By Jodi Mailander Farrell The sun isn’t the only light shining in Florida. Since “Moon Over Miami” cast its Technicolor glow in 1941, the state has had a long-standing love affair with film. Today, there’s a film festival in every region practically every month, stretching from Jacksonville’s World…
Read More
By Jon Wilson A serious student of American military history could plan an entire vacation visiting Florida’s many museums devoted to our nation’s wars, the equipment used in them and the men and women who took part. More than two dozen, large and small, stretch literally from Pensacola to Key…
Read More
Here's a sampling of some of Florida’s historic and cultural destinations that highlight the Sunshine State’s rich Spanish heritage ... Mission San Luis, Tallahassee The western capital of Spanish Florida from 1656 to 1704, today the Mission brings the 17th century to life through guides in…
Read More
From swashbucklers and treasure hunters to ancient peoples and modern discoveries, these 10 history museums in Florida highlight the Sunshine State’s rich past. By Gary McKechnie Plymouth has its 1620 rock and Philadelphia the Spirit of ’76. But what about Florida? Well, how about European…
Read MoreFlorida is steeped in Spanish heritage: its history, its food, and even its very name. When Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrived on Florida's shores in April of 1513, he dubbed the vibrant new land La Pascua de la Florida, translated as "passion of the flowers." You can hear Florida’s Spanish…
Read More
By Janet K. Keeler We often think of sight as the most important sense for experiencing art, but hearing also adds value, for fine and especially performing arts. The Ringling in Sarasota offers several accessibility features, notably a hearing assistive system that amplifies world-class theater…
Read MoreAfrican-Americans have played a major role in Florida heritage, since the unfortunate plantation days to their modern-day contributions to education, culture, business and government. Here are some museums and sites where you can learn more about the Sunshine State's vibrant cultural heritage…
Read More
Florida offers a treasury of World War II museums and sites, both to serious researchers and the casual history buff. By Jon Wilson As the anniversary of the war-ending VJ Day is recognized Aug. 15, followed by the commemoration of Japan’s official surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, expect another…
Read More
By Chelle Koster Walton A primer on the history of Florida from 10,000 B.C. to the present. Hop aboard the Florida "way-back" machine to visit rousing eras of wooly mammoths, Native Americans, brave conquistadores, pirates, pioneers, geniuses, millionaires, astronauts and heroes. Here are a few…
Read MoreBy Dalia Colón From civil rights and education to sports and the arts, African-Americans have influenced every sphere of life in Florida. Here are some of the Sunshine State’s brightest lights and where you can learn more about them. John Gilmore Riley (1857–1954) During the late 19th and early 20th…
Read More
