5 Reasons to Visit® · Florida
5 Reasons to Visit Tallahassee, Florida, the Capital Michelin Just Put on the Map
Florida’s capital looks nothing like the beach postcards: live oaks draped in Spanish moss, rolling hills and freshwater springs. In 2026, the MICHELIN Guide named its first two Tallahassee restaurants, and the rest of the case was already here.
Advertisement
Tallahassee, Florida, has been the capital since 1824, chosen as a midpoint between Pensacola and St. Augustine, and it remains a surprise to first-time visitors. Instead of palms and high-rises, there are rolling red-clay hills, canopy roads tunneling under ancient live oaks, and some of the deepest freshwater springs in the world. It is also a lively college town, home to Florida State University and Florida A&M. In May 2026, when the MICHELIN Guide expanded across the entire state, it recommended Tallahassee restaurants for the first time. Here are five reasons to visit.
Advertisement
1Things to See & Do
Things to Do in Tallahassee: Two Capitols and a 17th-Century Mission
Tallahassee has two capitols side by side. The 1902 Historic Capitol, with its red-and-white striped awnings and stained-glass dome, is now a museum of Florida’s political history, and behind it rises the 22-story modern Capitol, whose free observation deck on the top floor offers the best view in town, across a sea of trees.
At Mission San Luis, a reconstructed 17th-century Spanish mission and Apalachee village, costumed interpreters bring to life one of the most important mission sites in Spanish Florida. Add the Museum of Florida History downtown, the historic Goodwood Museum and Gardens, and the Tallahassee Museum, where you can see Florida wildlife and zipline through the treetops.
2Dining Scene
Where to Eat in Tallahassee: Its First Michelin-Recommended Restaurants
Tallahassee’s food scene got a national stamp of approval in May 2026, when the MICHELIN Guide named Black Radish, a seasonal restaurant in Midtown, and The Huntsman, a downtown restaurant on Tennessee Street, to its Florida list, the first Tallahassee restaurants ever recommended by the guide. Longtime favorite Kool Beanz Café adds eclectic, globally inspired cooking.
For a taste of old North Florida, drive the canopy road to Bradley’s Country Store, which has been making its famous sausage since the 1920s, and look for Apalachicola oysters and Gulf seafood on menus across town. Midtown and the downtown streets near FSU fill with bars and patios on game weekends.
Tallahassee is the Florida that most visitors never see: hills, live oaks, springs and a capital-city food scene coming into its own.
Advertisement
3Recreation
Outdoor Tallahassee: Springs, Canopy Roads and the Wild Gulf Coast
Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, about 25 minutes south, protects one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world. Take a riverboat tour past manatees, alligators and wading birds, or swim in the cold, clear spring in summer. The park’s jungle-like scenery appeared in classic films, including Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Back in town, Tallahassee’s designated canopy roads, lined with centuries-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss, make for some of the prettiest drives and bike rides in the South. Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park bursts with azaleas and camellias in late winter and spring, and to the south, St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge and its historic lighthouse anchor a wild stretch of the Gulf coast.
4Shopping
Shopping in Tallahassee: Midtown Boutiques and Railroad Square
Midtown is Tallahassee’s most pleasant shopping district, with boutiques, home stores and cafés along Thomasville Road, and the shops around Lake Ella add vintage finds and local gifts beside a popular walking loop. Downtown, the Saturday Downtown Marketplace in Ponce de Leon Park brings local artists, farmers and food vendors together in season.
Railroad Square Art District, a converted industrial park, is full of studios, vintage shops, galleries and quirky boutiques, and is the best place in town to buy directly from local artists.
5Art & Culture
Tallahassee’s Art Scene: Railroad Square, First Friday and University Museums
On the first Friday of every month, Railroad Square Art District opens its studios and galleries for First Friday, a free street party with live music, food trucks and art, and one of the city’s favorite nights out. Throughout the year, the district’s artists and makers make it a creative hub for the region.
Florida State University’s Museum of Fine Arts and LeMoyne Arts, set in a historic house near the Capitol, showcase regional and national artists, while Cascades Park’s amphitheater hosts concerts in a landscaped park downtown. FSU and Florida A&M add theater, music and the pageantry of college football each fall.
Plan Your Tallahassee Trip
Tallahassee is best in spring and fall. Plan three days: one downtown for the Capitols, Mission San Luis and dinner at one of the new Michelin picks, one at Wakulla Springs and St. Marks, and one for Maclay Gardens, the canopy roads and Railroad Square, ideally on a First Friday. Summers are hot and humid, and football weekends book up early.
Tallahassee, Florida: FAQ
Is Tallahassee, Florida worth visiting?
Yes. Tallahassee offers the Historic Capitol and the free observation deck of the modern Capitol, Mission San Luis, Wakulla Springs State Park, scenic canopy roads, Maclay Gardens, Railroad Square Art District, and its first Michelin-recommended restaurants, Black Radish and The Huntsman.
Does Tallahassee have Michelin restaurants?
Yes. In May 2026, the MICHELIN Guide added Black Radish and The Huntsman to its Florida list of recommended restaurants, the first Tallahassee restaurants to receive Michelin recognition.
What are the best things to do in Tallahassee?
Top things to do in Tallahassee include visiting the Florida Historic Capitol Museum and the Capitol observation deck, touring Mission San Luis, taking a riverboat tour at Wakulla Springs, driving the canopy roads, walking Maclay Gardens, exploring Railroad Square Art District on First Friday, and attending an FSU or FAMU football game.
Can you see manatees near Tallahassee?
Yes. Manatees are often seen at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, about 25 minutes south of Tallahassee, especially on the park’s riverboat tours.
When is the best time to visit Tallahassee?
March and April, when azaleas and dogwoods bloom, and October and November, with cooler weather and football season, are the best times to visit Tallahassee.
Why is Tallahassee the capital of Florida?
Tallahassee was chosen as the territorial capital in 1824 because it lay roughly midway between Pensacola and St. Augustine, the two main cities of the Florida Territory at the time.
Is Tallahassee near the beach?
Tallahassee is inland, but Gulf coast destinations such as St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge are about 40 minutes south, and the beaches of St. George Island and Alligator Point are roughly one and a half to two hours away.
Advertisement
