Why We’re Sharing This

Juneteenth is a day to honor the resilience of Black Americans. You can appreciate and learn about Florida’s African American history year-round by visiting various venues and neighborhoods across the state. 

Where to Learn about Florida’s Black History

The following list features places you can visit to explore the Sunshine State's vibrant cultural heritage.‍

Source: VisitFlorida

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‍NORTH FLORIDA

American Beach, Amelia Island

One of Florida's first black-owned beach resorts, it still belongs, in part, to the descendants of the founders.

Julee Cottage Museum, Pensacola
Part of Historic Pensacola Village, this Florida Black History Museum resides in the circa-1805 home of free black woman Julee Panton.

John G. Riley Center / Museum for African American History & Culture, Tallahassee

Housed in the circa-1890 home of a local African American citizen, it scans the history of black Tallahassee and the nation from Reconstruction through the Civil Rights movement. 

Lincolnville, St. Augustine

St. Augustine's historic African-American district, originally named "Africa," boasts the city's largest concentration of Victorian homes. It was also home to the man who taught Ray Charles, a student at the local school for the deaf and blind, to read music in Braille. 

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CENTRAL FLORIDA

Jackie Robinson Ballpark, Daytona Beach ‍

Robinson scored a home run for his people as the first African-American to join an all-white team. It happened here, where a sculpture and a park commemorate the 1946 event.

‍Hannibal Square Heritage Center, Winter Park‍

The center, located in one of the oldest African American communities in Florida, features a permanent, museum-quality exhibition of over 200 framed, archival pieces spanning the 20th century.

Howard Thurman Home, Daytona Beach‍

Howard Thurman is the author of over 20 books and provided spiritual guidance to prominent civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Wells' Built Museum of African-American History & Culture, Orlando

Bo Diddley, B.B. King and Ella Fitzgerald were among the performers of "the Chitlin Circuit" who boarded here. The hotel has been restored to house a tribute to notable African Americans.

Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, Eatonville

Named for Eatonville's major female voice of the Harlem Renaissance, writer, folklorist and anthropologist, "the Hurston" exhibits the work of changing African-American artists and hosts an annual winter arts and humanities festival.  

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SOUTH FLORIDA

Bahama Village, Key West‍

In the Florida Keys, Bahama Village grew up after the Civil War as home to the "Conchs," as the Bahamian immigrants came to be known. Today, Bahamian restaurants, roaming chickens, shops, an 1865 church, and a park keep the neighborhood lively.

Old Dillard Museum, Fort Lauderdale

Once a segregated school for black children where saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley directed band, it traces the history of the city's jazz scene and displays masks, musical instruments and other archival artifacts.‍

Overtown, Miami

Soul food restaurants, historic churches and the circa-1913 Lyric Theater mark the cultural importance of "Colored Town," as it was originally known. One of Miami's oldest neighborhoods, it dates back to the 1890s.