10 Must-See Historic Landmarks in Florida
Ranked as the third most popular state in the United States for tourism, Florida is home to several historic sites. Among these is Fort Jefferson, a 19th-century coastal fortress located in Dry Tortugas National Park, which functioned as a Union prison during the Civil War. Key West's Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, constructed in 1851, is where the author penned "To Have and Have Not." Miami's Vizcaya Museum and Gardens features stunning Italian Renaissance architecture. Established in 1927, the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota boasts over 10,000 pieces, while the Venetian Gothic mansion Ca' d'Zan was completed in 1926. St. Augustine's Castillo de San Marcos, built from 1672 to 1695, is the oldest masonry fort in America. Additional attractions include the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse (1716), De Soto National Memorial (1539), Edison and Ford Winter Estates (1886, 1916), Kingsley Plantation (1814), and Florida Caverns State Park.
Key facts
- Fort Jefferson is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, built 1846-1875.
- Ernest Hemingway's Key West home was built in 1851 and acquired by him in 1931.
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens was built 1914-1922 for James Deering.
- The Ringling Museum of Art opened in 1927 and holds over 10,000 artworks.
- Castillo de San Marcos was built 1672-1695 and is America's oldest masonry fort.
- The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse first appeared on tax records in 1716.
- De Soto National Memorial commemorates the 1539 landing of Hernando de Soto.
- Edison's Seminole Lodge was completed in 1886; Ford's estate was acquired in 1916.
- Kingsley Plantation was established in 1814 and has 25 preserved slave cabins.
- Florida Caverns State Park opened in 1942, developed by the CCC and WPA.
Entities
Artists
- Ernest Hemingway
- Peter Paul Rubens
- Hernando de Soto
- Thomas Edison
- Henry Ford
- Zephaniah Kingsley
- Anna Madgigine Jai
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Samuel Mudd
- Asa Tift
- Pauline Pfeiffer
- James Deering
- John Ringling
- Mable Ringling
- Dwight James Baum
- Juan Genoply
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
Institutions
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
- International Harvester
- The Ringling Museum of Art
- Ca' d'Zan
- Castillo de San Marcos
- Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse
- De Soto National Memorial
- Edison and Ford Winter Estates
- Kingsley Plantation
- Florida Caverns State Park
- Civilian Conservation Corps
- Works Progress Administration
Locations
- Florida
- United States
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Key West
- Miami
- Sarasota
- St. Augustine
- Bradenton
- Fort Myers
- Jacksonville
- Marianna
- Fort George Island
- Caloosahatchee River
- Manatee River
- Matanzas Bay
- Venice
- Senegal
- Florida Panhandle