmaking is taken care of.  What you see from Monroe is a beautiful tribute to the past. 
A tour of the building is eye opening, not just to the architecture of the building, but the building of a state. 

The striped awnings always reminded me of a candy-striper at a hospital.  They were added to keep the building cool from the intense summer heat.  The dome was an addition, too, and from the interior of the capitol building offers a beautiful glass art that allows light inside.

Within those walls there have been many debates and your tour guide can even tell you where war was declared.  The public spaces on display include the Governor’s Suite, the Supreme Court, the House and Senate Chambers (which for me have sentimental attachment, knowing my great, great-grandfather served in both, as documented in the records book at the museum), the rotunda and the halls. 

A tour of the halls will show you an authentic satchel from a “carpet bagger”, relics of old political campaigns and, while we toured, a display of Florida souvenirs, focusing mostly on many of Florida’s amusement parks. 

This tour is a definite “don’t miss” for Florida natives and visitors alike.

(Note to the reader: My family was invited by the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to visit Tallahassee.  Some of our expenses were covered. My opinion of what we did and saw is my own and I was not compensated for the review.)