Case Study: Tallahassee Museum
Tallahassee Museum may not sound like the most nature-focused experience, but you’d be surprised. I sure was. Nary a static collection of dramatically lit artifacts to be found here. Instead, from the moment you pull into the parking area, guests are immersed in nature. The dirt parking area is irregularly shaped and spots are unmarked, interrupted by clumps of trees and natural vegetation. One of the most interesting animals at the Museum was seen in the parking lot: a melanistic squirrel.
The focus of the Museum (a misnomer in my opinion) is the history of the region, in all of its facets: natural and cultural. While the entry building housing the gift shop and ticketing are definitively generic, once inside the park itself, guests are immediately transported to rustic old Florida. Pathways are unpaved and often undefined encouraging exploration without confusion. The incredible natural beauty of the site is unimpeded by the few functional buildings, while post-modern in nature, blend into the background of the park. At the heart of the park, a rustic amphitheater and large café with indoor seating (and a pretty darn good menu) are surrounded by the self-guided ropes course that adventurers can use to explore the entire natural 52 acres.
The cultural and natural history storytelling is currently segmented and segregated with three clear zones of exploration: the farm, the nature trail, and the village. The majority of animal experiences occur along the nature trail which winds through old growth forest and skims the edge of an incredibly stunning cedar swamp. Hidden in the vast habitats enclosed humbly by chain link, bears, mountain lions, skunk, fox, bobcat, and wolves can be found if guests take the time to search for them—often overhead in the massive old live oaks. The river otter habitat left a lot to be desired in comparison—feeling small and unnatural with its concrete pool. By contrast, the massive raptor aviary is something to behold and unlike anything I’ve seen before. Guests walk through the center of the aviary through a large tunnel allowing vultures, great horned owls, and red-tailed hawks to fly overhead. The inconspicuous division of the aviary overhead separated the mixed species raptor habitat from the large, adjacent bald eagle habitat. Simple, but very effective and innovative.
Animals are also found in the historic farm area featuring relocated and replica farm structures from the area, along with a large vegetable garden. However, this is not a petting zoo and while fencing allows fingers and small arms to reach through, the barriers are intended to dissuade rather than entice.
The village area features multiple historic buildings including a schoolhouse, a church, and even a small plantation house, and the interpretation of each focuses on black history in the area. Meanwhile, in multiple places throughout the experience, large signs featuring quilt patterns tell the story of their meaning and usage as signals demarcating the Underground Railroad. One such quilt is located next to interpretation about the actual railroad and features a caboose train car that guests may enter and explore the exhibits on-board.
However, throughout the Museum experience, what was lacking to me was an intentional interpretative plan. The farm was especially lacking. Moreover, an approach that integrates the facets of history and nature to reveal their inextricable interplay would be much more interesting and keep all audience segments interested throughout the entire journey—rather than what I suspect happens: certain segments check-out in certain areas (I admit that history is hard for me to get excited about). From what I understand, the Museum does have an interpretive master plan in the works that does just this, and I’m excited to see how it shapes the overall experience.
Despite the Museum experience being a beautiful immersion into nature and history, the annual attendance of approximately 140,000 in a city of about 200,000 plus tourists seems to tell me the experience is perceived as ‘one and done’ by locals. Certainly the playground and the ropes course can be revisited multiple times, but beyond that, the experience is very passive and low key. The admission price of $11 is very reasonable ($54 with ropes course) and no other true zoo experience exists within an hour’s drive, so it seems there is a lot of room to grow with attendance. Focusing on a cohesive interpretative plan along with upgrading a few key animal habitats and adding additional staff to allow for animal interactions could provide the platform for long-term success--and history in the making.
