Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Maclay Gardens - Tallahassee, Florida

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park in Tallahassee, Florida is one of the most spectacular locations in the South, especially during the spring.

Once called Killearn, the gardens are considered "masterpiece of floral architecture." They were conceived and planted by Alfred B. Maclay beginning in the 1920s. Maclay and his wife, Louise, purchased the Killearn estate as a winter home and planted their first camellia in 1924. They conceived turning the grounds into a spectacular array of color timed to bloom from February to April of each year (the months of their annual visits).

By the time Mr. Maclay died in 1944, the gardens had become one of the true landmarks of the South. Mrs. Maclay and her children donated the 307 acres to the people of Florida in 1953. Today they form the centerpiece of Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park.

If you would like to learn more about this stunningly beautiful state park located in Tallahassee, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/maclaygardens1.

2 comments:

~NinaAnne~ said...

I tried to visit that link and was unable to. I would love to know more about this location. I am not familiar with Tallahassee so I would need directions from Chattahoochee, Florida or at least from Tennessee and Monroe Ave.

Thank you for your time and efforts.

~Nina Anne~

Dale Cox said...

Oops, sorry about that! I left some characters out of the link. It is working now.

Maclay Gardens State Park is located right off Interstate 10 at the Thomasville Road (U.S. 319) exit. Just come off the interstate there, turn left onto Thomasville Road and watch for the park entrance ahead on your left.