Guide to Trashy Tallahassee
Three Must-See Attractions
Tallahassee, Florida is underrated as a tourist destination and its "trashy attractions" haven't received the recognition they should. College athletics and politics seem to outshine the community's history and talented artists. Travel to Florida's state capital and visit these three Tallahassee attractions, where trash has been converted to treasure.
The Trashy Tallahassee Attraction with Class and Loads of Other Stuff
One of the first things visitors to the Tallahassee Antique Car Museum see is crap, literally. A blob of fossilized dinosaur dung is predominately displayed in the museum’s main hall, alongside other "stuff," which some people may consider trash.
More than 85 cars ranging from an 1894 wooden vehicle to a 1979 Rolls Royce are on display. There's also an 1860 hearse believed to have carried the body of President Abraham Lincoln and the Batmobile from the movie "Batman Forever" (1995). Beyond the cars is an eclectic collection of stuff including sports memorabilia, boat motors, weapons made by prison inmates, spark plugs, bottle openers and arrowheads.
The private collection belongs to Tallahassee developer DeVoe Moore. The large collection can be overwhelming and visitors will spend hours browsing through all the treasures.
The Trashy Tallahassee Attraction in a Junkyard
At one point, the American Folk Art Museum and Gallery was the site of a junkyard. Rusting, old cars can be seen in the distance. Trash heaps are piled throughout the grounds. Folk artist Missionary Mary L. Proctor inherited the junkyard and converted it into her gallery.
Bright and colorful large fish cut from metal sheets greet visitors, along with some of Proctor’s female creations. A tower of bicycles with a wood cutout representing the Statue of Liberty sits in the corner of the American Folk Art Museum’s grounds. It signifies the triumphant American spirit.
The artist's colorful, freeform art is painted with bold passion and incorporates whatever she finds, especially things discarded as trash: buttons, paint lids and soda cans. She paints on wooden doors, sheets of metal and window shutters.
Proctor’s folk art can be found in galleries across the United States. She provides guided tours of the museum and artwork is available for sale.
The Oldest Tallahassee Trashy Attraction
The original capital area trash-to-treasure collection is found at Mission San Luis. Spaniards and Apalachee Indians inhabited the Catholic mission during the late 17th century and archeologist have used their trash, (what we now call "artifacts") to paint a picture of life back then. It was one of more than 100 missions built in Spanish Florida between the 1560s and 1690s.
Step back in time at this living museum with costumed volunteers telling the mission's story. Volunteers act out 17th century life and eagerly answer questions while staying in the 1600s character.
A military complex called "el Castillo de San Luis" opened this year and replicates the original fort built to protect the mission against European attacks. The council house, church and typical Spanish home are on display, too. Mission San Luis was burned and abandoned in 1704 but the remnants left behind allow its inhabitants to live on.
American Folk Art Museum and Gallery
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