Apalachicola, Florida: Beaches, Seafood, History & More

Orman House Historic State Park is a Florida state park that preserves the historic Orman House, a gorgeous Antebellum home constructed in 1838 by cotton merchant and businessman Thomas Orman. The home showcases lovely Federal and Greek Revival design elements and is located along the banks of the beautiful Apalachicola River along the city's 5th Street. Visitors can tour the home for a nominal fee as part of guided tours Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the morning and afternoon hours. Lovely original design elements are preserved throughout the house, including wooden mantelpieces, heart pine floorboards, and molded plaster cornices. At the adjacent Chapman Botanical Gardens, named in honor of Dr. Alvin Chapman, visitors can peruse a butterfly garden or view the Three Soldiers Detail replica Vietnam memorial statue. Each year, the home hosts the Apalachicola Historic Tour of Homes and a November Historic Christmas event.

177 5th St, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-1209

The Raney House Museum is a National Register of Historic Places-listed Greek Revival mansion that is owned by the City of Apalachicola and operated by the Apalachicola Historical Society as a living history home museum. The 1836 home was constructed for area citizens David and Harriet Raney and housed members of the Raney family until 1914, including son David G. Raney, Jr., a Confederate marine officer in the American Civil War who was captured by Union forces in the 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay. In 1973, the historic home was acquired by the city and converted into a public museum facility. Visitors can tour the home Sunday through Thursday afternoons or during the morning and afternoon hours on Fridays and Saturdays. The home showcases original Raney family furniture, along with a collection of significant 19th-century artifacts and documents. Though admission is free, visitors should note that donations are greatly appreciated to facilitate future museum operations.

128 Market Street, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-1700

Chestnut Street Cemetery is an historic cemetery facility in Apalachicola, originally established in 1831. The cemetery, which is located along Highway 98 between the city's 6th and 8th Streets, is the oldest cemetery facility in the city and inters many of the area's most notable historic residents, including many figures associated with the town's original development. More than 540 marked graves are showcased, along with a large number of unmarked grave sites and burial areas. Grave sites connected to American Civil War veterans have been marked by the United Daughters of the Confederacy since 1912, with more than 79 Confederate and seven Union veterans interred at the facility. Each spring and fall, cemetery ghost tours are offered at the cemetery by the Apalachicola Historical Society, which details the region's cultural history and are led by interpretive performer tour guides. Visitors can also explore the cemetery as part of self-guided tours via the Chestnut Street Cemetery Walking Tour, which takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

96 6th St, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-1700

John Gorrie State Museum is a Florida state park and museum in Apalachicola, honoring its namesake John Gorrie, the man to receive the first United States patent for mechanical refrigeration in the mid-19th century and an influential figure in the development of air conditioning technology. Today, the park, which is located along Apalachicola's 6th Street, showcases a replica of Gorrie's famed ice-making machine at its public museum facility, along with a wide variety of other artifacts related to Gorrie's career as a doctor and inventor. Temporary exhibits at the museum chronicle the history of the Florida Park Service and the development and cultural history of the Apalachicola region. Visitors can explore the museum Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays year-round during the morning and afternoon hours.

42 6th St, Apalachicola, FL 32320

The Three Servicemen Statue, also known as Three Soldiers Detail, is a one-of-a-kind replica statue located within Apalachicola's Veterans Memorial Plaza, originally dedicated in 2008 as a replica of the statue of the same name, which is showcased within Washington, D.C.'s Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. The statue, which was created by nationally-renowned sculptor Frederick Hart, strives to honor the heroism of the soldiers who served in the Vietnam War, serving as a visual representation of the courage and devotion of United States military forces. Apalachicola's sculpture was created from the statue's original molds and is set upon a black granite pedestal. It is located adjacent to the Orman House State Park historic home museum within the park's Chapman Botanical Garden facility.

71 Avenue B, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-1318

Saint Vincent National Wildlife Refuge Refuge is an expansive 12,490-acre United States National Wildlife Refuge located along Apalachicoa's barrier island St. Vincent, within the Gulf of Mexico. The refuge was originally established in 1968 following the island's purchase by the Nature Conservancy and subsequent transfer to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Though the nine-mile island has shown signs of human visitation since its occupation by area indigenous tribes in the year 240 AD, it rarely attracts large concentrations of visitors today due to its access being restricted to boat traffic. Park visitors can view a wide variety of native wildlife species at the island, including alligators, endangered species such as loggerhead sea turtles, and an array of native and migratory bird species. Visitors can stroll along the island's beachfront or explore its unique tidal marsh, sand dune, mixed hardwood, scrub oak, and cabbage palm habitats, though all visitors are asked to be respectful of sensitive environments and obey a leave-no-trace policy. Find it on a map

3100 County Rd 30A, Apalachicola, FL 32320, Phone: 850-653-8808

Trinity Episcopal Church, also known as Christ Church, is an historic church facility located along Apalachicola's 6th Street and Avenue D, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. The church was originally designed in White Plains, New York and constructed in Apalachicola in 1838 as the Christ Church. It was reorganized as Trinity Episcopal Church in 1936 and holds the distinction today as Florida's sixth-oldest church facility and second-oldest continually-operating congregation. Visitors can attend weekly services or explore its historic facilities, including its Queen Anne-style 1900 rectory, its adjacent 1932 Benedict Parish Hall, which is now home to the St. Benedict Montessori School, and its serene outdoor Trinity Memorial Garden, which showcases a mosaic fountain and memorial brick walkway. Community gatherings and classes are also held in the church, including tai chi and yoga classes and the Isle Newell Concert Series.

79 6th St, Apalachicola, FL 32320