From 1656 to 1704, San Luis de Talimali was the
capital of the Spanish missions among the Apalachee Indians. One of the
largest of the missions in La Florida, the town had
1,400 inhabitants in 1675. Threatened by hostile forces in 1704,
residents burned San Luis and fled to St Augustine and Pensacola. Fifty
acres of the original townsite were purchased by the State of Florida
in 1983; historical and archaeological research and public education
programs followed soon after. A path around the site connects outdoor
exhibits and markers located where mission-era structures once stood.
Historic interpreters in period dress occasionally demonstrate Spanish
life in a reconstructed village area. Full-scale reconstructions in
progress of an Apalachee chief's house and a Spanish dwelling will
provide additional backdrops for the living history interpreters.
HOURS: 9 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 4:30 PM Saturday, 12 PM to 4:30 PM Sunday, closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
ADMISSION: Free.
DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of 90 and 27, head west on 90. The site is located and the intersection with Ocala Rd.