Arts & Culture

From galleries to theaters and live performances, experience the city’s lively cultural scene

Artist Series of Tallahassee
Increasing the depth, diversity, and profile of classical music audiences in Tallahassee and greater North Florida by presenting an  affordable five-concert season featuring a variety of leading classical musicians.
(850) 445-1616, TheArtistSeries.org

Challenger Learning Center
Combining education and entertainment, the Challenger Center features an IMAX 3-D theater, Digital Dome theater and planetarium, Space Mission Simulator, exhibit hall, and gift shop.
Monday through Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m.,
Sunday noon-10 p.m., Fee. 200 South Duval Street, (850) 645-7827, ChallengerTLH.com

FAMU Essential Theatre
Features African American playwrights and new interpretations of the classics and musicals. Fee. Florida A&M University.
(850) 561-2425

Florida Historic Capitol Museum
Built in 1845, the Old Capitol is a symbol of Florida’s government. Photographs, recordings, interactive multimedia, and more than 250 artifacts in 21 rooms provide visitors with fascinating insights into Florida’s politics and history. Free (donations appreciated). Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday noon-
4:30 p.m. 400 South Monroe Street,
(850) 487-1902, FLHistoricCapitol.gov

FSU College of Music
More than 500 concerts and recitals are performed at Florida State University each year. Notable concert series include the Florida State Opera; The Artist Series, hosting renowned classical musicians; the Rainbow Concert of World Music, held every spring; and the Kaleidoscope, featuring classical and jazz chamber music concerts performed by faculty members. Season and single-performance tickets available. (850) 644-3424, Music.FSU.edu

FSU Museum of Fine Arts
FSU’s Museum of Fine Arts, part of the Fine Arts department, offers the community the ability to have a better understanding of art. Art displayed in the gallery includes artworks from faculty and students in the Fine Arts Department. Admission is free.
530 West Call Street, 250 Fine Arts Building,
(850) 644-6836, MOFA.FSU.edu

FSU School of Theatre
View a single show, or sign up for the entire season. Performances are held in three theaters: Mainstage, The Lab, and the Studio Theatre. Fee. Discount tickets available. Fine Arts Ticket Office, corner of Copeland and Call streets, (850) 644-6500, Theatre.FSU.edu

Grove Museum
Tallahassee’s newest state museum is The Grove Museum, an antebellum home with a rich history set in a grove of massive magnolia trees and live oaks. Its last owners were former Florida Gov. LeRoy Collins and his family. Collins rose to national heights as a civil rights champion.
The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wednesday-Friday, 1 p.m.-4 p.m.,
Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 902 North Monroe
 Street, (850) 245-6100, TheGroveMuseum.com

Knott House Museum
Temporarily closed for renovations
Built in 1843, the Knott House is a monument to the past. Displaying all of the original furnishings from when the Knott family took possession in 1928, visitors can explore what life was like during the time when William Knott served as state treasurer. Poems written by Luella Knott hang from the items of furniture, just as she left them, giving the building its nickname: The House That Rhymes. Tours every hour. Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
Saturday 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday noon-4:30 p.m. Free. 301 East Park Avenue, (850) 922-2459, MuseumOfFloridaHistory.com

LeMoyne Arts
LeMoyne galleries host eight to 10 exhibits annually, and the center offers art education classes year-round for children and adults. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, LeMoyne also includes an outdoor sculpture garden. Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free for members and children under 12. $5 donation requested for non-members. 125 North Gadsden Street, (850) 222-8800, LeMoyne.org

Mission San Luis
This National Historic Landmark is the site of a mission where Spaniards and Apalachee natives coexisted four centuries ago. Living history interpreters walk the grounds, which include a church, an Apalachee Council House, a Spanish fort, and other structures recreated in the archaeological footprints of the originals. Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Entrance fees: $5 for adults; $3 for seniors 65 and over; $2 for children ages
6-17; free for active-duty military and members. 2100 West Tennessee Street, (850) 245-6406, MissionSanLuis.org

Museum of Florida History
Temporarily closed
The official state history museum traces the history of Florida from prehistoric times through the 20th century and hosts outstanding temporary exhibits about Florida topics. Annual events include Children’s Day, Florida History Day, and the Capital City Quilt Show. Check the museum’s website for a calendar of events. Open daily until 4:30 p.m. Opens at 9 a.m. Monday-Friday, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and at noon on Sunday and holidays. In the R.A. Gray Building, 500 South Bronough Street, (850) 245-6400, MuseumOfFloridaHistory.com

Pas De Vie Ballet
A semi-professional company dedicated to the preservation of the art of dance. Productions include a springtime performance of Spotlight on Dance and the holiday classic The Nutcracker. PasDeVieBallet.com

