As America celebrates 250 years of freedom, Visit Tallahassee is encouraging locals to Explore Beyond Your Block to find all that’s great about our city…including its place in history.
To participate in the event, which runs from June 1 – July 4, download the Visit Tallahassee app, check in at various locations throughout town and earn points. The first 50 people to reach 250 points will claim a limited-edition T-shirt. Every check-in will count as an entry toward winning the grand prize staycation for two, including a hotel room, meals and activities right here in Tallahassee.
The Visit Tallahassee team will be out around town awarding additional prizes too! Learn more at visittallahassee.com.
Florida educators, parents and others gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol to voice their opinions for better support of public schools Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Featured 50-point sites
Explore Beyond Your Block coincides with Florida 250, our state’s contribution to the overall America 250 celebration this summer, and its America 250 FL Road Trip. So, we’ve made these six sites our featured locations, and you get 50 points each just for visiting them:
Home of the John G. Riley House
The John G. Riley Center & Museum curator Ileana Olmos poses outside the house where a new exhibit opened on Jan. 29, 2026.
The John G. Riley House, built circa 1890 in Tallahassee’s Smokey Hollow neighborhood, stands as the last surviving home of a once-thriving Black middle-class community. Occupied by John Gilmore Riley, a former enslaved man turned educator, civic leader, and real estate entrepreneur, it reflects Black progress during Reconstruction and segregation. Riley became principal of Lincoln Academy, Tallahassee’s first local high school for African Americans, in 1892 and served until retiring in 1926. Riley died in 1954, the same year that the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Today, the property is a living testament to the resilience and leadership of African Americans in Florida’s capital.
Florida’s Historic Capitol
Leon County, home to Florida’s state capital in Tallahassee, showcases its political heritage through both the Historic and New Capitol Complex. The Historic Capitol, built in 1845 and recently restored to its 1902 appearance, features period furnishings, legislative chambers, and exhibits on Florida’s political history, including its role in statehood. The adjacent New Capitol, completed in 1977, stands as a modern 22-story tower with observation decks offering panoramic views of Tallahassee. Together, they represent the evolution of Florida’s governance, blending antebellum charm with contemporary architecture. Visitors can explore self-guided tours, historical displays, and the vibrant Capitol Complex, a hub of state pride and history.
Site of Mission San Luis
Mission San Luis, where this thatch-roofed church now sits, was the capital of a string of Spanish missions.
Mission San Luis (MSL) is Leon County’s only National Historic Landmark. From 1656 to 1704, the site served as the western capital of Florida’s Spanish mission system. Today, MSL is open to the public and offers educational programming on the Spanish and Apalachee people who lived at San Luis and in the surrounding area. Beginning in the 1980s, state archaeologists conducted excavations at Mission San Luis. Their work uncovered artifacts that help to tell the site’s story in the broader context of American history. Among the most significant discoveries were the remains of Spanish and Apalachee structures on the site, including the Council House, the Church, and the Fort.
Home of Florida State University
A statue honoring the late President Emeritus John Thrasher stands under an oak tree near Westcott Fountain as seen on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025.
First established as the West Florida Seminary in 1851, present-day Florida State University became the Florida State College for Women following the passage of the Buckman Act in 1905. In 1947, the campus became coeducational to support the education of returning WWII veterans and was renamed Florida State University. Today, Florida State continues to thrive, excelling in academics and athletics alike.
Site of the Battle of Natural Bridge
The 49th annual Battle of Natural Bridge reenactment is Saturday, March 7, and Sunday, March 8, 2026.
Fought on March 6, 1865, along a natural limestone bridge over the St. Marks River south of Tallahassee, this pivotal Civil War clash saw Confederate soldiers, including Florida Military School cadets, successfully repel Union forces led by Brig. Gen. John Newton. The victory preserved Tallahassee as the only Confederate state capital east of the Mississippi River not captured by Union troops. Today, the park hosts an annual reenactment featuring local interpreters for both the Union Army, including Black infantry, and the Confederacy.
Named for Juan Ponce de Leon
Juan Ponce de León (c. 1474–1521), for whom Leon County, Florida, is named, was a Spanish explorer and adventurer. In April 1513, he made the first documented European landing on Florida’s Atlantic coast, between present‑day St. Augustine and Melbourne Beach, and claimed the lush territory, naming it “La Florida,” while he was, as legend tells it, in search of the Fountain of Youth. Following the discovery, he served as Puerto Rico’s first governor, charted the Gulf Stream, and sparked Spain’s colonial expansion in North America. His 1521 return attempt ended when he was fatally wounded, sealing his legacy as Florida’s earliest European Explorer.
Throughout Tallahassee, there are wonderful sites to see, including quite a few that can earn you points in the Explore Beyond Your Block event. From north to south, east to west, they’re a great reason to get out and enjoy everything Tallahassee has to offer.
Here are some additional historic sites that will earn you 25 points each time you check in at one.
Challenger Learning Center
Tallahassee Automobile Museum
Railroad Square Arts District
Learn more at visittallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Explore Beyond Your Block for America 250 with Visit Tallahassee