Maclay Gardens are in Bloom inTallahassee, Florida

Maclay Gardens in Tallahassee

The most beautiful corner of Florida's capital city is now in bloom, thanks to warm weather and an early spring!
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park spreads across hundreds of acres of hills, forests and water off Thomasville Road in Tallahassee. It is a stunning place year-round, but spring is the season when all eyes turn to the beautiful gardens that give the park its name.

Park officials report that the azaleas and dogwoods both began to bloom in late February and, as they are all across North Florida, the trees and shrubs are alive with flowers and color right now.

Path at Maclay Gardens

Maclay Gardens originated in 1923 when the land was bought by Alfred B. Maclay, a key figure in the New York financial markets. He and his wife, Louise Fleishman Maclay, named their Florida place Killearn Plantation and Gardens and set about creating a wonderland of blooming trees and plants, flowers, water features, open greens and winding paths. Over the next 21 years, the Maclays developed the gardens and even hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor there.

Stunning Beauty at Maclay Gardens

Mr. Maclay died in 1944, but Mrs. Maclay continued to work on the development of the gardens until 1953 when she donated the entire property to the State of Florida. Originally called Killearn Gardens State Park, the stunning site was renamed Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park during the 1970s and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.

The entire park now covers 873 acres, with the ornamental gardens and related historic structures comprising 28 full acres.

The Maclay House itself will be open to the public through April 30th. The park entrance fee is $6 per vehicle ($4 if the driver is the only occupant) or $2 for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. There is a separate $6 per adult fee to see the gardens ($3 for children ages 2-12).

To learn more about Maclay Gardens and to see additional pictures, please visit www.exploresouthernhistory.com/maclaygardens1.html.

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.