JOHN GORRIE MUSEUM STATE PARK

By  Mike Miller, July 4, 2025

John Gorrie Museum State Park is in Apalachicola, Florida. It honors Dr. John Gorrie, who invented the ice-making machine and is considered the father of modern air conditioning.

The small museum displays a replica of his device. Exhibits also cover Apalachicola’s history as a port. Visitors learn about Gorrie’s work and the town’s past.

The park includes Gorrie’s gravesite and a monument. It’s a quick stop for history buffs.  

John Gorrie Ice Machine
at John Gorrie Museum State Park

Dr. John Gorrie

Dr. John Gorrie moved to Apalachicola in 1833. He served as a physician, mayor, postmaster, and councilman. In 1841, a yellow fever outbreak hit the town.

Gorrie sought ways to cool patients’ rooms. He invented a machine to make ice, earning a U.S. patent in 1851.

His work laid the foundation for modern refrigeration and air conditioning. Gorrie died in 1855, unable to market his invention.

The museum opened in 1957 to honor him. Florida donated his statue to the U.S. Capitol in 1914.  

The museum is at 46 Sixth Street, Apalachicola, one block east of US 98. From US 98, turn left onto Columbus Street, then right onto Sixth Street.

It’s open Thursday to Monday, 9 AM to 5 PM. It’s closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Call 850-653-9347 for group tours or to confirm hours. The grounds, including Gorrie’s grave and monument, are free to visit.

Large-print brochures are available. Expect to spend 30-60 minutes. Nearby, explore Apalachicola’s historic district.  

• Gorrie’s ice machine used rapid gas expansion to create cooling. 

• He’s one of two Floridians honored with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.  

• The museum building was one of Florida’s first two state park museums. 

• Gorrie helped found Trinity Episcopal Church in Apalachicola in 1838. 

• His grave is across Sixth Street, marked by a 1899 monument.
  
  The Southern Ice Exchange built the monument to honor his invention. 

• Exhibits include 19th-century medical tools from Gorrie’s era.  

• Apalachicola was the third-largest Gulf port in Florida in the 1830s.

JOHN GORRIE MUSEUM STATE PARK WEBSITE