Railroad Square Art District
Railroad Square is a center for creative arts and is home to more than 50 studios, galleries, shops, and dining establishments, as well as a cafe built in a railroad caboose. The park hosts a free Gallery Hop community event on the first Friday of every month where visitors can browse the galleries and enjoy different types of live music. There also is a drumming circle and occasional shows from a belly dance studio. In addition, Railroad Square hosts other events, such as benefits and open mic nights.
602 McDonnell Drive, (850) 224-1308, RailroadSquare.com

Riley House Museum
The John Gilmore Riley Center is a museum of African American history and culture. It features an oral history program, a genealogical and architectural studies program, an after-school cultural literacy program, and an intercultural outreach program that features workshops, lectures, walking tours, exhibits, and cultural events. $5 for adults and children $3. Tuesday–Thursday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. 419 East Jefferson Street,
(850) 891-3560, RileyMuseum.org

Tallahassee Automobile Museum
This museum features cars as more than just a means of transportation but as works of art. What began as a collection is now a nonprofit, educational display of over 150 diverse automobiles from an 1894 Duryea to the original Batskiboat from the movie Batman Returns. Fee (donations also accepted). Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 6800 Mahan Drive, (850) 942-0137, TACM.com

Tallahassee Bach Parley
Presents a five multi-concert season of Baroque music (1600-1750) using period instruments, with a fresh sound immediately accessible to today’s audiences. Commentary is provided before each piece. Concerts are held on Sunday afternoons at various venues, most often at St. John’s Episcopal Church. 211 North Monroe Street, BachParley.org

Tallahassee Ballet
This regional, semi-professional company offers three major concerts annually: an Evening of Music and Dance in September, holiday favorite The Nutcracker in December and a spring production
in May. Fee. 2910 Kerry Forest Parkway.
(850) 224-6917, TallahasseeBallet.org

Tallahassee Civic Chorale
The Tallahassee Civic Chorale is one of Tallahassee’s chorale ensembles and has a strong affiliation with Tallahassee State College. The ensemble has three concerts a year with an eclectic arrangement of music. They also perform in “Sing Outs” at Springtime Tallahassee and the Winter Festival. (850) 590-4194, CivicChorale.org

Tallahassee Community Chorus
The Tallahassee Community Chorus has been a part of the Tallahassee community for 30 years.
It’s hailed as one of the best non-auditioned, mixed choirs in the country. The chorus holds a fall, winter, and spring concert every year and participates in FSU’s Seasonal Celebration. They have even had the opportunity to travel for performances in Carnegie Hall in New York, Prague, and most recently Rome. (850) 597-0603, TCChorus.org

Tallahassee Museum
Established in the 1950s to provide hands-on experiences for children, the Tallahassee Museum now serves all ages with exhibits and programs about this region’s natural environment, pioneer history, and culture. Exhibits include the Big Bend Farmstead, the Natural Florida exhibit of indigenous animals, and various galleries for art and hands-on science. The museum is home to tree-to-tree zip lines and challenge courses (additional fee), offers workshops, and hosts annual music festivals. Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-
5 p.m. $15.50 for adults, $14.50 for seniors and students with ID, $11 for children 4-15, free to members and children 3 and under. 3945 Museum Drive, (850) 575-8684, TallahasseeMuseum.org

Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra
The symphony’s season includes concerts from the Masterworks Series, Pops in the Park, An American Celebration and an annual Holiday Magic concert. One of the country’s finest regional orchestras led by Maestro Yaniv Dinur. Annual offerings include classical concerts and concerts for families and young people. We also feature innovative Symphony Lab and TSO Jazz Orchestra performances. Fee. 507 North Calhoun Street, (850) 224-0461, TallahasseeSymphony.org

Tallahassee Youth Orchestras
TYO consists of three ensembles, from beginners to the TYO Symphony Orchestra. TYO has been a part of the Tallahassee Community since 1990 and offers students the opportunity to learn, practice, and perform in string, wind, and brass instruments. 122 North Copeland Street,
TallahasseeYouthOrchestras.com

Theatre Tallahassee
Theatre Tallahassee is home to outstanding community productions throughout the year, from popular Broadway musicals and plays to more avant garde presentations. Fee. 1861 Thomasville Road, (850) 224-8474, TheatreTallahassee.org

Theatre TSC!
All Theatre TSC! performances take place in the beautiful Turner Auditorium in TSC’s Fine & Performing Arts Center with 490 seats with plenty of leg room, great sight lines, and fantastic acoustics. Season subscriptions, lifetime sponsorships, benefit performances, and group rates are available. (850) 201-9882, TSC.FL.edu

Theatre with a Mission
Made up of actors, scholars, and cultural explorers, this nonprofit corporation unites to rediscover history by reviving plays from el Siglo de Oro, the Spanish Golden Age. TheaterWithAMission.com

Young Actors Theatre
Youngsters present classic productions with the flair of a professional theater.
609 Glenview Drive,
(850) 386-6602, YoungActorsTheatre.com

For more information about the area’s arts and cultural community, visit COCA (Council on Culture & Arts) at TallahasseeArts.org or call (850) 224‑2500.