Florida Heritage Sites
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Florida heritage sites are tangible reminders of our history.
The State of Florida has identified 1,300 heritage sites, and has organized them in two ways:
First, by the theme of the site, and
Second, by the county in which the site is located.
If you have a particular interest - say historic movie theaters - the theme list allows you to focus on sites of your interest.
THE 23 FLORIDA HERITAGE SITE THEMES ARE:
- Archaeological Sites
- Cemeteries and Mausoleums
- Civic and Social Clubs
- Commercial and Industrial
- Educational Facilities and Campuses
- Florida Main Streets
- Gardens
- Heritage Trails
- Historic Attractions
- Historic Bridges and Spans
- Historic Districts
- Historic Movie Theaters
- Libraries and Archives
- Maritime
- Markers and Monuments
- Municipal Buildings
- Museums
- National Historic Landmarks
- Parks, Preserves, and Sanctuaries
- Performing Arts
- Sites of Military Significance
- Sites of Religious Significance
- Transportation
For Florida-Backroads-Travel.com, I have chosen to divide the sites into the 8 regions of Florida, and by county within the region.
These sites are available at the links below.
- Northwest Florida Heritage Sites
- North Central Florida Sites
- Northeast Florida Sites
- Central East Florida Sites
- Central Florida Sites
- Central West Florida Sites
- Southwest Florida Sites
- Southeast Florida Sites
This understanding also helps us to avoid some of the mistakes of the past, and to appreciate some of the achievements of our ancestors.
Florida history is rich in diversity. We can be proud of most of it, but not all of it.
The first Floridians were the Native Americans who began living here about 12,000 years ago.
Not long after Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, Ponce de Leon was possibly the first European to discover Florida. He claimed it for Spain in 1513.
Nearly 500 years later people continue to visit and move to Florida. It seems almost everyone you meet is from somewhere else.
A common question when you meet someone is "Where are your from?". The answer is often Michigan or Indiana or New York or some other northern state.
When I moved to Florida in 1960 the population was 4,951,560. In 2009 it is estimated that 18,300,000 people live here.
Many Florida residents back then had been born in the State of Florida, Georgia or Alabama, but they were already Floridians. The answer to the "where are you from" in those days was often "Miamuh", or "Jacksonville", or some other Florida, Georgia or Alabama city, town, village or farm.
So about 13,000,000 people are in Florida now that were not here in 1960. Some were born here, most moved here.
That means many people have lost touch with the state's heritage. Florida heritage tourism is one answer to that problem. A definition of heritage tourism or travel is:
"Traveling to experience heritage sites. These are the places and activities that authentically represent the stories and peoples of past and present Florida. It includes irreplaceable historic, cultural, and natural resources."
Whether you are a long time Floridian or a recent arrival, you will enjoy learning about Florida's past.
Visiting one of our heritage sites is one of the many cheap Holidays Florida has to offer.
Heritage sites are all around you in the form of museums, historic neighborhoods, lighthouses, parks, battlefields, nature preserves, historic buildings and archaeological sites.
From St. Augustine’s ancient Castillo de San Marcos to the more recent 1930's vintage Miami Beach Art Deco historical district, there is something in Florida to interest everyone.
You can learn about Florida history and heritage from the resources in Florida-Backroads-Travel.com.
You will learn about the people and places that stretch from the ancient Indian trails to the modern Space Age landmarks at Kennedy Space Center.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is also involved in identifying and helping to preserve Florida cultural and heritage landmarks.
In addition to the 1300 heritage sites identified by the State of Florida Division of Historical Resources, there are a lot of interesting sites that don't make the list but are still worth a visit.
For examples, hundreds of lost Florida tourist attractions may have closed down, but are still an interesting part of the state's heritage and history.
Also, there are hundreds of authentic old places and businesses in Florida that have survived the years while still retaining their original look, signage and charm.
Some of these places can be found at Retro Roadmap , and are also interesting to visit.
We intend to inform our readers about as many of the Historical & Cultural Activities in Florida as possible.
Enjoy your adventures in Florida heritage travel.
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